March 2000

When We Were Kings
Reviewed by Doug Schneider
DVD Format

Overall Enjoyment:
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Starring Muhammad Ali, George Foreman, Norman Mailer, George Plimpton, Spike Lee

Directed by Leon Gast

Theatrical Release: 1996
DVD Release: 1997
Dolby Digital Stereo
Widescreen/Full Screen

In my opinion no film style captures the essence of a sport, particularly of its participants, better than a documentary. That’s not to say that there haven’t been some good fictional sports films, there have; however, none have moved and even inspired me as much as my favorite documentaries. Among my favorites are Hoop Dreams, Pumping Iron, and this one, When We Were Kings.

The focus of this film is Muhammad Ali, arguably the greatest boxer of all time. It uses past footage to give a brief history of Ali’s rise to fame, as well as some other footage and narration to detail the succeeding events. However, it mainly centers on Ali’s famous 1974 fight against George Foreman. The fight was held in the African country of Zaire and was dubbed "The Rumble in the Jungle."

Using excellent fight and behind-the-scenes footage, along with outstanding commentary (mainly by Norman Mailer and George Plimpton), the film tells the riveting story of the events leading up to this fight, the chaos surrounding it, the fight itself, and then the aftermath as it effected the main participants. The film is just under one and a half hours and rockets by like an action film. Editing is fast and precise and manages to build plenty of tension before the opponents ever step into the ring. The scenes with Ali talking (and talking and talking) are often hilarious, sometimes inspirational, and other times quite moving. The fight scenes are fascinating, particularly when Mailer and Plimpton describe the mood and the feel in and around the fight.

While the film gives excellent insight into the logistics of that event, what sets it apart is the way that it digs deep into the heart of Ali. Ali anointed himself as the "The Greatest" and his many fans agreed. Was he egotistical or confident? Probably both. However, it’s not just talent in his sport that allows him to wear that crown. He was a spokesperson, a role model, and an inspiration and not just an athlete. For all these qualities he probably was "The Greatest." He had a way with people that went beyond charisma. People identified with him, looked up to him, and genuinely liked him. In the end this proved to be a winning combination. As for Foreman, it’s fascinating to be able to look back some twenty-five years and see the way he was -- a talented fighter, but one with poor social skills when dealing with the press and public -- versus what he’s become today. The film tells us he went into a two-year depression following that fight. Obviously he’s learned plenty because now he’s one of the most interesting, charming, and likable fighters in the sport.

Like most documentaries that rely on mixing different types of film footage, the visual and sound elements become secondary. For the most part that’s true here; however, the picture transfer from film to DVD is excellent and worth mentioning. This is most noticeable with the close-up footage of the musicians in the concert that was organized around this event (James Brown, B.B. King, among others, performed). The colors are rich, vibrant and alive. Despite the general good quality of the picture, the sound is only mediocre. It’s basically a stereo mix, many times recorded on the spot, and it sounds that way. There is no real soundstage and certainly no depth. In this regard, it’s more or less like watching regular television. As for the DVD extras, they’ve added in a short documentary with director Leon Gast, as well as some information (in on-screen text format) on some of the people that appear.

I was only ten when the "Rumble in the Jungle" happened. As a result, when I first saw this film in the movie theater I realized I never really understood the lure of Muhammad Ali the way those who were older would have. Sure I knew he was a great fighter and I certainly knew that he could talk a lot, but I never knew the extent of the impact he had on people. When We Were Kings taught me why Ali is so revered today. While this may not seem like the type of DVD one buys, I recommend doing just that. This is an uplifting and inspirational movie that will likely be watched over and over.  

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