Angels With Dirty Faces: The Footballing History of Argentina

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p. 118: Marzolini: "In the history of soccer, there have been three truly great players--Pele, Maradona, and Messi--but only one great hijo da puta: Sanfilippo." Argentina is a nation obsessed with football, and Jonathan Wilson, having lived there on and off during the last decade, is ideally placed to chart the five phases of Argentinian football: the appropriation of the British game; the golden age of la nuestra, the exuberant style of playing that developed as Juan Perón led the country into isolation; a hardening into the brutal methods of anti-fútbol; the fusing of beauty and efficacy under César Luis Menotti; and the ludicrous (albeit underachieving) creative talent of recent times.

Angels with Dirty Faces | James Cagney, Humphrey Bogart Angels with Dirty Faces | James Cagney, Humphrey Bogart

Coscia, Elizabeth. "Sing Sing Correctional Facility Plans Dark Museum", Observer, published June 23, 2014. Retrieved December 12, 2015. More than any other nation Argentina lives and breathes football, its theories and myths. The subject is fiercely debated on street corners and in cafes. It has even preoccupied the country's greatest writers and philosophers. p. 192: "The junta went further and instituted the Proceso de Reorganizacion Nacional, which defined Argentina as a Christian country fighting communism." Mogul, Fred. "Luring Tourists Up the River to The Big House", WNYC, published January 8, 2005. Retrieved December 12, 2015. p. 324: " milanesa:" the typically Argentinian breaded beef fillet his mother served with tomato sauce and cheese

Dans, Peter E. (2011). Christians in the Movies: A Century of Saints and Sinners. United States: Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 9780742570313. Perhaps the defining theme of this book is that Argentina, invariably perceived as an El Dorado waiting to be discovered and exploited, has never lived up to that Utopian potential, thus engendering disillusionment and cynicism. At the turn of the century it was buoyant, viewed more favourably than Australia or Canada, and in 1928 its GNP was the eighth highest in the world per capita. By 2012 it was only sixtieth, the result of recurrent military rule, political dysfunction and economic crises; in 1978 as the country staged its first and only World Cup to date under the shadow cast by its ruling Junta the New Statesman magazine described its failure as a nation as the greatest political mystery of the 20th century. Having lived in Argentina sporadically, Wilson looks to strike a balance between enthusing about the legends of the national game and remaining sceptical of any unverified stories, keenly aware that the line between fact and myth is often hazy. Tales of wonder goals from the Golden Age, relayed to the author by octogenarian ex-pros in cafes, are often followed by footnotes explaining that his subsequent research suggested they may be apocryphal. His eagerness to gain the full context of the eras of the Argentinian game is also shown with regular digressions into the history of the country’s politics, economy and culture. Parallels are often drawn between the political direction of Argentina and the fate of its football teams: for instance, the coup d'état which overthrew Juan Perón in 1955 and subsequent spiral into chaos is shown to mirror the rapid shift in dominant footballing ideologies from the freewheeling positivity of ‘la nuestra’ to a culture of cynicism, defensiveness and violence in the sixties. Wilson is a meticulous scholar of the game and showcases another of his specialist areas with this story. Although I resonated greater with ‘The Barcelona Legacy’ (no doubt due to my age and recollections of that era/recency bias), this definitive footballing history of Argentina is alluring and comprehensive, another triumphant work.

ANGELS WITH DIRTY FACES | Kirkus Reviews ANGELS WITH DIRTY FACES | Kirkus Reviews

Harrison Staff. "Angels with Dirty Faces", Harrison's Reports, p. 179, published November 5, 1938. Retrieved December 8, 2015. DVDs of the week: The James Cagney Collection and more", The Daily Telegraph, published February 28, 2005. Retrieved August 3, 2017. His latest book, Angels with Dirty Faces, traces the story of football in Argentina from its development and spread in the late 19th century to the present day, taking in the myriad instances of triumph, failure, glory and disgrace which have occurred along the way. Yet the book’s subtitle, ‘The Footballing History of Argentina’, reveals that the true scope of the book is even greater: Wilson is attempting to tell, at least to some degree, the history of Argentina through the lens of football. Angels with Dirty Faces is considered by some to be one of the finest films in Cagney's career, and a "true example of brilliant American cinema." [3] In 2008, it was shortlisted by the American Film Institute for selection in its list of the top 100 movies of the last 100 years. [45] In 2013, Steven Van Zandt named it as one of his "most favorite mob movies" in an article for Rolling Stone. [46] Two years later, Slant Magazine named it 67th in a list of the "100 Best Film Noirs of All Time". [47] Everyone - especially anyone who has any connection at all to the prison system - should read this book.

p. 58: "He played at a time when soccer was played for the glory of love, and was also part of the time when soccer was played for the love of glory." Wilson’s closing passage links everything together brilliantly. It is in these final lines of the book that his authoritative and convincing argument concludes: ‘Football is another Argentinian dream that slipped away... Argentinian football has become something that is played elsewhere’.

Angels with Dirty Faces - Google Books

Every story begins somewhere. And for this one, it begins with Watson Hutton circa 1880, and continues on Motti then Maradona then Messi. The greatest intrigue lies at the heart of the country, as you come to understand not just the frailties and triumphs of the national team – but also of the fragmented club structure and the battles of amateurism and professionalism. Alas, such is brief when it comes to the overall landscape of unfulfilled dreams. The almost laughable repulsion to be exposed on the international stage in the 40s and 50s before undergoing a shameful exit in Sweden on their return before Menotti finally oversaw glory with the 70s team and was succeeded as a herald by Maradona before returning to the status quo in the 90s.

Dogged original research and superb narrative skills come together in this gripping account of pitiless evil. Angels with Dirty Faces was met with critical acclaim upon release. Frank Nugent, of The New York Times, attended the world premiere in Nevada, and called the film a "savage melodrama" offering "Cagney at his best". [37] The New York-based motion picture journal Harrison's Reports had similar views. In a review dated November 5, 1938, they called the film a "powerful gangster melodrama," and said it is "one of the most thrilling pictures produced in some time." The "acting, particularly by James Cagney, is brilliant". [38] On the other hand, Hobe Morrison of Variety was less enthused stating "On the strength of the Cagney–O'Brien combo, Angels should do fair business, but the picture itself is no bonfire. That 'Dead End' kid story has already been told too many times." and "Although the deathhouse scene itself is a harrowing one, that simulated cowardice angle, seems completely implausible...It's a novel twist to a commonplace story, but it's thoroughly hokey". [39] Accolades [ edit ]