‘Ole War Skule’ scores

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Baton Rouge-based filmmaker John Haynes has done the impossible. The feeling of Saturday night in Death Valley is one that even Tiger opponents agree cannot be duplicated, and yet Haynes’ expansive new effort Ole War Skule, with its 80-plus interviews, intimate insider footage of huddles, locker rooms and epic aerials of Tiger Stadium, comes as close as possible to doing just that.

The documentary premiered last week to a packed house of Tiger faithful and LSU greats at Manship Theatre and will be available soon on DVD. The film starts with incredibly romantic classical music pouring over vintage reel footage sputtering through a projector in a darkened room. Cut to Tiger Stadium electrified by 93,000 fans and someone on the sidelines clicking their iPod to trigger a blazing hip-hop beat and the Tiger’s charging out of the tunnel. This is Ole War Skule, a dynamic blend of old and new.

Ole War Skule is more than a movie. It is a conquest of insight. On top of revealing in detail the history of the Tigers—much of it recounted with humor and panache by Emmy-winning actor and LSU football super fan John Goodman—Haynes’ documentary team embedded itself within the Fox Sports crew for the 2011 Cotton Bowl to capture the inner workings of a nationally televised Tigers game. They camped out in the Advocate newsroom to witness stories, statistics and snapshots from a Saturday night showdown being assembled and edited for the Sunday morning paper. They traveled to the Waterford Crystal Factory in Waterford, Ireland, to film the intricate cutting and crafting of the BCS trophy. They flew to the Wilson factory in Ada, Ohio, to watch laces and cowhide become one as college football’s most trusted game ball. They drove to Balfour headquarters in Austin to document the glimmering birth of an LSU national championship ring.

Ole War Skule is a good film. In fact it is two good films, and that may be its only weakness. With so much rich material and boundless ground to cover, Haynes goes for it all, like throwing deep on fourth and long.

On one hand there are the cumulative behind-the-scenes details and anecdotes brimming with rose-relishing nostalgia and lively lust for Saturday nights in Tiger Stadium. What does it take to get the stadium, the team, the band and the field ready for game time? The other strand of the film is a century-spanning look at the history of LSU and the development of the game of football at the university from the first down against Tulane when the team looked like a well-manicured rugby outfit through the heart-stopping national championship run to cap the 2007 season. Watching at home on DVD, which is how 99% of fans will experience it, this doesn’t present much of a problem, but in a theater, the back-and-forth between the two narratives made the film-s 3-hour runtime feel even longer.

Younger fans may also be disappointed that so much time is spent on the 40s and 50s teams while LSU’s Nick Saban-led championship in 2003 feels almost glossed over by comparison, though Saban does get near equal face time as Les Miles does in the interview portions. Former Tiger and now NFL great Kevin Faulk, the main reason Gerry DiNardo was able to “bring the magic back” is seen in a clip but not even mentioned during the DiNardo stretch of the picture. But the positives far outweigh the critiques here. Nothing on this scale has ever been attempted, and Haynes’ myriad skills as a filmmaker and storyteller with real heart are on full display in every single frame.

The film also has its humorous moments. Former Tigers Randall Gay and Charles Scott could take their comedy show on the road, they are so gut-busting funny. Both bring a humorous take to their tours as Tigers and balance the documentary’s more serious moments, like a beautiful but bittersweet sequence that pays tribute to 1960s and 1970s coach Charlie McClendon.

One nice surprise was that many of the talking heads prove themselves to be true warrior poets. Former “Chinese Bandit” and 1958 national champion Gus Kinchen waxes lyrical about the allure of the gridiron and the strong-as-steal relationships forged by the pursuit of excellence. John Ed Bradley, a former Tiger-turned-Sports Illustrated writer and novelist, brings a circumspect poetry and power to his memories as a Tiger. His romantic, epic musings on the Purple and Gold give voice to the feelings that dwell in the hearts of many Tiger fans, young and old.

In an emotional highlight of the film, former coach Paul Dietzel, still spry and bright on camera even in his golden years, tears up when talk turns to his cherished former players. They still hug when they greet. They never part without saying, “I love you.”

“And I don’t mind that at all,” he says tearfully. That’s the Ole War Skule.