(The National Review) Burt Lancaster’s virile example of earnestness, drive, and pure vitality in 1951’s Jim Thorpe–All-American inspired so much admiration — and identification — that one felt an emotional wallop as the bio-pic dramatized Thorpe’s heartbreak when racist opposition (including the arbitrary rescinding of his Olympic medals) caused setbacks in his career and life. This was before racism had become commoditized as a routine Hollywood marketing tool, and so its offense could be shown more clearly without extra moralizing. This was also when the irony of the Irish-American Lancaster portraying the Native American Thorpe showed sincerity. Rather than making a point of political correctness or patronization, Lancaster’s portrayal was an example of artistic and athletic reparation. It ultimately can be seen as an acknowledgment of Thorpe’s national legacy.
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