Geeks logo

My Review of "Uppity: The Willy T. Ribbs Story"

This is a crazy documentary of an extraordinary man.

By Brian AnonymousPublished 4 years ago 3 min read
Like

I'm not the most knowledgeable person when it comes to the sport of racing. There's a few race car drivers that I know of but I have no clue what race car drivers have to go through in order to become a professional. That being said there's some information in this documentary that flew way over my head. I'm sure it will fly over a lot of people's heads as well when you watch this film.

Before this movie I didn't know anything about Willy T. Ribbs. It's a shame too because this man is a pretty important part of racing history. I had no idea how much racism this man had to endure to reach his goals. If he were any other person, he would have given up a long time ago but this guy keeps on fighting to the end for various reasons.

The documentary starts off by telling you how Willy grew up. Right from his youth he's been told not to become a race car driver even though he knew from an early age that's what he wanted to be. It's particularly bad because he even knew the obstacles that he would have to overcome in order to achieve his vision.

Despite the horrible chants and sabotage Willy continues to pursue his dream of becoming a professional race car driver. It's obvious from his track records that he is a formidable driver that is capable of winning but we learn that racism is stronger than winning first. It's scary to learn that organizations are willing to sacrifice wins in order to appease the audience that buys the merchandise of their sponsors. I learned quickly in this film that money is a huge driving force in professional race car driving.

I also learned that race car driving has a ton of drama. Obviously, being a male dominated sport there is testosterone everywhere. With testosterone comes fragile male egos. There's a lot of egos being hurt because of Willy's driving expertise. It doesn't help that Willy is also mentored by the likes of Mohammed Ali. I love the fact that Willy is unabashed and courageous when he boasts about his driving abilities. He's a big talker but he can back it up. It's likely a good thing that he was so flamboyant with his wins because it got him noticed as a racer.

Mohammed Ali isn't the only famous person who backs Willy. There are a number of famous people that come to help Willy out. They can't do much because they don't have too much clout in the racing world but they do what they can. One of the saddest things in the movie was that Willy could have been a great F1 driver but because of racist sponsors it was never meant to be.

The documentary climaxes with an unlikely hero. A hero of the past that many today would consider a horrible person today. It's crazy how a ton of the people he met in the past have changed today. I mean these are some crazy changes. You have to see the movie to know what I mean.

I think it's fitting that Netflix added this documentary during black history month. Willy had gone through hell and back and was able to accomplish an incredible feat that almost everyone thought was impossible. His strong will and determination got him through. There's not many people with his mental fortitude and I love hearing stories like this.

Willy broke down barriers that were up so high that no one thought they were breakable. I'm so surprised I haven't heard from him until now. He's an inspiration to everyone and his story should be known by everyone, especially in the racing world.

Overall, I loved this documentary despite the fact that some of the racing jargon went over my head. It was exhilarating and heart wrenching. No one should have to go through the things that Willy had to go through. He went through his hardships for himself but in the end opened the doors to other aspiring drivers. I have to give this documentary a 9 out of 10. I truly recommend this documentary to everyone because it is a hell of an inspirational story.

review
Like

About the Creator

Brian Anonymous

I have tons of opinions that change constantly. I watch a lot of movies and play video games. There are some articles on my struggles with languages and dance as well.

Reader insights

Be the first to share your insights about this piece.

How does it work?

Add your insights

Comments

There are no comments for this story

Be the first to respond and start the conversation.

Sign in to comment

    Find us on social media

    Miscellaneous links

    • Explore
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Use
    • Support

    © 2024 Creatd, Inc. All Rights Reserved.