The story of Jesse Owens, an olympic runner from Alabama, illustrates his personal defiance against Hitler and the Nazis during World War II. By using pictures of Owens and the places he would go when he was younger, the narrator accurately capture Owens' childhood and the challenges he faced. As the story progresses to his college years, short clips of his races are included. I found the combination of pictures and clips were great mediums that were best suited to supplement the narrator's commentary. Having the clips certainly aided the viewers in gaining a better understanding of Owen's races and being able to experience his stellar performance. However, I believe using only video clips would have been too much, and having variety with photos created an equal balance for the audience.
I believe the narrator also did a good job in tying Owens's passion, running, into the underlying plot of the story, which was his personal battle with the Nazis. At the time, the Germans hosted the Olympic Games in hopes of showcasing their superior aryan race. The audience can see Owens aboard a ship traveling to Germany with a commentary "I'm going across the Atlantic to do battle with Hitler. I won't see US soil again until I win.. or lose." On the other side, the narrator shows clips of Nazi soldiers as well as the aryan athletes preparing for the games. Each event that Owen's wins is a battle that he conquers, and the progression of the plot makes it easy for the viewer to follow. As the video ends, it is clear that Jesse Owens has triumphed over the Nazis with his 4 Gold Medals.
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