Barry Sanders has long been one of the most enigmatic figures in NFL history. After a decade of being one of the all-time great running backs, he up and vanished (retired) while still at his peak with no explanation given as to why. In Bye Bye Barry, the filmmakers examine Barry's life and personality in greater detail to try and understand his decision-making process.
The reason Bye Bye Barry is such a masterpiece documentary is because it is essentially two things in one 90-minute runtime:
First, it is a nostalgic look back at an iconic football talent. All the clips of Sanders making defenders look foolish trying to tackle him are incredible to behold and often narrated by the likes of Madden and Summerall or other great NFL voices. It all adds up to a reminder of Barry's utter greatness and how clearly he was one of the best to ever ply the RB trade.
Secondly, this doc is a really effective character study of Barry Sanders the individual. In a sport where ego and bravado often define the great talents, Sanders was the polar opposite. He cared little (actively rejected, in fact) the trappings of fame that came with NFL superstardom. He never celebrated on the field and hardly showed so much as a glint of emotion. As the filmmakers say here, he 100% let his play do his talking for him--and it largely was enough.
For a little while after watching, I didn't have Bye Bye Barry at 10/10 stars. The reason? Because as a viewer, you'll be waiting for that crack of emotion from Barry--and it simply never comes. This might leave you feeling a little disappointed. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized it was perfect--because that's just Barry. He has such a conviction towards his ideals that he simply will not break just for the cameras. Not an approach that can (or maybe even should) be taken by everyone, but admirable in its earnestness.
Add all that up and this Amazon product is top-level documentary work. You may still not understand exactly why Barry rode off into the sunset so early, but you'll clearly understand that for those who knew him it was no surprise. Just "Barry being Barry".
The reason Bye Bye Barry is such a masterpiece documentary is because it is essentially two things in one 90-minute runtime:
First, it is a nostalgic look back at an iconic football talent. All the clips of Sanders making defenders look foolish trying to tackle him are incredible to behold and often narrated by the likes of Madden and Summerall or other great NFL voices. It all adds up to a reminder of Barry's utter greatness and how clearly he was one of the best to ever ply the RB trade.
Secondly, this doc is a really effective character study of Barry Sanders the individual. In a sport where ego and bravado often define the great talents, Sanders was the polar opposite. He cared little (actively rejected, in fact) the trappings of fame that came with NFL superstardom. He never celebrated on the field and hardly showed so much as a glint of emotion. As the filmmakers say here, he 100% let his play do his talking for him--and it largely was enough.
For a little while after watching, I didn't have Bye Bye Barry at 10/10 stars. The reason? Because as a viewer, you'll be waiting for that crack of emotion from Barry--and it simply never comes. This might leave you feeling a little disappointed. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized it was perfect--because that's just Barry. He has such a conviction towards his ideals that he simply will not break just for the cameras. Not an approach that can (or maybe even should) be taken by everyone, but admirable in its earnestness.
Add all that up and this Amazon product is top-level documentary work. You may still not understand exactly why Barry rode off into the sunset so early, but you'll clearly understand that for those who knew him it was no surprise. Just "Barry being Barry".