Pele, a famous Netflix documentary, is the town’s talk after the release of its trailer days ago. It is a documentary that displays Edson Arantes’s chronicles alias Pele from his childhood to the time he becomes a star. David Tryhorn, the film’s co-director, expresses the cultural significance of the Afro-Brazilian International star with his own country.
In the documentary, we see Pele as a young boy who excels in soccer. Amid all that, there is chaos and protests against colonial intruders. The film showcases a mixture of celebrations, joy, love tied to struggles, dictatorship, and perseverance. After all, what matters, in the end, is victory.
Pele’s Ambitious beginnings
In the early parts of the scene, we see Pele’s remarkable journey as a young talented boy, with an unstoppable desire to win in the World Cups. In the film sobbing, Pele assures his father that he will bring the World Cup back to his country. It was around the 1950s when Brazil had lost the World Cup to Uruguay. Nevertheless, twenty years later, Pele becomes successful in soccer, shining from as early as his teens. His triumphant victory brought back the trophy home. Though 80 years and a retired footballer, he is still the King, a genuine and democratic figure.
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Challenges amid his Career
Fast forward in the documentary, Pele is portrayed as a silent and hardworking, committed player. Serving his country as a gifted player earns him fame. He starts to become to talk about the town. Meanwhile, amid his football career, Brazil is struggling to gain independence from the Europeans.
While everybody is busy condemning the colonials, Pele chooses to remain silent, focusing on his success. Nevertheless, his silence provokes controversy. Some troll him for being a celebrated figure yet not leading in independence cries. Pele states in the film that he chose to humble himself for his safety and a successful end in his career. Those who opposed the colonial government would be tortured, killed, or even enslaved during those times.
No One Compares to Pele
Before the 1958 World Cup, Brazil was not known as a football country; instead, it was some dormant slave trade center. After the 1970 World Cup, people started seeing Brazil as a soccer-rich country. And to date, Brazil has restored the legacy. Pele was among the very first players to build the legacy. He helped Brazil earn the identity.
“After the 1970 World Cup, the first thing you think about Brazil is football. And while that’s down to a generation of gifted players, Pele was always the unifying factor. He helped shape the nation’s cultural identity. That sounds like a huge thing to say, but I do not think it is that unfair in this case, “says Tryhorn.
Pele’s popularity in Brazil was as widespread as the infamous colonials. In the film, Tryhorn states that no one compares to Pele. He was a global phenomenon. It was more like he belonged to the Word than Brazil, which according to Tryhorn, is quite unfair, considering he spent his entire career competing for Brazil.
