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MUHAMMAD ALI
Through the Eyes of the World
Review by Michael Jacobson
Stars:
James Earl Jones, Dick Schaap, Billy Crystal, Lennox Lewis, Tom Jones,
Maya Angelou
Director: Phil Grabsky
Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.78:1
Studio: Universal
Features: See Review
Length: 104 Minutes
Release Date: January 29, 2002
“I
shook up the world!”
Muhammad
Ali turns 60 this month…it’s almost hard to imagine. I wasn’t born yet when a young, hungry fighter named
Cassius Clay began his trek to becoming “The Greatest”, but I was around
through most of his 70’s heyday, riding the wings of an unprecedented comeback
after years of setbacks and hardship.
Here
was a man who set the world on fire. He
was a big, strong man, yet he moved as quickly and gracefully as any
featherweight. He never minced his
words, in fact becoming just as famous for his antics outside of the ring as his
boxing prowess in it. When he said
he was the greatest, it wasn’t an empty boast.
He had the skills to back it up.
Muhammad
Ali: Through the Eyes of the World is a terrific new documentary that shows the life and
times of the legendary champ through a mixture of interviews with friends,
reporters, family, and even the occasional opponent, along with plenty of
vintage footage of Ali in action, both in and out of the boxing ring.
It’s a solid, entertaining film that is both an insightful look as well
as a tribute to the man who changed the face of modern sports.
From
his humble beginnings, we learn that young Cassius learned how to fight after
his bicycle was stolen. He was
determined to find the thief and teach him a lesson. He never found the thief, but he found the path that would
lead him to international fame…and sometimes, infamy.
The
movie collects terrific archive footage, from Clay’s Golden Glove amateur
appearance, to his first professional fight, to the moment he becomes the
youngest world champion ever. It
was on the heels of that monumental event that he stunned the world by declaring
himself a member of the Nation of Islam, and changing his name to Muhammad Ali.
Charismatic
and poetic, with a loud voice but a soft smile, became an international
celebrity, even crossing his day’s delicate color lines.
In a land where segregation was still the law of the land, he had an
impressive number of white fans as well, both here and around the world.
He was as outspoken an activist as either Martin Luther King, Jr. or
Malcolm X (both of whom he befriended). Those
civil rights leaders met with unhappy endings, and Ali himself would soon find
himself facing the greatest challenge of his life.
When
his Selective Service status was inexplicably upgraded from 1Y to 1A, it meant
only one thing…Uncle Sam was going to enlist Muhammad Ali at the apex of his
career. Standing by his religions
and civil beliefs, Ali chose not to accept the draft. He knew if he had been inducted into the Army, he probably
never would have seen combat, merely serving a comfortable couple of years as a
celebrity fighting occasional exhibition matches for troop morale.
But to Ali, that wasn’t the point.
He
was stripped of his title and his license to box. For the next few years, Ali would struggle to make ends meet,
taking whatever menial job came his way to keep food on his family’s table.
He never backed down.
Those
who reflect on Ali in this film do so with an understandable reverence,
especially when remembering this critical time in the champ’s life.
Very rarely had principle come at such a cost, but Ali never wavered on
what he believed was right.
At
that point, as one reporter puts it, you’d have been a fool to bet that Ali A)
would ever box again, much less B) regain his title and C) eventually be named
by Sports Illustrated as the Athlete of the Century. But Ali wouldn’t have been Ali if he hadn’t done all
three…in fact, he regained his title not just once, but twice.
All
of this and more are covered in Through the Eyes of the World.
This is a terrific documentary film that will serve as a perfect
reminder to anyone why Ali was called The Greatest…or for the rare person who
may not know about the champ, this is a good place to start.
Now
in the twilight of his remarkable life and battling a debilitating disease, the
champ moves a little slower and speaks a little more softly.
The tremors remind us that he’s just a man after all, even though he
once walked the earth like a giant. Yet
even now, he’ll look toward the camera with a smile and that same mischievous
twinkle in his eye, put up his dukes, and look like he’s ready to spar for a
round or two. And we remember that life may be fleeting, but glory can go
on forever. That is the legacy of
Muhammad Ali.
Video
***1/2
This
is a quality anamorphic transfer from Universal that maintains a good sense of
consistency despite the fact that a certain amount of included footage is
several decades old. It all holds
up well and cleanly. The modern
segments boast good coloring and sharp images, with good levels of detail.
The archive clips range from black and white film to color video, and it
all has held up pretty well. Overall,
you can consider this a very good offering.
Audio
***
The
5.1 soundtrack makes only sparing use of the rear stage for effect, and of the
.1 channel for the music, but the front stage is dynamic and lively, with some
good panning effects here and there. Dialogue
is clean and clear, and every word the champ says rings out loud and true!
Features
***
My
favorite feature is a chronology of Ali’s fights…each showing his win or
loss and how many rounds the matches lasted.
Some of them have links to the movie’s footage of the fight, so you can
go to them and see the Greatest in action…very cool. There is a feature called “Through the Eyes of the
World”…an interactive map where you can pick locations and see interview
footage from people there offering their thoughts and reflections on Ali. There are some extra unseen interviews, a stills gallery, a
tribute music video by Faithless, a promo for the Ali Center, a trailer, and a
short featurette.
Summary: