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When We Were Kings: Reaching Beyond the Ring to Capture an Era

© Lynn Ward

I'm not a fan of boxing, never have been. In fact, I've always been mystified by those who find enjoyment in watching two grown men pummel one another, hoping that one of them will ultimately be knocked unconscious. With this in mind, I sat down to watch When We Were Kings, a documentary about the heavyweight title fight between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman that took place in Zaire (now Congo) in 1974. Although I was aware of the critical acclaim the film had received, if I didn't enjoy boxing, how could I possibly be riveted by a documentary with a boxing match at its heart? I couldn't have been more wrong, both about the film and the sport itself.

To say When We Were Kings is a film about boxing is like saying Chariots of Fire is a film about running; it's a gross reduction that doesn't nearly convey its true scope. The boxing match is at its center, but what is extraordinary is how director Leon Gast has managed to weave together seemingly disparate elements, from third world politics to popular music, to create a complex mosaic that truly encapsulates the era. The film doesn't simply "document" a match, it recreates a moment in time and allows the viewer to experience that moment in all its vivid color and noise.

The film opens with a barrage of images; scenes depicting racial violence juxtaposed with a young Muhammad Ali boasting to the media and making good on those promises in the ring. Spike Lee describes how Ali inspired a generation of young African Americans to take pride in their culture, introducing a technique used to great effect throughout the film. Interviews with journalists, directors, artists and writers provide a perspective on the event that far eclipses the relative insignificance of a boxing match. The film provides firsthand accounts from such literary icons as Norman Mailer and George Plimpton, while exploring the long-term impact on the younger generation with commentators like Lee. Music is also integral in this opening sequence, with short bursts of blues and R&B performances spliced between the interviews and media coverage. Immediately Gast has set the tone for the film, introducing the volatile cultural context swirling around the fight, and the extraordinary athleticism and charisma of Muhammad Ali.

Ali remains at the center of the web being spun throughout the film, a fact the director seems to recognize and celebrate. As the years have passed and his health has deteriorated, it's easy to forget what Ali once was, a highly controversial figure who was as despised by some as he was deified by others. This film is Ali at his most vital. We see footage of him as a young fighter, tearing apart his opponents in the ring and establishing his reputation for bravado with the media. Gast devotes equal time to Ali's position as a political figure and cultural icon for African American men, from his refusal to fight in Vietnam to his public commitment to the Nation of Islam. Although many considered Ali past his prime by the time he fought Foreman, it's clear that his strength of will had never been stronger. His verbal assault is dynamic and unrelenting; he doesn't back down, or slow down, for a second.

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