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ZIDANE: A 21ST CENTURY PORTRAIT

EVERY generation the world of soccer throws up a protagonist who is more than just a footballer. He is an artist.

Think Pelé. Best. Cryuff. Maradona. Messi. Somewhere in the middle of all those was Zizou – Zinidine Zidane, the French and Real Madrid player who brought his own peculiar je ne sais quoi to the beautiful game.

A World Cup and European Championship winner with France, Zidane who spent most of his career with Juventus and Real Madrid, was coming to the end of best days in 2006 when Scottish artist Douglas Gordon and French director Philippe Parreno landed on an idea to film Zidane – and just Zidane – through an entire game.

The result is a powerful portrait of the mercurial French man playing against Villarreal on April 23, 2005 at the Bernabéu Stadium using 17 synchronised cameras to film him in real time.

Apart from the on-field action, the film lets into Zidane’s thoughts and observations on his playing career, which in themselves are interesting coming from a player regarded as dark and broody and seemingly always on the edge of crossing the line, as he infamously did in the 2006 World Cup Final when he head butted Italian Marco Materazzi in the chest for an alleged personal insult directed at him by the Italian.

In the film, the close camera shots of Zidane – the way he continually taps his foot off the grass is fascinating – when he’s not on the ball and away from the action are as compelling as anything he does while on the ball, and the fact that he doesn’t make it to the final whistle still on the pitch seems a particularly apt, if accidental, denouement.

Another notable feature of this documentary is the soundtrack, which is scored by Scottish rock band Mogwai. Anyone who’s aware of their idiosyncratic sound will appreciate how that can only enhance the whole ambience of the film.

All in all this is a visual and aural masterpiece; part arthouse, part soccer docudrama. If you were drawn to Zidane as a footballer this is a must watch.