2011-2020 Asif Kapadia Documentary United Kingdom

Asif Kapadia – Diego Maradona [+ Commentary] (2019)

adminDecember 1, 2020

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Constructed from over 500 hours of never-before-seen footage, this documentary centers on the career of celebrated football player Diego Armando Maradona, who played for S.S.C. Napoli in the 1980s.

Letterboxd review by Darren Carver-Balsiger ★★★★
What does it mean to be a god? Or to be treated as one? Diego Maradona is a documentary that transcends a simple biographical retelling. It’s a true story the best dramatist couldn’t produce. It’s a tale of addiction, of the power of football, of a man placed on a pedestal so few deserve. The genius of Diego Maradona is that it covers just the part of his life set in Naples but it uses that to represent a microcosm of Maradona’s whole life, bookended by montages that show us his life pre-Naples and post-Naples. It’s a compelling examination, contextualising moments so perfectly as it stays focused on Naples but flickers out to other things that matter. If you like football, this is a must-watch, and even if you don’t this is an important look at celebrity and power. This is a film of a person, of a world, of a time. It reminds us that we’re all just people, both humanising an icon and reminding us that only a few get to be in their presence. Diego Maradona is widely considered one of the two best footballers ever, but if this documentary proves anything, it shows that he is a lot more than that. He’s a myth. A man. A Diego. A Maradona. A God, and the devil.