Rating of
3/4
The Greatest, Not the Smartest
Chris Kavan - wrote on 09/15/12
In 1980, legendary boxer Muhammed Ali came out of retirement to spar with friend and current heavyweight champion Larry Holmes. The fight was one-sided with Ali taking a lot of punches - so much so, this fight is widely regarded as one of the contributing factors of his Parkinson's Disease. This documentary was filmed in 1980, but the footage wasn't shown until Albert Maysles (documentary director behind Gimme Shelter, When We Were Kings and The Beales of Grey Gardens, amongst others), along with Bradley Kaplan, released it as part of the ESPN 30 for 30 series.
While I don't consider myself a boxing fan, Ali is one name that everyone knows. That's what makes this so difficult to watch. Ali and Homes joke around, train and the like - but when it comes to the actual fight, it's just painful on so many levels. You can't help but wonder how Ali's life might be different had he just stayed retired after 1979. The man is a living legend - but if anything else, this is a cautionary tale that even the greatest can push themselves too far. As Ali himself put it: "I only said I was the greatest, not the smartest."
These documentaries continue to impress me, and I can only hope that the remaining continue to be as engrossing and interesting as this and the previous films I have seen.
