Blue Blood Review

Blue Blood
Documentary surrounding the Cambridge-Oxford Annual Boxing tournament that has been held for over 100 years.

by Helen O'Hara |
Published on
Release Date:

23 Feb 2007

Running Time:

92 minutes

Certificate:

15

Original Title:

Blue Blood

Steering mercifully clear of the usual Oxbridge stereotypes, this documentary account of the annual Oxford-Cambridge boxing match is inspirational stuff. Following five novices determined to make the University squad, it doesn’t flinch from the blood, sweat and tears en route. The wannabes — artist Charlie, weedy Kavanagh, gung-ho Yank Justin, rugby player Boiler and boxing natural Fred — are a representative sample of the student body but for their unlikely determination to turn from geek into pugilist.

The film focuses a trifle too much on ‘dreaming spire’ shots and too little on character, but you’d have to have gone to Cambridge to avoid being swept up in the nailbiting finale.

The story's slight, but it's still an exhilarating look at an unlikely group of heroes, scored and edited for maximum effect.
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