Bannister: Everest on the Track

Filmmakers Tom Ratcliffe and Jeremy Mosher's thrilling documentary recounts the long drama that played out during the 20th century to find an athlete who could achieve or break the four-minute mile. In the end, it was English runner Roger Bannister who shattered what many perceived as a psychological and/or physical barrier to how fast a human could run. Fortunately, Bannister, now 87, is a participant here, with clear memories of the experience. The first half of Bannister looks at the conditions of life in Britain from the Blitz years (featuring nightly bombings of the country by Nazi Germany) through the lengthy, dreary post-war period of nationwide privation and rationing. In the war, Bannister—like many other children—was sent from his city-dwelling family to live in rural locations less likely to be attacked by the enemy. It was during this time that Bannister began challenging himself physically, running for miles and riding his bike astonishing lengths to visit faraway friends. While at Oxford, the 17-year-old Bannister discovered that excelling at track was a way to distinguish himself from older returning veterans who were grabbing up educational and career opportunities. Meanwhile, as time passed, the quest to achieve the four-minute-mile became an international obsession. Bannister and others also note that by 1954—the year of Bannister's historic race—England was entering a new golden period with the recent crowning of a new queen and Edmund Hillary's conquest of Mt. Everest. Suddenly, possibility was in the air, and Bannister became a part of the upbeat new narrative. Telling the story of the run-up and the race itself in an edge-of-your-seat manner, this is highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (T. Keogh)