WHEN WE WERE KINGS A film review by Peter Gloster
RATING: 9 out of 10
Naturally, at the core of Leon Gast's "When We Were Kings" is the fight itself, for what a fight it was. Thanks to the business savvy of Don King, an ageing Muhammad Ali was pitted against the formidable hulk of heavyweight champion George Foreman. Fans were treated to an 8 round battle of endurance and strategy, as much as brute strength, that immediately entered boxing lore. With the benefit of the first-hand recollections of that old ex-pug Norman Mailer, this classic conflict is brought back to life.
But "When We Were Kings" tackles issues that are harder to pin down than the simple facts of a boxing match. Questions of political power and social justice appear throughout this documentary. Gast could hardly choose otherwise, considering the vocal, uncompromising politics of Muhammad Ali. A member of the controversial black separatist movement The Nation of Islam, Ali opens Gast's film with a forceful swipe at the United States. When Ali hollers "Damn America', the audience knows the imprecation is heartfelt; the brutal yet casual way it is uttered leaves no doubt that Ali is speaking his mind. His decision to buck the draft for Vietnam is defended with the same admirable fury: "No Viet Cong ever called me Nigger", Ali reasons.
Despite showcasing Ali's proud unequivocal politics, one of the most impressive features of "When We Were Kings" is the subtle way in which the documentary considers the difficulties inherent in the overarching philosophy of black unity and black symbolism that Ali and his supporters champion. Listening to the film's numerous commentators, it is clear that the geographic location for this "Rumble in the Jungle" is etched more in the imagination than anywhere you could place on a map. Spike Lee tells us that the event was a pilgrimage, a "coming home" to Africa. Foreman reminds us that Africa is the "cradle of civilisation". Fair enough, but this homeland is a specific nation cursed with a less than inspiring reality. It is the newly founded Zaire and it is ruled by President Mobutu, a brutal dictator. While Ali respects Mobutu's ability to forge an independent African state, Mailer notes that beneath the stadium in which the titans battled lay hidden the Presidents well-stocked torture chambers. Mailer's insights are lost on most of the film's commentators. George Plimpton recalls that he always felt he was in the Congo, rather than the newly christened Zaire. With admirable restraint, Gast quietly suggests that for many the grandeur of myth and history all but obscured the reality of Zaire' s squalid ruling elite.
Mobutu is not the only dubious character to benefit from the heady symbolism of black power. Don King, resplendent in yellow kaftan and at ease with the "Messiah" label attributed to him by a loyal disciple, passes himself off as the voice of a new black international solidarity. Understandably, Foreman believes he has gotten a raw deal. He may be, as one sympathiser notes, "blacker" than Ali, but he is denied the iconic status shared by Ali, the thuggish Mobutu, and the tacky huckster Don King. Africa, Zaire, inspirational leader or vicious dictator, all is left undifferentiated, unconsidered, in this optimistic celebration of black unity. Little wonder that the people of Zaire were shocked to find that Ali's opponent wasn't white.
Admittedly, these issues are only hinted at, rather than substantially explored. The audience must consider the significance of these issues themselves, in their own time. There is just too much to cover, too much that is truly worthy of celebration, for a protracted political analysis to be justified. The excitement of James Brown and B. B King in concert, for instance. And of course there's always Ali to consider, as he shamelessly, and hilariously, hams it up in front of the camera, shadow boxing and uttering one inspired rhyme after another - "We gonna get it on coz we don't get along!". Doubtlessly, considering the multi-faceted nature of the extravaganza they chose to cover, the makers of "When We Were Kings" faced numerous difficulties in deciding what issues, and what personalities, best deserved their attention. Fortunately, by refusing to simplify their complex subject matter, they have captured the richness and excitement of this unique event.
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