For a better understanding of these documentaries a back ground into their subject matter needs to be examined. Both of these films were made at a time in their respective countries when their gymnastics teams were considered the best in the world. “The Romanian Dream” was filmed in 1988. In the years previous to the making of this documentary Nadia Comaneci, Romanian, became a world-renowned gymnast who brought fame to her home country for the first perfect score, a 10.00, in gymnastics history at the 1976 Montreal Olympics (Encyclopedia Americana, 335). This documentary chose to follow the progression of the new generation of Romanian gymnast as they prepared for the up coming Olympics. Likewise, “Pursing the Perfect 10” was created in the years after the success of the “Magnificent Seven,” a group of US Gymnasts that won the team gold medal in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics (Woolum, 287). Similar to the Romanian documentary the CNN film follows the development of US athletes as they try to achieve their Olympic dreams.
“The Romanian Dream” and “Pursing the Perfect 10” take different stances on who they interview. For the most part “The Romanian Dream” interviews the coaches only. Nadia Comaneci, a coach in this documentary, is the only gymnast asked questions about the grueling work ethic Romanian gymnasts display (Marks). The only time the gymnasts were asked a question was at the beginning and end of the film. Both times the question was “who do you want to be when you grow up?” and their answers were the same both times, “Nadia Comaneci” (Marks). Their responses reaffirm their goal of achieving the Romanian Dream. In “Pursing the Perfect 10” gymnasts, parents, and coaches are all interviewed. CNN uses these interviews to allow the individuals involved with the gymnasts’ lives to put into words their struggles to achieve Olympic stardom.
In “Pursuing the Perfect 10” CNN used a journalist to narrate. “The Romanian Dream” also uses a narrator to translate some of the coach’s dialogue into English and to help move the documentary forward. What is different in CNN’s documentary is the use of the narrator to ask questions and investigate issues concerning gymnastics. The narrator urges the audience to consider weather in the training of these child athletes it is healthy for coaches and parents to push them so hard (CNN). The narrator in “The Romanian Dream” only guides the viewers along by explaining aspects of the gymnasts’ lives; he does not attempt to form an opinion on their training routine (Marks).
Attempting to gain a deeper understanding of the gymnastics world, “Pursuing the Perfect 10” endeavors to ask the ‘hard’ questions that frequently concern gymnastics. A need to meet certain physical requirements encourages eating disorders, and pushing a gymnast past their limits can lead to serious injuries (www.usa-gymnastics.org). CNN’s “Pursuing the Perfect 10” tries to shed a negative light on the USA gymnastics competition world by insinuating, through focusing on certain key phrases and footage of injured gymnasts, their gymnastics training leads these children to unnecessary health risks (CNN). On the other side, “The Romanian Dream” does not discuss any of the negative aspects of gymnastics.
Injuries are a major part of gymnastics. “The Romanian Dream” only shows gymnasts falling off the bars or beam a few times at the end of the documentary. In “Pursuing the Perfect 10” CNN spends a lot of time showing the physical injuries held by the gymnasts. For example: the seven year old penalized in her competition for her broken ankle, or the Elite gymnast whose season was over when she broke her ankle (CNN). It is interesting that “The Romanian Dream” ignores these injuries. In the United States in 1998 “nearly 25,500 children and adolescents ages 5 to 14 were treated in hospital emergency rooms for gymnastics-related injuries. Among girls' sports, gymnastics has one of the highest injury rates, increasing with the level of competition”. (Children’s Hospital Boston) It follows that with the high number of gymnast in Romania they would also have many injured gymnasts. However, being injured is not part of the ‘Romanian Dream’ they ignored that aspect of the gymnast training.
When asked how the gymnast felt they had been represented in the documentaries, the athletes themselves had different feelings. Kristina Coccia was one of the many gymnasts filmed in “Pursing the Perfect 10” at her gym, the Allentown Parkettes. Inquired as to how she felt the documentary portrayed her team she replied:
“Parkettes is a great atmosphere to workout. The CNN documentary was taken totally out of content and was not what happens during our practices. Our coaches know when to push us to the max. They never push us to far. They are extremely caring and love each and every one of us. I have been at Parkettes for 10 years, and I don't think I would still be doing gymnastics if it weren't for Parkettes.” (www.kristina-coccia.com).
A Romanian gymnast, the 1999 World Champion Maria Olaru, went through the same process and training as the gymnasts in “The Romanian Dream.” After watching the documentary her reactions was, “yes, it was exactly like this. When I watched it I felt the same emotion I felt when I was six. I relived this. I tried to remember it all, every moment, every minute, every second” (www.intlgymnast.com).
The film techniques used in these documentaries also varied. “The Romanian Dream” used many close-ups and long takes to evoke an emotional connection between the viewer and the gymnasts. These close-ups often framed the girls faces as they stood waiting in line with a look of concentration on their faces in preparation for her next routine; or focused solely on their hands and feet as they performed their skills on the four-inch beam or uneven bars (Marks). In a 1980 study by Hatada, Sakata, and Kusaka in they found that close-ups created a “greater sensation of realism” (Lombard and Ditton). These close-ups focus the viewers’ attention to the perilous routines these gymnast perform everyday. It forces them to realize how much skill is involved in even the easiest of gymnastics moves. In opposition, “Pursuing the Perfect 10” used many quick jump shots to emotionally jar the viewers. To display the physical pounding these gymnasts were going through CNN uses jump cuts of gymnasts falling of the equipment multiple times(CNN). Using this technique they were able to force the viewers to have a small feeling of what it is like for the gymnast to have these hard falls and yet be forced to get back up and attempt the skill again.
Both of these documentaries are openly biased in their point of view. The Romanian Gymnastics Federation wants children to compete in gymnastics and so they naturally try to show gymnastics in a positive light. CNN is a major news outlet and often sensationalizes their stories draw a larger audience. In the end, the documentaries leave the viewers with two vastly different perspectives on the gymnastics world. “The Romanian Dream” and “Pursuing the Perfect 10” use opposing film technique, focus on separate subject matter and interviewees, and use different methods to narrate their documentaries. With “The Romanian Dream” the audience feels that gymnastics is a healthy sport for their little girls, one that will teach them perseverance and hard work. “Pursing the Perfect 10” has the opposite impact, viewers are left feeling that gymnastics takes childhood away and forces them to push themselves past their limits.
Reference
Children’s Hospital Boston, Sports Injury Statistics. Online. 18 Mar 2008.
CNN, “Pursuing the Perfect 10”. 2003.
Dir. Pim Marks. “The Romanian Dream”. The Romanian Gymnastics Federation, 1988.
Encyclopedia Americana. : Scholastic Library Publishing, 2005.
Woolum, Janet. Outstanding Women Athletes: Who They Are and How They Influenced Sports in America. : Oryx Press, 1998.
www.intlgymnast.com, "I Dream for Romania to be World Champion Again". 2003. Online. 18 Mar 2008.
www.kristina-coccia.com, Interview #3. Oct 2004. Online. 18 Mar 2008.
www.usa-gymnastics.org, Task Force on USA Gymnastics Response to the Female Athlete Triad. Sep 1995. Online. 18 Mar 2008.
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