Mark Zupan was 18 years old when an auto accident left the lower half of his body paralyzed. Yet he was unbowed by the experience: the tattooed, goat-patched tough guy worked his way to becoming the revered captain of the US wheelchair rugby team. For him – as for his rival Joe Soares, coach of the Canadian team – the brutal game is an elemental passion, and he is determined to do anything to help his team achieve victory at the championship in Sweden, then to claim the trophy at the Paralympics in Athens. This gripping, searing movie investigates the lives of the other players who, like Mark and Joe, want to live an independent life, unafraid to speak openly about taboo topics. The unrestrained spectacle, in which the dissonant sounds of crashing wheelchairs merge with hard rock music, offers more than pumping adrenaline as it embraces raw emotion. That’s why Murderball is not simply a sports documentary, because it views sports as an expression of determination and the will to break down barriers.