New Roberto Baggio biopic doesn't shy away from soccer star’s Buddhist faith
(REVIEW) If you watched the European Championship and the Copa America over the past few weeks, then you may be in serious soccer withdrawal. Both national team competitions, delayed in 2020 because of the pandemic, gave TV viewers across the globe plenty of drama, passion and national pride over the past month.
The Copa America final last Saturday won by Argentina against Brazil, followed the next day by the Euro final battle that saw Italy down England on penalty kicks capped off two wonderful tournaments.
So now what?
Whether you’re new to the world’s most popular game or have been watching for years, you can fill your time — and also get your football fix — by watching a new biopic on the life of former 1990s Italian legend Roberto Baggio.
The Netflix film, called “The Divine Ponytail” and available now on the streaming service, is loaded with plenty of action on and off the striker’s tempestuous life. The movie packs a lot in just 91 minutes and doesn’t shy away from his Buddhist faith and how it helped motivate him for big games. Yes, Baggio (played by Andrea Arcangeli) was (and continues to be) a practicing Buddhist from a pre-dominantly Roman Catholic nation. He was born and raised by a Catholic family.
Baggio’s Buddhism transforms him from an anxious, and sometimes even negative young man, into an athlete able to deal with even the toughest challenges. The film, however, doesn’t get into how controversial that was at the time among many of Baggio’s countrymen (it was!) and decides to focus on how beloved he was.
The film also spotlights focuses on Baggio the man and player and some of the struggles he endured, including a series of injuries, his failure to win the World Cup in 1994 held in the United States and the inability to make Italy’s roster at the 2002 World Cup.
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The movie starts off with Baggio as a child dreaming of scoring the winning penalty kick and to capture the World Cup, the sport’s biggest prize. The move fast forwards rather quickly and divides his life into three acts: His experiences at Italian club Fiorentina, his time at the 1994 World Cup and career-ending finale with tiny Serie A club Brescia.
While it’s difficult to condense anyone’s life into less than two hours, director Letizia Lamartire and screenwriters Ludovica Rampoldi and Stefano Sardo gloss over some of the best moments of Baggio’s pro career, including the 1990 World Cup and his stints with Juventus and AC Milan.
Arcangeli looks a lot like the real-life Baggio and his action scenes — particularly when re-enacting his goals — resemble the real thing. The movie also blends archival game footage from the actual Baggio, giving the film an authentic feel. But the most interesting parts of the movie are the behind-the-scenes stuff fans never saw. His conversion to Buddhism, for example, came from a fortuitous meeting in Florence after visiting a record store. Baggio’s nickname “the divine ponytail” came for two reasons — how he wore his hair and for his religious beliefs.
Baggio’s free kicks made him a star in Italy, but faith made him one in Asia. He was revered in Japan and even offered a contract to play there. Baggio never did go to Japan to play — something that comes up in the movie — but he did retire in 2004 on top with Brescia.
Baggio is often forgotten by younger generations of sports fans. He won the 1993 FIFA Player of the Year award and remains one of the best to ever don a blue Italy jersey. A fan poll conducted in 2015 by the Italian sports daily La Gazzetta dello Sport ranked him the greatest Italy player of all time. Some have argued he remains an underrated player, something the movie does not address.
For those who remember Baggio during his playing days, this is a film that will take you down a nostalgic ‘90s rabbit hole. For younger fans, it’s a great introduction to a player who used his spirituality to guide him throughout much of his playing career.
Clemente Lisi is a senior editor and regular contributor to Religion Unplugged. He is the former deputy head of news at the New York Daily News and teaches journalism at The King’s College in New York City. Follow him on Twitter @ClementeLisi.