Review of When We Were Kings (1996) by James O — 21 May 2011
The golden age of boxing is brought back to life in this documentary with James Brown judiciously thrown into the pot to stress the significance this fight had for black culture. The legend of Ali was cast in stone by this fight and like most boxing fights, its the hype and build up which is half the excitement.
Foreman is portrayed as the colossal and seemingly indominatable opponent. Ali seemingly had no chance. This film helps any fans of boxing understand the value of Ali's presence and personality. The intelligent tactics he used to win this fight helped but so too did his strength of character and brilliant mind games.
We watch as Ali trys to convince everyone around him he can win and manipulates the crowd into a frenzy. He almost seems to be trying to convince himslef he can win. This film was the apogee of heavyweight boxing, one of the most important moments in sporting history, played out in the politically isolated Zaire to add to the drama.
Perfectly captured in this documentary, the viewer is immediately drawn into the historical social significance of the event. The fight was more than any other the making of the Ali legend and he dererves this monument to his persona.
This review of When We Were Kings (1996) was written by James O on 21 May 2011.
When We Were Kings has generally received very positive reviews.
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