When We Were Kings: Reaching Beyond the Ring to Capture an Era
Even without the benefit of hindsight, the 1974 fight between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman was never just a fight. It was the "Rumble in the Jungle," a full-blown festival helmed by the infamous Don King, with two boxing giants traveling to Zaire to face off amidst a storm of music and publicity. The film successfully incorporates all of these elements, featuring knock-out performances by James Brown and B.B. King, and devoting ample time to the pre-fight hype as it swelled to a fever pitch. The film also explores the political climate of Zaire, a country suffering under the hands of an oppressive dictator, Colonel Joseph Mobutu. While the festival and fight are promoted as a celebration of black culture and pride, the film acknowledges the dichotomy of holding these events in a country where power and dignity are a privilege of a very limited few.
While the film is about far more than boxing, it would be a mistake to ignore the large portion that is strictly devoted to the skill and beauty of the sport. While the film succeeds on many levels, I was most surprised by its ability to explain the intense preparation preceding the fight in a way that is both fascinating and accessible. Even more captivating, the film reveals Ali's specific strategy for the match, a combination of mental and physical determination that is greater than anything I have ever witnessed in any Superbowl or Final Four. And while Ali is clearly the focus, Foreman is also given his due as the more than worthy opponent. On an entirely different level, the movie is simply about these two men coming together to oppose one another in the ring and how each will respond to the challenge.
Ultimately, When We Were Kings works on the most basic level, providing a vivid account of the 1974 title fight, while also reaching far beyond to explore the social and cultural implications of that event. The music, media blitz and political backdrop are all swept into the narrative to create a complete picture of the moment, and yet the sport at the center of the film is never overwhelmed, and neither is its true star, Muhammad Ali. He is larger than life, truly "the greatest of all time," in a sport that I now know is both as brutal as I suspected and more beautiful than I ever imagined. I still don't
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