Plot

Jesse Owens' quest to become the greatest track and field athlete in history thrusts him onto the world stage of the 1936 Olympics, where he faces off against Adolf Hitler's vision of Aryan supremacy.

In the 1930s, Jesse Owens is a young man who is the first in his family to go to college. Going to Ohio State to train under its track and field coach, Larry Snyder, the young African American athlete quickly impresses with his tremendous potential that suggests Olympic material. However, as Owens struggles both with the obligations of his life and the virulent racism against him, the question of whether America would compete at all at the 1936 Olympics in Nazi Germany is being debated vigorously. When the American envoy finds a compromise persuasive with the Third Reich to avert a boycott, Owens has his own moral struggle about going. Upon resolving that issue, Owens and his coach travel to Berlin to participate in a competition that would mark Owens as the greatest of America's Olympians even as the German film director, Leni Riefenstahl, locks horns with her country's Propaganda Minister, Josef Goebbels, to film the politically embarrassing fact for posterity.—Kenneth Chisholm (kchishol@rogers.com)

This drama based on true events focuses on legendary black athlete Jesse Owens (Stephan James) and his inspiring journey to overcome racism at home and abroad, culminating in his triumphant track-and-field performance at the 1936 Berlin Olympics under the tutelage of gruff Ohio State coach Larry Snyder (Jason Sudeikis).

In a time of racial bigotry, discrimination, and anti-Semitism, the humble African-American track-and-field athlete, Jesse Owens, catches the eye of early-1930s Ohio State University's coach, Larry Snyder. Against the backdrop of heated debates and political clashes as to whether the United States of America should boycott Berlin's 1936 Olympic Games, eventually, Owens arrives in Nazi Germany, as Adolf Hitler, and Third Reich's Minister of Propaganda, Joseph Goebbels, intend to turn the Olympics into a showcase for Aryan superiority, through the lens of the young filmmaker, Leni Riefenstahl. However, as the track knows no colour, there can only be fast winners and slow losers. And Jesse is already a winner.—Nick Riganas

Is a dramatization of the life of black American sprinter Jesse Owens in the three years leading up to the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin, largely meant as a showcase for the Nazi regime's Aryan superiority race policy, which is most specifically anti-Semitic. He is already facing challenges in going to school at Ohio State in the racial segregation and racial discrimination against the black population in much of US society. The one person who doesn't care what color Jesse is is Ohio State track coach Larry Snyder, an alumnus and former world class runner in his own right whose job is on the line in not having yet mentored an Olympic-caliber athlete. Beyond working on technique, Larry works on Jesse's mental state, he needing to black out all the literal and proverbial external noise to be successful, which gets more and more difficult with Jesse's greater notoriety and the increasing pressure on him to win. Much of that other noise relates to the many "what ifs" in the racial issue: what if the Nazi regime does not allow black and Jewish people to compete; what if the US boycotts the Olympics to protest those race policies; what if he decides not to go to the Olympics also in protest; and what if he does go and loses.—Huggo

In the 1930s, a young man, Jesse Owens (Stephen James) is running through the streets of Cleveland, Ohio. He runs through the slums and into a rundown neighborhood home. He gets to packing his bags as he is getting ready to move out of his parents' home. He hunts around for his only shirt while his mom, proud of her first boy going off to college, finishes tailoring a nice suit coat for him. Jesse is afraid it is too expensive, but she insists and says he was meant to do great things. He says goodbye to his dad and gives him an envelope with $2.

Jesse's next stop before getting on the bus to Ohio State is to see his girlfriend, Ruth (Shanice Banton), and their little girl. Ruth works at a salon and Jesse's appearance warrants a stern look from her boss. Jesse says things are going to be better, and he's going to come back and marry Ruth. Jesse's friend, Dave (Eli Goree), also headed to Ohio State, tells Jesse to hurry and get on the bus. Jesse says goodbye and gets on the bus, and they are off.

Jesse Owens a promising African American runner, attends Ohio State University, despite facing racial discrimination and slurs from the white athletes. Jesse's mother cut out a lump from his body, when he was a little kid and saved him from early death.

He attracts the attention of coach Larry Snyder (Jason Sudeikis) who is sick and tired of Ohio state athletes losing at the state championships every year. Radio commentators are wondering if coach Snyder is concerned about his job because he hasn't had any national wins while at Ohio State.

Larry is also mocked by Dean Cromwell (Jonathan Higgins), the USC coach, who has 4 Olympic gold medalist athletes to his credit, who believes Owens has enormous potential but needs work on his form and technique. Peggy (Amanda Crew) is Larry's assistant. Larry meets Jesse and asks if he is willing to work hard to win. Jesse responds that he picked 100 pounds of cotton a day when he was 6 years old and that he can work.

Out on the track, the coaches are watching the "fresh blood" and coach Larry says Jesse is good. They time him on the 100-meter dash and, while his starting position is bad, he's fast (9. something seconds). The coaches are impressed.

Snyder suggests he is good enough to compete at the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games which are only 28 months out. Owens is interested, but hesitant because of racial propaganda in Nazi Germany. The U.S. Olympic Committee includes Avery (Jeremy Irons) and Jeremiah Mahoney (William Hurt). Mahoney says that the US should boycott due to racial discrimination in Germany. Avery wants to go since US still discriminates against African Americans and hardly is in any position to lecture the Germans.

They eventually agree to send a delegate to Berlin to assess the situation and make sure the Nazis play fair. They decide to send Avery Brundage, who is somewhat reluctant but wants to move forward with the games and doesn't put a lot of stock into rumors.

US was considering boycotting the Olympics over Germany's discriminatory policies, only agreeing to participate when Nazi official Joseph Goebbels (Barnaby Metschurat) gives personal assurances they will allow foreign athletes of any race to compete, as well as promising to rein in their propaganda.

Germans are building a brand-new stadium with a capacity for 110,000 people which is the largest in the world. Avery sees first-hand the anti-Hebrew propaganda and the treatment of Hebrews at the hands of the Nazi security forces. German Olympics officials include Leni Riefenstahl (Carice van Houten). Ms. Riefenstahl was handpicked by the Fuhrer to film the proceedings at the Olympics (the first time it will have been recorded).

Goebbels is very condescending towards Avery but agrees to his terms since they want US participation in the games. A deal is struck, the press will be reined in, anti-Hebrew signs taken down, and they'll stop shipping people out of their homes. Goebbels offers Avery (a builder) a contract for their new embassy in Washington, in return for his support for the US participation in the games. It would be a huge deal, and they insist to Avery that this is not a bribe, but a securing of the best builder in America for their project. He points out some design problems and appears to accept the deal.

As Owens struggles to support his girlfriend Ruth (Shanice Banton) and her young daughter (he continues to send her money), he takes a job at a service station, upsetting Snyder when his job conflicts with his commitment to train. When Snyder learns Owens has a family to support, he gets him a no-show job as a page at the Ohio state legislature, allowing him to focus on running. The job gets $60 a month, and all Jesse has to do for the job is train. A win-win situation.

Larry works on Jesse's start by training him to stay low into the first few meters. He also teaches Jesse to block out the negative chants of the crowd, by getting him to sit through the racist chants in his own locker room.

Three days later, it is the Big 10 of 1935 in Ann Arbor, MI. Owens goes on to break several records. He starts by winning the 100 meters and long jump events with a new world record, 200 meters, 100 meters hurdles (another world record) at Ann Arbor. The 100-meter world record was not recognized as the timekeeper insisted that the time was 9.4 seconds and not 9.3 as per the coach.

In the process he breaks some of Snyder's records too such as the most points in a single meet and begins a relationship with a woman Quincella (Chantel Riley) whose attentions he attracts with his newfound fame. When Ruth threatens him with a lawsuit, Owens becomes distracted and loses a race to runner Eulace Peacock (Shamier Anderson) another African American runner training under Dean. Owens decides to return to Ruth to reconcile, convincing her to marry him. Back at home, Jesse goes into the salon where Ruth works and apologizes. And proposes marriage. She shuts him down. He goes outside and waits all day in the rain for her to get off of work. She scolds him for missing races; he says he'd rather miss races and work at a gas station if it meant he got to spend his days with her. He proposes again and wants to get married that day, and this time, she agrees. He runs off to find someone to perform the wedding for them.

The American Olympic Association conducts the vote, and Avery argues for US participation. The Participation is approved by a vote of 58 for and 56 against. As the Olympics draw closer, the NAACP (National Association for Advancement of Colored People) asks Owens not to go to Berlin for political reasons. Jesse's father disagrees but believes that the choice should be Jesse's. Jesse asks if the representative runs. He doesn't. Jesse explains that on the track race is the last thing that matters. It is just fast or slow, and in that there is freedom. Owens is conflicted and he tells Larry he is thinking about not going and Larry gets really angry. Jesse tells him that he will never understand as Larry is white.

Larry later apologizes to Jesse and tells him to participate in the trials, so that he has the option. At the Olympic trials, Jesse qualifies for three events. At the press meet, the topic keeps veering from the sport and to the politics.

On the way back to his hotel, Jesse runs into Eulace Peacock. He tore his hamstring and is never going to run again. He says to go to Berlin just to stick it to Hitler. Ruth encourages Jesse to run at the Olympics, and Peacock urges him to compete to defy Nazi racial ideology. American Olympics association refuses to sponsor Larry as a coach, since Dean is the official coach. So Larry decides to travel in 3rd class with his own money.

Goebbels wants the Olympics to be the testament to the superiority of the Aryan race. Director Leni Riefenstahl is helping him film the entire extravaganza on tape and use it as a propaganda for the superiority of the Nazi way of life. Ms. Riefenstahl is showing the Olympic committee the beginnings of her promotional movie. She asks for no restrictions; she wants to film every event, and she needs 46 cameras. Dr. Goebbels reminds her that these are his games. She reminds him that this is her film. Without it no one would remember the games a year from then.

In July 1936, the American team arrives in Berlin and are given the royal treatment at the Olympic Village. There is no racial segregation of people at the Olympics. Dean yells at Jesse at training and Jesse refuses to train under him. He tells the team manager that he will lose each race, purposefully, if he is not allowed to train with Larry. The manager gets Larry on the team. Larry tracks down the shoes he ordered for Jesse from London. He is almost arrested by the Gestapo who suspect him to be a Hebrew, but he shows them his papers.

In Berlin, On the morning of the Olympic competitions, Larry can't stop fussing over Jesse. Jesse, on the other hand, is totally cool and calm. They start off for the stadium, which is huge, filled with people, and has a zeppelin flying overhead. Everyone stands as Hitler comes into the stadium. Jesse gets his new shoes on, looks at the picture of his wife in the locket, and then prepares the track.

Owens wins his first gold medal in the 100 meters dash, but when he is brought by International Olympic Committee member Avery Brundage to receive congratulations from Adolf Hitler (Adrian Zwicker), he is told the Chancellor has left the stadium early to avoid traffic. Brundage warns Goebbels that Hitler must congratulate all winners or no winners, with Goebbels replying that Hitler will not appear with "that".

Owens next qualifies for the broad jump after German rival Luz Long (David Kross) unexpectedly gives him tips on his technique. Luz is the guy to beat in the broad jumping as he holds all of the records in Europe. Larry goes over the strict rules they have about broad jumping for these games, though Jesse seems a little distracted. After Jesse had fouls on the first 2 attempts. Luz suggests that Jesse jumps from 1 foot behind the line to avoid another foul.

In the end, the broad jump comes down to Luz and Jesse. Luz does well, per his normal, but then Jesse passes him with a distance of 7.74 meters. On his second jump, Luz makes it to 7.78 meters, a new European record. Jesse takes his second jump: 7.94 meters! Luz goes for his third attempt, but stumbles at the last second and fouls out of the last attempt. The game is in the bag for Jesse; he doesn't need the last attempt, but Luz insists he do his best. On his third jump, Jesse lands an 8.60-meter jump, a new Olympic record!

Owens wins another medal (the entire crowd chants USA), and Luz publicly shakes his hand and joins him for a victory lap. Luz privately expresses concern about national politics due to which Girls are ordered to get pregnant. Olympics are being used as a weapon.

The next day, Ms. Riefenstahl's team is not set up or ready to roll cameras. They've been ordered not to film the race. She sends them out, quickly, and they hurry to their posts and getting rolling just in time. She goes to the big-wig box with Dr. Goebbels and Hitler and points a camera right at them rather than at the race. She's going to catch their reaction as Jesse easily wins his third gold medal.

Jesse wins the 200 meters gold as well. Owens wins his fourth and final medal in the 4 x 100 meters relay, filling in for two Hebrew American athletes cut by Brundage, who is convinced by Goebbels to do so to avoid a scandal over a business arrangement Brundage entered with the Nazis before the games. Jesse was very reluctant to run but was convinced by Larry to go for 4th medal and create history.

Director Leni Riefenstahl (Carice van Houten) films the event against Goebbels' orders, then asks Owens to repeat his medal-winning broad jump to get a few more shots for her next film, Olympia.

Back home in New York City, Coach Larry, his secretary Peggy, and Jesse and Ruth Owens are going to a special, formal dinner held in Jesse's honor. Sadly, they party is stopped, and Jesse and Ruth are told they will have to use the service entrance (due to the segregation laws).

Three years later, in September of 1939, Germany invaded Poland, and World War II began. Luz was forced into military service and sent to the front lines. He and Jesse remained friends and in contact up until Luz was killed in action in 1943.

People lined the streets to welcome Jesse home from the 1936 Olympics, though the White House never publicly acknowledged Jesse and his accomplishments. Larry Snyder continued coaching at Ohio State until he retired. Several of his athletes went on to be major record holders. He went to the Olympics in Rome in 1960 as the track coach. Jesse and Ruth had three daughters and remained married until his death from lung cancer in 1980. Jesse was posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor.