Diego Maradona

image for Diego Maradona

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Not suitable under 13, parental guidance to 15 (mature themes, substance abuse, nudity, language, length)

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This topic contains:

  • overall comments and recommendations
  • details of classification and consumer advice lines for Diego Maradona
  • a review of Diego Maradona completed by the Australian Council on Children and the Media (ACCM) on 29 July 2019.

Overall comments and recommendations

Children under 13 Not suitable due to mature themes (drug/alcohol abuse; prostitution; organised crime; nudity) and length
Children aged 13–15 Parental guidance recommended due to mature themes (drug/alcohol abuse; prostitution; organised crime)
Children aged 16 and over Ok for this age group.

About the movie

This section contains details about the movie, including its classification by the Australian Government Classification Board and the associated consumer advice lines. Other classification advice (OC) is provided where the Australian film classification is not available.

Name of movie: Diego Maradona
Classification: M
Consumer advice lines: Mature themes, coarse language and brief nudity
Length: 130 minutes

ACCM review

This review of the movie contains the following information:

A synopsis of the story

Diego Maradona tells the story of one of Argentina’s all-time greatest soccer players. Maradona’s journey is constructed using real and previously unseen footage; from his humble roots as an up and coming soccer player from a poor village, to his fall from grace as a cocaine-addicted sports superstar. 

Themesinfo

Children and adolescents may react adversely at different ages to themes of crime, suicide, drug and alcohol dependence, death, serious illness, family breakdown, death or separation from a parent, animal distress or cruelty to animals, children as victims, natural disasters and racism. Occasionally reviews may also signal themes that some parents may simply wish to know about.

Poverty; Substance abuse; Organised crime.

Use of violenceinfo

Research shows that children are at risk of learning that violence is an acceptable means of conflict resolution when violence is glamourised, performed by an attractive hero, successful, has few real life consequences, is set in a comic context and / or is mostly perpetrated by male characters with female victims, or by one race against another.

Repeated exposure to violent content can reinforce the message that violence is an acceptable means of conflict resolution. Repeated exposure also increases the risks that children will become desensitised to the use of violence in real life or develop an exaggerated view about the prevalence and likelihood of violence in their own world.

There is some violence in this movie including:

  • Numerous on-field fistfights between soccer players (including kicking, punching, etc.).
  • Footage of a shot up car, covered in blood, and with a murdered man slumped over the seat.

Material that may scare or disturb children

Under fiveinfo

Children under five are most likely to be frightened by scary visual images, such as monsters, physical transformations.

In addition to the above-mentioned violent scenes, there are some scenes in this movie that could scare or disturb children under the age of five, including the following:

  • Several surgical procedures are shown that may distress young viewers – A scalpel is used to cut into Maradona’s ankle; A long sequence shows several large needles being stuck into Maradona’s back (blood is visible).

Aged five to eightinfo

Children aged five to eight will also be frightened by scary visual images and will also be disturbed by depictions of the death of a parent, a child abandoned or separated from parents, children or animals being hurt or threatened and / or natural disasters.

In addition to the above-mentioned violent scenes and scary visual images, there are some scenes in this movie that could scare or disturb children aged five to eight, including the following:

  • Numerous, deliberately dangerous soccer tackles – Players thrown to the ground, hit, or tripped – This may distress younger viewers as it is clear the players are in pain or have been hurt.
  • Maradona is frequently surrounded and crushed by fans – Younger viewers may find this distressing as the film focuses strongly on Maradona’s distress and discomfort in these situations.

Aged eight to thirteeninfo

Children aged eight to thirteen are most likely to be frightened by realistic threats and dangers, violence or threat of violence and / or stories in which children are hurt or threatened.

In addition to the above-mentioned violent scenes, there are some scenes in this movie that could scare or disturb children aged eight to thirteen, including the following:

  • Maradona is frequently surrounded and crushed by fans – Viewers in this age group may find this distressing as the film focuses strongly on Maradona’s distress and discomfort in these situations.

Thirteen and overinfo

Children over the age of thirteen are most likely to be frightened by realistic physical harm or threats, molestation or sexual assault and / or threats from aliens or the occult.

  • Nothing further of concern.

Product placement

The following products are displayed or used in this movie:

  • Puma
  • Ferrari
  • Fiat
  • Jägermeister
  • Cannon
  • Gillette
  • Philips
  • Camel Cigarettes
  • Adidas
  • Coca Cola
  • Fuji Film
  • Le Coq Sportif
  • Buitoni
  • Opel
  • Mars
  • Shell
  • Gatorade
  • Mobil
  • Nike
  • Budweiser.

Sexual references

There are some sexual references in this movie, including:

  • Numerous jokes and references to prostitution.

Nudity and sexual activity

There is some nudity and sexual activity in this movie, including:

  • Maradona and his girlfriend kiss intimately.
  • A poster is shown of a woman dressed in lace with her breasts and groin exposed.
  • Photos are shown of Maradona and others in a strip club with naked women.

Use of substances

There is some use of substances in this movie, including:

  • Heavy alcohol consumption.
  • Numerous references to cocaine use and addiction.
  • Smoking.

Coarse language

There is some coarse language in this movie, including:

  • Fuck
  • Shit
  • Whore
  • Bitch
  • Ass.

In a nutshell

Diego Maradona is a Spanish-language documentary with English subtitles about the rise and fall of one of Argentina’s all-time greatest soccer players, Diego Maradona.  Beautifully constructed from previously unseen footage and images of Maradona, this film paints a poignant picture of the impact he has had on soccer and the country for which he played.  This film will likely entertain older audiences, and those with a particular interest in this sporting figure.  Given the length and mature themes and content, this film is inappropriate for children under 13.  Parental guidance is recommended to 15. 

The main messages from this movie are that passion and motivation can lead to great accomplishments and that fame and public adoration can take a psychological toll on those who have them.

Values in this movie that parents may wish to reinforce with their children include:

  • Hard work and determination
  • Loyalty to your team and friends.

This movie could also give parents the opportunity to discuss with their children attitudes and behaviours, and their real-life consequences, such as

  • Drug and alcohol abuse/addiction
  • Prostitution and negative views about women.