WHEN WE WERE KINGS
A film review by Steve Rhodes
Copyright 1996 Steve Rhodes
RATING (0 TO ****): ***
"I was a slave four hundred years ago, and I'm going back home to fight among my brothers," proclaims a jubilant Muhammad Ali in 1974. "We gonna rumble in the jungle."
WHEN WE WERE KINGS is an engrossing documentary about the famous "rumble in the jungle" between a massive punching machine by the name of George Foreman and a smaller Muhammad Ali, who had recently come out of retirement. Most sports commentators thought Ali had no chance to win and could be hurt badly. No this isn't another ROCKY movie, this is real life.
Yes, I know you may hate boxing as much as I do, but it does not matter. This fight was more an entertainment extravaganza than a sporting event. Besides, Leon Gast's documentary skills turn what was, according to the press kit, 300,000 feet of film into a compelling picture even for those of us who have no interest in sports.
Infamous boxing promoter and huckster Don King sets up the match by promising both fighters a prize of five million dollars -- win or lose. There was a slight problem in that he didn't have ten million dollars. He solved this by staging the fight in Zaire. He got its totalitarian ruler, President Mobutu Sese Seko, to commit ten million dollars of his country's precious resources to the fight. One of the many talking heads in the film said he thought Mobutu "looked like a closet sadist" and he told stories of Mobutu locking up all of his enemies before the fight to insure domestic tranquillity. It worked.
The story had extra meaning for me since I once met Muhammad Ali when I was in college in the late 60s. The only thing I remember is that his fists were the size of small boulders. I recall seeing them and thinking, "oh, my god." The film amply demonstrates that Foreman was even larger and much more powerful than Ali ever was.
Ali is certainly one of the most interesting sports figures of this century. He brought an energy and a poetic approach to boxing that was unique. You probably remember his many poems with "fly like a butterfly, sting like a bee" being his most famous, but George Plimpton claims one poetry world record for Ali. After the end of Ali's address to the Harvard graduating class, they asked Ali for a poem. He thought a minute and replied, "Me whee." Plimpton claims that is even shorter than the one "The Guinness Book of World Records" has listed as the shortest, "Jesus wept."
The documentary includes old black and white clips of Ali, known then as Cassius Clay, as a young fighter. He was full of energy and high spirits. As he so aptly put it then, "I'm young; I'm handsome; I'm pretty and I can't possibly be beat." He was so resolutely confident and gregarious that he was an inspiration to kids. Listening to him, they must have been convinced that anything is possible if you set your mind to it. The documentary even has a public service TV spot he filmed for the youth where he admonishes them, "Eat natural foods. We must whop Mr. Tooth Decay."
The show pulsates with energy thanks to the music. Many of the great entertainers of that era from James Brown to B. B. King went to Zaire to see the bout. They are interviewed, and their music is used throughout the film. Also interviewed are a host of other people from Spike Lee to George Plimpton. Planeloads of the glitterati went to Zaire to watch the fighters train and then fight. Some of the interviews are contemporary to the fight and others are more recent.
The film is full of surprises from the training to the fight itself, but getting to know the legendary Ali is worth the price of the movie ticket. No one before or since has ever been like him. Certainly, boxing was never more fun than when he was around. Watching him is a joy.
Leon Gast's ability as a filmmaker is perhaps best demonstrated when he manages to make the strategy and the execution of the fight both lucid and interesting. He does this through a series of interviews that are done in voice-over during the fight.
One tidbit that I found fascinating was the time of the big event, three o'clock in the morning. It had to be during prime time in America for the broadcast revenues.
An upbeat, absorbing film that kept my eyes riveted to the screen. After the press screening, I talked with some of the people there. Most were in shock, like I, that someone could take boxing and make it so intriguing for those of us who abhor the sport. Of course, the best documentarians can do exactly that whether the subject is insects (MICROCOSMOS), obscure musical instruments (THEREMIN: AN ELECTRONIC ODYSSEY) or blood sports. I left the screening feeling exhilarated after having vicarious shared some time with an athletic legend and utterly fascinating character.
WHEN WE WERE KINGS runs about 1:30. It was not rated at the time of the screening, but I would guess it to be PG-13. There is brief nudity, but no sex or profanity. The boxing sequences are not gory, but boxing is inherently violent. I think the movie would be fine for kids say nine and up. I recommend it to you and give it ***.
**** = One of the top few films of this or any year. A must see film. *** = Excellent show. Look for it. ** = Average movie. Kind of enjoyable. * = Poor show. Don't waste your money. 0 = One of the worst films of this or any year. Totally unbearable.
REVIEW WRITTEN ON: December 9, 1996
Opinions expressed are mine and not meant to reflect my employer's.
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