Prefontaine, known as Pre, was a legendary long-distance runner who at one point held the world records for every track distance between 2000 and 10,000 meters. An Oregonian, he attended the University of Oregon and trained under the equally legendary coach Bill Bowerman (Sutherland). Much of the conflict and thematic substance of the film has to do with the battle of minds between these two men, as they clash over Pre's running style. Pre likes to race out front from beginning to the end; Bowerman tries to convince him not to do so because it wastes energy that could be conserved by running part of the race in another runner's draft. The fact that Pre meanwhile achieves rock star status -- due to his victories and charm, brash confidence and outspokenness -- makes Bowerman's efforts all the tougher. Beneath it all, though, is a profound mutual respect that ultimately drives both men toward a richer understanding of life itself.
Without Limits is an unusual sports movie in that it does not end with the protagonist winning the big race. In fact, there is no final big race. After Pre lost at the 1972 Munich Olympics (which is depicted here in a bravura sequence that also includes the terrorist attacks on Israeli athletes), he withdrew into self-imposed obscurity for a time before Bowerman helped persuade him to resume training and take a shot at the 1976 Montreal games. But Pre's life would be cut tragically short by a car accident, an event which, for this movie at least, winds up giving his life meaning not for any tangible end result but for the way he traveled on his life's journey. As Bowerman tells his new runners every year, "If you can find meaning in the kind of running you have to do to stay on this team, chances are you will be able to find meaning in another absurd pastime: life."
Indeed, while the running sequences in Without Limits are extraordinarily visualized, with terrific use of slow-motion, the greater takeaway for audiences here is simply the character of Pre himself and his off-track life, including his affecting romance with Mary Marckx (Monica Potter). Crudup disappears into the character of Pre, whose cockiness makes things as difficult as it does easy. When he tells Mary, "I can endure more pain than anyone you've ever met," he's explaining the secret of his success but also a source of his inner torment.
Without Limits is gorgeously shot by the great Conrad Hall, and its cinematography, art direction, props, costumes, decor, stock news footage and period music all combine to create an amazingly realistic and textured glimpse of the 1970s time frame. It also lends credibility to a subplot that is treated almost comically. Throughout the film, Bowerman tinkers with his ideas for new running-shoe designs, even creating soles on his waffle iron, much to his wife's consternation. This all really happened, and in later years Bowerman became a founder of Nike. (In one scene, he even tells Pre of his idea for the Nike name.)
Steve Prefontaine never won an Olympic medal, but his is still a very inspiring if bittersweet story. Neither Prefontaine nor Without Limits did well at the box office (each grossed less than $1 million), but Without Limits has stood the test of time with its thoughtful, realistic presentation, and Robert Towne along with producers Tom Cruise and Paula Wagner deserve credit for pushing it through and getting it made. It's a class act of a movie and well worth seeking out.
Warner Archive's made-on-demand DVD is an enhanced widescreen presentation and has fine picture and sound.
By Jeremy Arnold
