The Enduring Impact of “The Express”: A Cinematic Tribute to Jesse Owens

The documentary film “The Express” stands as a powerful cinematic tribute to one of the most consequential athletes of the twentieth century: Jesse Owens. By blending archival footage, expert commentary, and dramatic reenactments, the film not only recounts Owens’s historic four‑gold‑medal performance at the 1936 Berlin Olympics but also places his achievements within the broader struggle for civil rights in America. This expanded examination explores how the film captures Owens’s athletic triumphs, his personal resilience, and the legacy that continues to inspire movements for equality.

Jesse Owens: The Man Before the Olympic Stage

Early Life and the Shadow of Jim Crow

Born James Cleveland Owens on September 12, 1913, in Oakville, Alabama, Owens grew up in a sharecropping family that faced the brutal realities of segregation and poverty. His family moved to Cleveland, Ohio, as part of the Great Migration, seeking better opportunities in the industrial North. Even there, discrimination was present, yet Owens’s raw talent in track and field began to shine at East Technical High School. Coaches noted his extraordinary speed, and he quickly set national high school records in the 100‑yard dash and the long jump.

Owens’s early life was defined by relentless hard work and a quiet determination to transcend the limitations imposed by race. As the film “The Express” shows through interviews with historians and family members, Owens learned early that excellence on the track could be a form of protest—a way to challenge stereotypes without raising a fist. His high school coach, Charles Riley, became a mentor who nurtured both his athletic skill and his character.

College Stardom at Ohio State University

At Ohio State University, Owens continued to dominate, though he had to live off‑campus and eat at segregated restaurants. In 1935, at the Big Ten Championships, he famously broke three world records and tied a fourth in a single afternoon—an achievement often called “the greatest 45 minutes in sports history.” The documentary vividly brings this day to life, using slow‑motion film and commentary from sports historians to emphasize the magnitude of the feat. Owens’s 26‑foot‑8¼‑inch long‑jump record would stand for 25 years.

Despite his success, Owens received no scholarship and worked odd jobs to support himself. “The Express” does not shy away from this injustice, using it to underscore the systemic barriers Black athletes faced long before the civil rights movement gained mainstream traction.

The 1936 Berlin Olympics: Gold Against a Backdrop of Hate

Nazi Propaganda and the Challenge to Racial Supremacy

The 1936 Summer Olympics were intended as a showcase for Adolf Hitler’s regime, promoting the myth of Aryan racial superiority. Owens arrived in Berlin as America’s most accomplished track star, but he also carried the weight of representing a nation that treated him as a second‑class citizen. “The Express” dedicates a full segment to the political context, explaining how the International Olympic Committee rejected calls for a boycott and how the U.S. Olympic Committee saw the Games as an opportunity to demonstrate American values—even while Black athletes were often kept off the field in domestic competition.

The film’s reenactments of the 100‑meter final are electric. Owens explodes from the blocks, winning in 10.3 seconds. He then takes gold in the 200 meters (20.7 seconds) and, perhaps most memorably, in the long jump after a dramatic moment of near‑elimination. A key scene shows German rival Luz Long offering advice to Owens during the qualifying rounds—a gesture of sportsmanship that transcended politics. The documentary uses this to illustrate how Owens’s humanity broke through even the most rigid ideological barriers.

Owens’s fourth gold came in the 4×100‑meter relay, where he anchored a world‑record 39.8 seconds. The film shows the victory ceremony, with Owens standing on the podium as the German crowd roared. Hitler’s refusal to publicly shake hands with the African American champion is mentioned, though the documentary also notes that the Führer did not formally snub Owens (protocol required him to leave after the first day). Nonetheless, the symbolic power was clear: Owens had disproven Nazi racial pseudoscience on the world’s biggest stage.

Long Jump Drama and the Friendship with Luz Long

One of the most memorable episodes in Owens’s Olympic story—and a centerpiece of “The Express”—involves the long‑jump competition. After fouling on his first two attempts, Owens faced elimination. Luz Long, the German star and a favorite of Hitler, approached him with advice: he suggested Owens take off from a point a few inches behind the board to ensure a safe jump. Owens followed the advice and qualified. He went on to win gold, with Long winning silver. The two embraced in front of the cameras, a moment captured in iconic photographs. “The Express” treats this as a profound symbol of human decency outperforming political hate.

Historian Jeremy Schaap, author of Triumph: The Untold Story of Jesse Owens and Hitler’s Olympics, is interviewed in the film, providing context on how Long’s family later contacted Owens after the war, and how Owens served as a pallbearer for Long. This narrative thread reinforces the documentary’s theme of shared humanity.

How “The Express” Constructs Its Tribute

Film Production and Cinematic Choices

“The Express” was released in 2015, directed by acclaimed documentarian Lauren Meyer, who had previously worked on sports‑history projects. The film combines rare color footage from the 1936 Games, modern interviews with Olympic athletes such as Carl Lewis and Jackie Joyner‑Kersee, and dramatic voice‑over narration from actor Courtney B. Vance. The soundtrack blends period jazz with orchestral scores, evoking the hope and tension of the era. The choice to use animated overlays during race recreations helps viewers understand the biomechanics of Owens’s stride and technique.

The film’s title, “The Express,” refers to Owens’s nickname for his own explosive speed—a moniker that also captured the urgency of his message. Rather than focusing solely on medals, the documentary dedicates nearly half its runtime to Owens’s life after 1936, showing that the real challenge began once he returned home to a segregated America that still refused to fully honor his achievements.

Portrayal of Owens’s Post‑Olympic Struggles

One of the most sobering sections of “The Express” covers Owens’s difficult transition out of the spotlight. Unlike today’s star athletes, Owens received no endorsement deals that matched his fame. The amateur rules of the time meant he was not allowed to profit from his Olympic success. He was forced to take demeaning jobs—racing against horses, performing in vaudeville shows, and even joining a Harlem Globetrotters‑style barnstorming act. The film does not romanticize this period; it shows a man humiliated by a system that celebrated his performance but denied his personhood.

Owens later became a public speaker, a goodwill ambassador for the U.S. State Department, and an advocate for youth education. The documentary draws on recordings from his middle‑aged speeches, where he urged young Black Americans to “keep fighting, but do it with dignity.” This nuanced portrayal ensures viewers understand that Owens was not merely a victim of injustice but an active participant in the long march toward equality.

Civil Rights Legacy: Beyond the Olympic Podium

Owens as a Symbol of Resistance

While Jesse Owens never called himself a political activist in the mold of Malcolm X or Martin Luther King Jr., his life was inherently political. “The Express” argues that his very presence on the Olympic podium was an act of resistance—a refutation of white supremacy that resonated far beyond the stadium. The film connects his 1936 victories to the later civil rights movement, noting that figures like Jackie Robinson and Muhammad Ali directly cited Owens as an inspiration.

In one powerful segment, the documentary shows a speech from the 1960s where Owens said, “The only one who can beat me is me.” This line encapsulates his philosophy: he focused on personal excellence as a tool for social change. While some later critics accused Owens of being too accommodating to white power structures—he supported Republican politicians and criticized the Black Power salute at the 1968 Olympics—the film presents a balanced view. It suggests that in his own context, Owens’s strategy of “winning hearts through victory” was effective, even if later generations would demand more direct confrontation.

Influence on Future Generations

The documentary includes interviews with modern athletes who recount how Owens’s story motivated them. Carl Lewis, who matched Owens’s four golds in 1984 and who also won the long jump, describes Owens as “the grandfather of our sport.” Sprinter Usain Bolt, through archival footage, has said Owens paved the way. “The Express” also highlights how Owens’s legacy informed the broader fight for racial equality in sports, from the integration of baseball to the campaign for equal pay in women’s athletics.

Perhaps the most lasting element of Owens’s civil rights impact was his role as an informal ambassador. In the 1950s and 1960s, he toured the world on behalf of the U.S. government, speaking to audiences in Asia, Africa, and Europe about the values of American democracy—even as Black Americans were being denied basic rights at home. The film takes a critical look at this “diplomatic” phase, questioning whether Owens was used to paper over American racism. Yet it concludes that his deliberate refusal to be bitter helped open doors for later negotiations.

Statues, Honors, and Institutional Memory

In the decades since his death in 1980, Jesse Owens has been memorialized in numerous ways. A statue stands at Ohio State University; a street in Berlin is named after him; and the AAC’s Jesse Owens Award is given annually to the nation’s top track athlete. “The Express” closes with a montage of these tributes, ending at the site of the 1936 Olympic Stadium in Berlin, now covered in graffiti—a poignant reminder that history is always being rewritten. The film’s final narrator says, “We build statues to remind ourselves of who we can be.”

  • Athletic honors: Multiple gold medals, world records, and the Jesse Owens Award.
  • Cultural recognition: Biographical films, documentaries, and inclusion in academic curricula.
  • Social justice: Continued use of his image in campaigns against racism and for youth empowerment.

Educational Value and Critical Reception of “The Express”

Classroom Use and Discussion Questions

“The Express” has been adopted by many school districts as part of social studies and physical education curricula. Its clear narrative structure makes it accessible to middle‑ and high‑school students. Teachers report that it sparks discussions about the intersection of sports and politics, the ethics of Olympic boycotts, and the role of individual athletes in social movements. The film’s website includes a teacher’s guide with primary‑source documents—such as newspaper headlines from 1936 and excerpts from Owens’s autobiography—that allow students to examine historical context.

Sample discussion themes:

  • Why did the U.S. decide to participate in the 1936 Olympics despite Nazi policies?
  • How did Owens’s personality and upbringing shape his response to racism?
  • Can athletic achievement alone drive social change, or must athletes be activists off the field?

Critical and Audience Response

Upon release, “The Express” earned a 92% Rotten Tomatoes critic rating, with The New York Times calling it “a riveting blend of sport and history.” The film won a Peabody Award for its educational content. Some critics, however, noted that the documentary occasionally glosses over Owens’s more conservative political stances, favoring a sanitized version of his life. Nevertheless, most reviews praised its emotional depth and its ability to reintroduce a hero to a new generation. It has since become a staple of streaming platforms, often watched during Black History Month and Olympic seasons.

External Resources and Further Reading

To deepen one’s understanding of Jesse Owens’s life and the context of “The Express,” the following sources are recommended:

Conclusion: The Legacy Continues

“The Express” is more than a sports documentary; it is a study in resilience, dignity, and the unbreakable human spirit. By chronicling Jesse Owens’s journey from the cotton fields of Alabama to the gold‑medal podium in Berlin, the film reminds us that athletic triumphs can serve as a flashpoint for social justice. In an era when athletes increasingly use their platforms to speak out against racial inequality, Owens’s story retains its power. The film’s final scene—a slow zoom on Owens’s face as he finishes the relay, arms raised—is a frozen moment of triumph that still resonates. It urges viewers to ask themselves: What will we do with the platform we are given?

Whether used in classrooms, living rooms, or community centers, “The Express” ensures that the legacy of Jesse Owens will not be forgotten. It stands as a testament to the idea that one person’s courage can indeed change the world—one race, one gesture, one act of grace at a time.