As said in the last post I have truly become a movie addict in this desolate bhavan having watched 7 movies in the last 36 hours.One movie was truly innervating and inspiring.It was "Cinderella Man". Well like my sweet friend Bancha please dont be under the illusion that its a marchen.Its a fairy tale but unlike the movie "Cinderella" ,"Cinderella Man" is painted with the brushes of reality.Its a true moving "fairy-tale" depicting the life of James J Braddock ,an Irish-American boxer during the times of the Great Depression.
James was a successful amateur boxer who turned pro in 1926.In 1929, he broke his arthristis hand in several places at the finals of the world heavyweight championship.In the 1930s,the stock market crashed.The Great Depression then swept the USA and millions were afflicted by penury.James continued to fight with his injured hand because he needed money to survive,to support his family---his wife and his three little children.But he kept on losing until he was writ off,deemed an embarrasment to the sport and his boxing license revoked.And at a time when 15 million labourers were unemployed in US itself,James rarely got a job with his broken hand and it became an utopian task to feed his family.He could not even buy milk for his kids.
Envisioning a better life for his family became Braddock's paramount task.The government relief was too scarce to assuage their pain & hunger.In 1934 Braddock got a break to fill a spot as a temporary boxer .Critics said Braddock stood no chance--he was out of shape(his right hand still broken)and out of professional boxing for years.But defying all critics,he knocked his higher ranked opponent in the third round.Braddock knew this time he was fighting for his family & not for himself.He got more bouts because of his upset win. Withstanding all pains,he continued to win games after games against all odds.
In 1935,Braddock was pitted against Max Baer--a formidable opponent infamous for killing some of his opponents in the ring.People thought the magic of Braddock,dubbed "Cinderella Man" for his fairy tale revival of his mortified career,would have a grim ending in the bout against Baer. Braddock took a hard beating and had his ribs broken.But the poignant picture of his children in hunger steered him till the end.He won the bout unanimously and became the world Heavyweight Champion.It was the biggest upset in boxing history.From an indigent worker with a broken hand,he overcame all odds to become the champion.Braddock's rise became the sole harbinger of hope and redemption in a country where millions were grovelling under the dungeons of misfortunes.
Braddock's life shows us that regardless of what others say,we need to have rock solid faith in ourselves and unleash the enormous potential in us.Adversaries and challenges bring out the best in a person.Braddock used his adverse situation as a catalyst to resurrect his career.We are the sole authors of our own lives and can script our own stories despite all limitations if we have a strong will and determination.
