Zinédine Zidane gained national exposure outside the sports world for his headbutt to Marco Materazzi in the 2006 World Cup final. However, soccer fans worldwide know Zidane as one of the best in the game.

“Zidane: A 21st Century Portrait” is a documentary about one game in Zidane’s extraordinary career. 17 cameras focus exclusively Zidane from to opening whistle until he leaves the field as his Real Madrid squad plays Villareal on April 23, 2005.

The film does a terrific job of showing how Zidane plays the game rather then how the game is played. One moment he is slowly jogging down the field, attempting to catch a couple seconds of rest. The next, Zidane explodes to the ball in an attempt to win it from a rival. When the opposition scores a goal, the viewer is unaware until celebration erupts behind Zidane.

The sound and film editing are vital in this movie, as the visuals are limited. One might think that a 90-minute soccer match focusing on one player might become boring, but the constant camera changes and music keep the viewer interested. Quotes from Zidane describing how he plays the game are occasionally flashed across the bottom of the screen.

“Zidane: A 21st Century Portrait” is a great concept and held my attention until close to the end. As the match was drawing to a close, I found myself growing tired of the constant view of Zidane standing on the field covered in sweat. I gave the movie a 4 on my Steep & Brew ballot due to the incredible editing and detail to sound. I can say this is a movie I would see again.

Jason Dean

Contributing Writer/Editor

Jason Dean is a lot of things, and some are even good. He's a freelance writer and web designer in Madison. His writing has been published or linked to by various sources, including Isthmus, The Capital Times, 77 Square, Slashdot, and CNN. More of his ramblings can be found on his website,  Twitter feed or his Facebook fan page.