The Grass Arena

The Grass Arena is an inspiring film based on the autobiography of John Healy (Mark Rylance), who was raised in a lower class family with a very abusive father. Healy first tried boxing; he was good at it but alcoholism caused him to fail. He then become one of the homeless alcoholics who lived in the park, the grass arena, where the drunks engaged in much more vicious "games" than boxing. Finally, Healy took up chess. He was excellent at it and that fed his starving self-esteem. Since alcohol diminished his ability at chess and his fierce competitiveness was stoked by his reaction against the class-consciousness of most of the players, especially the leaders, he avoided alcohol in order to prove himself; it was his salvation. The Grass Arena is a grim film made interesting by the wonderful portrayal of Healy by Mark Rylance and by the fascinating insights into the worlds of boxing, alcoholism and competitive chess. Each of these sections of the film is fully developed and could probably stand alone as an excellent short film.

This is a fantastic story, I watched it on TV in 1991, and I haven't watched it since, but it still scarred into my mind, memory and I can never forget it. I'm reminded of it today, as Mark Rylance won an BAFTA award today, for his acting in "The Government Inspector". The story is quite, sad, but the truly amazing thing is the acting of Mark Rylance, who's a very established actor on the UK stage in Shakespeare. He's I think probably the first actor that made me realise how crucial a role acting is, and real actor can transport you into real worlds. Mark Rylance transports into a very real world or Alcohol Abuse, Street Tramps and chess being a shining light. Quite Amazing. Don't watch this, if you do it will change your outlook on life and haunt you forever. The writing is also amazing, and it so crazy it could only be from a true story, the old saying Truth is Stranger than fiction is just so true!

The film is a very intimate and accurate study of one man's alcoholism.I found it both violent and touching, as an alcoholic, I could Identify with Healy and this film is used extensively to show patients in recovery as it also explores the introduction of drugs to combat alcoholism and their effects in the early days of their introduction. A very thoughtful and excellently acted film, the writer must have had some experience of the effects of alcoholism.

A young, succesful boxer is given the ultimatum; give up alcohol, or a boxing career. As he chooses the latter, he settles down to a new 'life', among the down-and-outs of his local park. The brutality of this existence is brought home to the viewer on several occasions, as John (the main character) is both witness to, and the victim of several particularly violent assaults. During a brief spell in prison, he learns to play chess - which leads to a form of spiritual awakening. He walks away from "The Grass Arena", and competes in chess tournaments. Depressing in places, but ultimately inspiring and compelling, it shows us how we can all triumph over seemingly insurmountable odds.

'The Grass Arena' is an excellent book and a remarkable film. Mark Rylance, of the Royal Shakespeare Company, is outstanding as John Healy.

What makes the film especially moving is that it shows true faith in the human potential. John Healy though living right to the point of utter destitution as a drunken vagrant finds salvation through chess. When he attempts to enter the elite world of chess masters his background is used against him. The pomposity of this narrow minded prejudice is well exposed in the film.

Unlike the film the book ends with John Healy trying to find solace through Buddhism and travelling to India. What is sad in both endings is that John's brutalisation, stretching from his father's boxing lessons to the alcoholism of the grass arena, make it very difficult for him to get close with women he is attracted to. A wonderful film and a great story.