When We Were Kings

I watched this movie last night on CBC, my third viewing. It keeps getting better. As fascinating a story as one would ever hope to see in any movie. In case anyone does not know why Muhammed Ali was widely named as the athlete of the century by many in 1999. This film will explain.

Ironically, the long delay in finishing and releasing this film may have improved the finished product. The increased perspective of more than a decade may have sharpened the editing choices. Not a method I would recommend as it is rather hard on the artist, but we benefit in this case.

It is important to recognize that whatever this film started out as, it became a study of Ali. And what a subject for study. What an athlete, what a man.

It goes nearly without saying that Ali is a transcendent figure of his generation. For those currently in their twenties who did not grow up in Ali era, this film is a glimpse at why the world choked up upon seeing Ali light the flame at the Atlanta Olympiad.

While Gast's footage of Ali in Kinshasa is sparse, interview segments with Plimpton, Mailer and Lee, and a pulsing soundtrack fill in the blanks to tell a surprisingly complete tale. The characters are fascinating: A young Don King, who had not yet made his name; a sullen, menacing George Foreman bearing no resemblance to the huckster we see today; the creepy Mobutu, who is rarely seen though his presence is felt, and Howard Cosell, who appears briefly to predict the defeat of the man who practically created him. Far, FAR superior to Michael Mann's Ali, which lifted huge pieces from this documentary. While Mann's film provides much more for the eye, Gast's "Kings" is a superior example of pure storytelling.

When We Were Kings (1996)

*** 1/2 (out of 4)

Extremely entertaining, Oscar-winning documentary covering the 1974 boxing match between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman, which became known as the Rumble in the Jungle. Through interview footage as well as archival footage, director Leon Gast's film perfectly documents the historic match and everything leading up to it. The boxing match itself is legendary and something most people know about and it's perfectly shown here but I think the real key to the documentary is everything we're shown leading up to the fight. This, of course, includes a lot of stuff dealing with Ali trash talking and getting involved with the African people. There are several scenes where Ali is simply out in the streets working out and trying to pump up the African people and of course get them in his corner. By contrast, we then see interview segments with Foreman where he's obviously not as deeply in with the people and doesn't have the same connection that Ali does. One really gets a great idea of the political climate heading up to the fight and the stuff with Ali training and just being himself are truly priceless. It's also fun hearing about how his career was thought to have been on the low-end as everyone was thinking that Foreman would destroy and possibly kill him in the ring. When we finally get to the fight footage it's presented in such a way that you really see what Ali was going for and how he pulled the upset. We see some terrific footage that is broken down and we're shown every little point that helped get Ali the win. WHEN WE WERE KINGS shows a historic fight and the surroundings around it and you can't help but be thankful that such an important event was captured in such a great form.

This is one of the most inspirational films I have seen in quite some time. I remember when this film was given the Academy award for best documentary, and hearing criticisms from some in the so-called "liberal" press (a reason to knock down this straw-man theory) that the film as undeserving of this title. Well after just seeing the film on video and reading some other comments from IMDb users claiming the same thing, I will have to outright disagree.

The point of this film was not about the fight itself or George Forman, (yes he played a role) as some have argued it should have. It was about the symbolism that this fight possessed, especially revolving around Muhammad Ali' and the causes he fought for. Recently ESPN selected the top 100 Athletes of all time (well they should have said American Athletes, but that's our American arrogance for you) and Ali was picked third behind Babe Ruth and Michael Jordan. The definition of "greatest athlete" is ambiguous, but in my mind Ali, through this film and my recent is truly, "The greatest" as he so claimed.

The film did an excellent job of getting as much footage as possible of all that occurred during the preparation that led to the fight and how it symbolized the joining of black people in America and Africa for a common cause in defeating their oppressors (US - white supremacy, and in Africa - European Colonialism). (which was clearly the main focus of the film) Yes, their were flaws in the film, and it was carried by the narration, Ali's unbelievably charismatic personality, and the numerous intelligent quotes that were made by him.

But those that wish to criticize the "music" as they call it, clearly have NO UNDERSTANDING OF BLACK CULTURE. This film was a celebration of it, focusing on GREAT MUSICIANS such as James Brown and B.B. King. These artists represent a significant part of black American culture, and knowing how important it probably was to all of those black Americans to go to Africa to spite the white American culture (which wanted the fight there), which they felt used them, was something that was revolutionary.

Before seeing this film I knew little about the "Rumble in the Jungle," and little about Ali, but after seeing this film, I have come to realize that he really was "the greatest."

10/10

Leon Gast's documentary about the 1974 "rumble in the jungle" championship fight between George Foreman and Muhammad Ali is...

Well, is it even about that, or is it about Ali? I incline to the view that it is the latter. Foreman is not much seen before the fight, and never speaks. Ali is all over the place, talking about his strategy, his love for Africa. We hear celebrities of the day, and boxing commentators. Foreman remains a brooding, fear-inspiring, mysterious opponent, who plans to corner Ali and beat him to death.

Of course, that's not the way it happened, and when this Oscar-winning film came out, more than two decades after the fight, everyone knew it then. So are the film makers trying to evoke the tension in the Ali camp at the time, that he was going to get himself beaten to death for half the $10,000,000 purse, or just to make the story better? Or a combination of the two? Probably the combination. Whichever it is, it's a well told story, and put together very well with talking heads and clips of the time edited together very well.