Fire in Babylon

"They brought the world to its knees and a nation to its feet"

2011 1h 23m EN

😐

6.1

MID

🔥

91%

CERTIFIED FRESH

👌

METACRITIC

⭐

7.7

IMDB

★6.1TMDB · 20🍅91%Rotten Tomatoes●69Metacritic★7.7IMDB · 1,921

Documentary

Synopsis

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Feature documentary about the great West Indies cricket team of the 1970s and '80s. Fire In Babylon is the breathtaking story of how the West Indies triumphed over its colonial masters through the achievements of one of the most gifted teams in sporting history. In a turbulent era of apartheid in South Africa, race riots in England and civil unrest in the Caribbean, the West Indian cricketers, led by the enigmatic Viv Richards, struck a defiant blow at the forces of white prejudice worldwide. Their undisputed skill, combined with a fearless spirit, allowed them to dominate the genteel game at the highest level, replaying it on their own terms. This is their story, told in their own words.

“They brought the world to its knees and a nation to its feet”

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Cast

Clive Lloyd
Self
Viv Richards
Self
Colin Croft
Self
Jeffery Dujon
Self
Joel Garner
Self
Lance Gibbs
Self
Bunny Wailer
Self

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Stevan Riley
Writers: Stevan Riley
Languages: English
Countries: United Kingdom

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 7

RUNTIME

Did you know

83 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

ERA

Did you know

Released 15 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

RUNTIME

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

CAST

Did you know

Clive Lloyd and Viv Richards and Colin Croft carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "They brought the world to its knees and a nation to its feet".

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt1727790 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

Only 20 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Stevan Riley directs. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United Kingdom. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

183 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
2Released 15 years ago.
3Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
4Clive Lloyd and Viv Richards and Colin Croft carry the top of the cast.
5Marketing tagline: "They brought the world to its knees and a nation to its feet".
6IMDB entry: tt1727790 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
7Only 20 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

The technical file

Runtime: 83 min · 1h 23m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Original language: EN
IMDB: Fire in Babylon (2011)
Rotten Tomatoes: 91% 🍅 Fresh
Metacritic: 69/100
IMDB rating: 7.7/10 · 1,921 votes
MPAA: TV-14

Awards

3 nominations

Also by

Stevan Riley

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Selected frames

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Trailers & featurettes

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Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2023-05-27
★ 7/10
Set against a backdrop of colonial history and superiority, this is a cracking documentary that depicts the rise and sustained success of the West Indies cricket team that started in the 1970s and prevailed for over a decade. Using some remarkably good quality, and well researched, archive footage accompanied by some interesting quotes from many of the (now knighted) team members, Stevan Riley brings to life a wonderfully enigmatic story of ropey pitches, of lethal bowling, of just how this "gentleman's" game ended up with just too much at stake for both the Caribbean players and their, usually, English counterparts - to take on the chin. The rivalry is well illustrated and this features an impressively comprehensive list of contributors whose insight into both sides of the game - that was little short of war, in many eyes - is enthralling. I'm a Scot, ergo I'm no great cricket lover and the sight of the English team losing is unlikely to cause me to lose sleep - but this works hard to create a balance. It demonstrates how skill and determination made these Test matches the stuff of sporting legend from both team's perspectives. This really is well worth ninety minutes of your time, regardless of your interest in the sport - it shows the emergence from empire in a positive and often victorious fashion.

Production companies