Mental health has become one of the most talked about topics around the world. It’s nearly impossible to watch a film or browse social media without seeing at least one mention of mental health and its importance. Hollywood stars and athletes are often omitted from conversations of this nature, or worse, looked down upon for experiencing mental struggles like the rest of the world. The Weight of Gold attempts to normalize mental disparities among stars like Michael Phelps, Lolo Jones, Shaun White and others.
Michael Phelps narrates the mental health/sports documentary. It seems that he is not the most well-spoken individual that HBO could have chosen to narrate The Weight of Gold as his voice is sometimes not very clear. This is not to say that he is incapable of presenting the necessary information to the audience, but I truly believe that others possess the same level of ability as Phelps. So, why Phelps? The reason that Phelps finds such success as the narrator is due to his gargantuan presence in the world of sports. He is the epitome of success in sports; he has found far more success than most athletes could ever even imagine. It seems that the only word that accurately explains Phelps’ importance in the world of sports is brobdingnagian. It’s bold, boisterous and powerful like Phelps, making him the perfect choice to narrate The Weight of Gold.
I’m guilty of watching the Olympic Games and viewing the people I’m watching as only athletes and thinking that they have standards that they must live up to. The Weight of Gold expresses the issues that come with the public’s perceived expectations of Olympic athletes before, during and after competition. It’s impossible to fully understand what these athletes have struggled with because I never have, and likely never will, experience what they have in terms of success, failure, dedication, etc. Their lives do not mirror those of the people watching The Weight of Gold, but their ability to convey their struggles and present the necessary information to the audience is impeccable. Their passion is clear, and the emotional toll that their zeal has taken on their lives and their mental stability transcends audiences and makes clear that something isn’t right. Again, I’m not sure that the majority of those who watch this documentary will ever understand the magnitude of what Phelps, Jeremy Bloom or Katie Uhlaender have struggled with since their introduction into their respective sports, but seeing the agony and the suffering on the faces of these individuals, individuals that are looked up to by the masses, sheds light on how difficult their journeys have been and allows audiences to understand better than before what life is like for these athletes.
The accompanying music, courtesy of Simon Taufique, puts audiences on edge. The orchestral sounds bring audiences to tears when necessary, but it also possesses the ability to spark excitement and bring to life the vastness of the Olympic Games. Taufique takes simplistic music and transforms it into a breathtaking and pivotal aspect of The Weight of Gold that becomes essential to its story.
As the documentary progresses, these athletes that have been icons in their respective sports and some of the most respected individuals in the history of the Olympic Games become human, relatable and more endearing than ever before. The Weight of Gold does a spectacular job of humanizing these individuals that have, for so long, lived both figuratively and literally on pedestals. Audiences understand the pain, the regret, the struggle and the passion present in each of the featured athletes. The world, maybe for the first time, sees the negatives that come with the glory and understand that there is more to everyone than what lies on the surface. The Weight of Gold is one of the best directed, edited, scored and filmed documentaries that I have ever seen. It is accessible to those who love sports, those who appreciate a good story and those who value psychology and the role it plays in our everyday life. The film captivates a wide range of audiences and brings them to the realization that we all, no matter how difficult it may be to see and understand, struggle with the same things.
Directed by Brett Rapkin. Written by Aaron Cohen & Brett Rapkin. Starring Michael Phelps, Jeremy Bloom, Apolo Ohno, Lolo Jones, Katie Uhlaender, etc.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐½/10
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