An adaption of David Walsh’s Seven Deadly Sins, the Steven Frears directed The Program is the latest contribution to the growing list in the Lance Armstrong spin-off since his admission to doping in 2013.
While The Program pays homage to Walsh’s book, this a film occupied with Armstrong and his exploits on and off the bike. Audiences will be left wanting more explanation, others dumbfounded by the Armstrong narrative and apparent ease at which he and his fellow cyclists cheated throughout their careers.
The film conveniently lays out the Armstrong narrative in chronologically order from a 1994 Fleche Wallone start line conversation with Johan Bruyneel who tells Armstrong he is not going to win the race. Cue the racing and a brief shot of the Gewiss trio riding to victory before Armstrong appears to be racing one of the cobbled classics with the scene serving to demonstrate why Armstrong and his American teammates needed to get on the ‘program’ to compete in Europe.
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The opening scenes set the template of The Program with introductions to characters of the cycling world but failing to explain their significance or place in the narrative. Walsh for example quickly becomes a bit player while US Postal riders are afforded as many lines of dialogue as they were opportunities to lead Grand Tour teams.
Armstrong’s cancer battle is treated in a similar fashion. It’s presented as series of famous events, ticking off the prognosis with the doctor; a surgery scene; the hospital scene with the Andreau’s, and so on.
Armstrong’s time with Cofidis is another exclusion from the film as it sprints through the pre-Tour winning years with the audience left to fill in the gaps. Victory is secured for Armstrong at the ‘Tour of renewal’ with a procession of images and scenes and countless shots of Paris in July the visual clue for Armstrong seven Tour wins.
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