Bill Russell: Legend is a two-part film directed by Sam Pollard and features one of the greatest sports figures and civil rights activists of all time, which is, of course, Bill Russell. I didn’t know what to expect from this two-part film as I am not a basketball enthusiast, nor did I know much about Bill Russell. The runtime was also intimidating as it rests at around 199 minutes. Pollard, however, is able to educate non-fans and invest people into Russell’s life reasonably quickly with the opening. The opening serves as an excellent introduction as audiences can see why and how influential Russell was through various interviews, news reports, and archived footage. Here, we learn about all the multiple people Russell has affected either directly or indirectly and the sheer amount of impact he has made in his long, fruitful, and inspiring eighty-eight years of life.
Bill Russell: Legend is narrated by actor Corey Stoll and Jeffery Wright (who reads Russell’s memoirs). To add even more flavor and depth to the documentary, Russell’s fellow Basketball icons and family members were interviewed, such as Jerry West, Magic Johnson, Steph Curry, Shaquille O’Neal, Karen Russell (his daughter), his widowed wife Jeannine Russell, and various others.
The film’s structure starts pretty unorthodoxly as it jumps around Russell’s life in various segments instead of simply telling it linearly. Not only that but what also surprised me was how much the world outside Bill Russell was explored in a documentary that was seemingly all about him. There was so much in-depth background that the film can sometimes lean into feeling like a historical documentary of the late 60s during the civil rights movements. I was confused at how much context I was getting and the way Pollard decided to order the film at first, but it all made sense after a certain point. Bill Russell’s life was so tremendous and influential that showcasing people like Muhammad Ali, Martin Luther King Jr., and other influential activists at the time was necessary to see what kind of man Russell was at his core. The era Russell was growing up and living in broadly defined his actions and who he was. The man constantly faces racial discrimination, even after he becomes a celebrity. This creates an interesting internal conflict since Russell feels at odds playing Basketball for people who wouldn’t even allow him to live in the same neighborhood.
Perhaps it’s the fact that I am not an avid sports watcher, but I did wish to see more of Russell’s personal life and his internal struggles. The documentary mainly highlighted his immense accomplishments through basketball, racial discrimination, and his achievements as an activist. All of that is valid and necessary, but I loved the small moments we would get when Russell would dive into his childhood, such as when his Mother died and how that affected his personality and outlook on life at the time. I enjoyed hearing stories about his personal life because it made him feel more human than Herculean. Russell wanted to clarify one thing about himself: he is just a human being, a man. While the documentary doesn’t portray Russell as some sort of God, it does seem to shy away from fleshing out his negative traits and flaws.
One instance that I wished was fleshed out more was Russell’s arrogancy. The documentary brings this up various times where sportswriters would often critique Russell, even with Russell agreeing that he was arrogant; however, his flaws such as this are not usually shown, and if they are, only briefly. This matters because there is a particular scene where Russell harms one of his relationships due to his arrogance, and it’s hard to believe he would do or say something like that from how he was presented. It especially matters where there is supposed to be an emotional payoff to this scene. Still, it doesn’t hit as hard emotionally because his flaws weren’t paid enough attention for his redemptive scenes to have weight.
The film also showcases Bill Russell’s life after retiring from his professional Basketball career. This film segment was arguably the most entertaining because I saw what a legend like Russell would do with his life after accomplishing most of the things he set out to do. His life was pretty hard still, with unsuccessful acting gigs and a struggle to stay relevant. In the game of Basketball, there’s always going to be another “greatest of all time” player, and it can be tough seeing the world move on. However, we get to see how appreciated he still is with a very emotional moment where Red Auerbach (Russell’s long-time coach and friend) literally gives Russell a piece of the floor. At the same time, a crowd of people cheers Russell on. It’s exceptionally satisfying seeing how much people care and how Russell can find solace in his life knowing that he’s loved and is not alone.
Score: 3.5/5
Bill Russell: Legend doesn’t change the game of sports documentaries, nor does it do anything incredibly original, although Its lack of originality isn’t necessarily a critique. If you watch a lot of sports documentaries, then you know what you’re going to get out of this, and that’s not such a bad thing. Audiences surely won’t be able to help but feel inspired and dedicated to achieving their dreams after watching this documentary. Bill Russell was most certainly worthy of getting a 3-hour documentary dedicated to his life in a primarily justified runtime, despite running a little long and dragging at some points. Pollard is able to construct a documentary that can appeal to hardcore fans of basketball, historians, fans of Bill Russell, or any ordinary person that just wants to watch something inspiring.
Bill Russell: Legend is streaming now on Netflix.
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