The protagonist is Jackie Robinson, the first black athlete to play in Major League Baseball (MLB). MLB consists of the National League (NL) established in 1876 and the American League (AL) established in 1901. The respective champions of the two face off in the so-called World Series to determine the championship. . Since at least the 1880s, African-Americans have been unwritten in the NL. In the first half of the 20th century, the first major league executive, Kenesaw Landis (created in response to the infamous "Black Sox incident" in the 1919 World Series), adhered to the then social norm of "separate but equal", Resolutely implement this ban. Landis died in 1944, and his successor, Happy Chandler, was a moderate, acquiescent to racial integration. So the first person to eat crabs appeared, he was then the chairman and general manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers - Branch Rickey. Rickey has always been a very thoughtful person. He pioneered the professional baseball league's reserve team system (farm team), and he was the first to introduce a baseball batting cage, pitching machine, And equipment such as a batting helmet to protect the batting helmet; and his most famous achievement was in October 1945, when he beat the crowd to sign Jackie Robinson, who had played in the Negro leagues (a decade later). He also signed another Hall of Famer, Roberto Clemente of Puerto Rico, when he was general manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates. In the 1946 season, Robinson played for the Montreal Royals, the top reserve team of the Brooklyn Dodgers, the Minor League Baseball since the 20th century. The first black player to appear in MiLB. At Robinson's level, his batting average and fielding percentage are far ahead in his international league (International League, IL, AAA), and it is clear that promotion to a higher league is imperative. In the spring of 1947, six days before the start of the new NL season, Rickey officially drafted Robinson to the Dodgers' first team. April 15, 1947 is a day to remember when Robinson, 28, played as the Dodgers' first baseman, officially announcing that the Baseball color line had been broken for more than half a century. Years later, this day was designated as "Robinson Day", and all MLB players and staff would wear Robinson's No. 42 jersey when they played on the day, both in memory of himself and in honor of the social progress of racial integration regardless of each other. On April 15, 1997, the 50th anniversary of Robinson's debut, his No. 42 jersey was retired by all MLB teams at the same time. This is an unprecedented honor among the four major professional sports leagues in North America. Therefore, the film's title of 42 is still very meaningful.
Robinson's greatness is due to many factors. He is both versatile and capable of playing every position on the field; He was selected as a pioneer in breaking apartheid, of course there was a certain element of luck, because there were indeed better players in the black league than him at that time; but then again, others may not succeed, such as when he played in Montreal Royals. In fact, there is another black player, but the latter only played for one season and returned home, so he failed to enter the top league and made a name for himself. In addition, Robinson's forbearance and self-esteem is even more extraordinary. In this film, incidents such as (away) audience abuse, the police canceling the game, the opponent provoking a shady trick, teammates petitioning to leave the team, receiving threatening letters and other incidents have all happened. If he were an ordinary person, he might have collapsed, fought back, and gave up long ago. Besides, he used to be a young man who liked to argue with reason; but he endured it and concentrated on playing. In the first year, he led his team to win the NL championship. The first Best Rookie Award (now named after him); since then, he has won 6 NL championships, a World Series championship (1955), and he himself has been selected to the All-Star Game 6 times and won the NL MVP once. To comment on Robinson in one sentence is: Playing the ball well and being charismatic, as a symbol of racial integration, inspired the later African-American civil rights movement. He has been included in the "100 Most Influential People of the 20th Century" by Time Magazine, entered the Baseball Hall of Fame and the Lineup of the Century, and received the "Presidential Medal of Freedom" and "Congressional Gold Medal" successively. But it is worth mentioning that in the same year that Robinson joined the NL, another black player, Larry Doby, also appeared in the AL. But he was signed in the middle of the season, three months after Robinson, and is rarely talked about now, proving once again that no one can remember the second man on the moon.
The film tells the story of Robinson's one-year experience before and after joining MLB. This was the biggest highlight of his life and an important turning point for the entire professional baseball league. Inspirational and racial issues, the main theme is a must, but it is also acceptable to the audience. It's basically based on historical facts, and it's a bit of a running account, but it's still a style. The two protagonists are well portrayed, but the supporting roles are relatively invisible, especially the black reporter and the succeeding manager whose intentions are unclear. It is said that Robinson's widow likes the film, probably because there are still a lot of scenes about her in the film. Interestingly, this is the first time Harrison Ford, of Han Solo and Indiana Jones fame, has played a role based on a real person.
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