The Program (2015)
A grand movie; superb acting, in particular by Norman Foster. I knew Armstrong only by name from the news not being particularly interested in competitive cycling or watching sports at all. But this movie tells the amazing story of a fanatic win-at-all-cost athlete, entrepreneur and PR magician, who manages to divert the attention of the general public and much of the media world by covering up his drug abuse with a social cause: how to blame somebody for doping if he is a major spokesperson for cancer relief and cycling as a trendy sports? The movie made me think of Wag the Dog.
On a psychological level there is another aspect in the movie, which makes it worthwhile: What drove Armstrong to go at literally such length in every aspect of his biography? the races, the titles, the doping, the lying, the egocentric abuse of his teammates, etc. Is this just the story of an outstanding personality like Alexander the Great, Napoleon or Hitler or does the director question the ethical and moral makeup of Armstrong’s particular personality?
Armstong’s psychological motivation can be certainly understood as the central question of the movie, which installs not only an Irish journalist as main opponent, but also Armstrong's long time teammate Floyd, who struggles emotionally with the committed deceit and fraud. The righteous go to heaven, the unrighteous to hell. This Mormon quote, which Floyd recalls during his struggles to accommodate his behavior and his value system, turns into an ethic red line and one must wonder why Armstrong crossed this line so many times, demonstrating a moral world which is very different from the mainstream Western-Christian one … It is generally said that the Western world puts truth above all (you shall not lie), the Eastern and in particular the Chinese world face or reputation (给面子－丢面子 | give face - loose face). Armstrong would be still in possession of all this titles if he had participated in a Tour de Chine instead of the Tour de France.
A grand movie; superb acting, in particular by Norman Foster. I knew Armstrong only by name from the news not being particularly interested in competitive cycling or watching sports at all. But this movie tells the amazing story of a fanatic win-at-all-cost athlete, entrepreneur and PR magician, who manages to divert the attention of the general public and much of the media world by covering up his drug abuse with a social cause: how to blame somebody for doping if he is a major spokesperson for cancer relief and cycling as a trendy sports? The movie made me think of Wag the Dog.
On a psychological level there is another aspect in the movie, which makes it worthwhile: What drove Armstrong to go at literally such length in every aspect of his biography? the races, the titles, the doping, the lying, the egocentric abuse of his teammates, etc. Is this just the story of an outstanding personality like Alexander the Great, Napoleon or Hitler or does the director question the ethical and moral makeup of Armstrong’s particular personality?
Armstong’s psychological motivation can be certainly understood as the central question of the movie, which installs not only an Irish journalist as main opponent, but also Armstrong's long time teammate Floyd, who struggles emotionally with the committed deceit and fraud. The righteous go to heaven, the unrighteous to hell. This Mormon quote, which Floyd recalls during his struggles to accommodate his behavior and his value system, turns into an ethic red line and one must wonder why Armstrong crossed this line so many times, demonstrating a moral world which is very different from the mainstream Western-Christian one … It is generally said that the Western world puts truth above all (you shall not lie), the Eastern and in particular the Chinese world face or reputation (给面子－丢面子 | give face - loose face). Armstrong would be still in possession of all this titles if he had participated in a Tour de Chine instead of the Tour de France.