Customers who bought this goods also bought.
More than just Ali (2003-11-18)
This DVD brings more to the table than just Muhammad Ali and his fights. A review of the changing social structure of black America in the 60's and the struggle by Ali and others to deal with a newfound rebellion form the core of this story. This is not to say that Ali's boxing is ignored in any way, and in fact the behind the scenes story of his career is that much stronger and interesting when put in the context of the social strife and difficulties faced during his career.
Interesting interviews with family and friends add to the package, but my favourite part of the DVD remains the boxing footage itself. But we must remember that this is not a boxing video, but rather a biography of Ali and his life. In order to pack 40 years of life into 104 minutes of film, you obviously need to sacrifice detail. The detail sacrificed in this case revolves around the sport itself. If you are a hardcore fan of boxing, as opposed to a hardcore fan of Muhammad Ali, then this video may not be for you. If you want to understand the man and his life as a boxer, public figure, liberator, and now philanthropist, in the context of the world in which he existed, then purchase this one now.
If this was a 2-disc set that featured his most famous fights with an analysis and discussion around each, then this would definitely be a 5* package. There are plenty of short, but useful extras on the DVD, but the lack of detail around his boxing left me just a little, I repeat just a little, dissapointed.
This is definitely one to watch once, but probably not twice.
Superlative (2001-11-26)
Screened originally on LWT earlier this month, this new TWI co-production does a fantastic job of capturing not just Ali's personality, but his actions and personality, in the context of his times: the 1960s and 1970s.
Could any one man have captured his times the way Ali did? Unlikely, since his 1960s contemporaries (the two Kennedys, King, Malcolm X) are either victims of the assassin's bullet (his friend John Jay Hooker points out, Ali could so easily have faced the same fate in the 1960s), or with reputations systematically hacked apart (Marilyn, Lennon and Elvis).
That his reputation builds over time really does reinforce his significance as perhaps, the leading cultural and social figure of the late 20th century. That he's still alive, albeit debilitated, is a near miracle, given his struggles in the ring and outside of it. His contribution to the tragic, post-September 11 events in the US, was measured, dignified and did more to suggest peace was the true answer to the woes of our times, than the utterances of a hundred macho politicians.
All the major figures in his life contribute: trainer Angelo Dundee, 'Ring Doctor' Ferdie Pacheco, opponents (Terrell, Foreman, Ellis, Cooper), even (in a rare TV appearance) striking third wife Veronica, mother of boxer Laila Ali.
Various chroniclers of the Ali legend are also present: Burt Randolph Sugar of 'Ring' magazine, Mark Kram, Hugh McIlvanney, Victor Bockris and Mike Marqusee.
Ali himself remains absent, as does current wife Lonnie Ali. In any case, why speak when others propel the legend better than you ever could yourself?
The footage mixes old and new: there's much rarely-seen material from the late 1960s and early 1970s specifically, as well as his appearance on This Is Your Life from 1979. Current footage includes Ali's lifetime achievement award at the World Sports Award in London earlier this year.
Minority revisionists like Mark Kram (and the still bitter Joe Frazier), try and chip at the legend. However, it's almost impossible to do so, firstly because he's such a transparently nice guy and since Ali's many friends, supporters and family consistently, defend him to the death. Picking at the Ali legend in these times is rather like picking on Mandela and Gandhi combined.
Untimately, agreed, he was not a significant political figure in the true sense, but neither did he seek to be this (in any case, Mandela carries that status more than perfectly).
Instead, he was perhaps, even more effective in the 1960s: operating on the street, protest march podium, college circuit and on TV. As a politican of the street and epitome of 1960s black emancipation and spiritual liberation, it hardly mattered that he held no formal political role. Not doing so gave him a credibility others truly lacked.
Instead as a cultural icon, sporting hero, charismatic personality and agent of social change (his true context), its hard to find anyone more significant.
The fact that he was funny, sincere, spiritual and level headed, answers the question as to why he survived when his contemporaries didn't.
So, savour the film and cherish the man. There won't be anyone like him and this new documentary captures his uniqueness perfectly.
Powered by Amazon Web Services + Amazon Associates.
![]](http://resource.hanamoku.com/img/hanamoku_uk/00bar_top_right.gif){kind=small}
![]](http://resource.hanamoku.com/img/hanamoku_uk/00bar_bottom_right.gif){kind=small}
Goods, Product Information
