The Trials of Muhammad Ali Another late notice here, but the new documentary The Trials of Muhammad Ali is playing at the Chez Artiste and it is leaving on Thursday. For those of you who don’t know his story, or for those of you who have forgotten it, the story is beyond fascinating. The film takes a narrow focus—wisely—and it only covers the 60s: those years when Cassius Clay came to prominence, became the heavyweight champion, joined the Nation of Islam, changed his name to Muhammad Ali, and then faced court cases and a boxing ban for over three years when he objected to being drafted into Vietnam. It’s a lot of material, but the film handles it well. The film is a wonderful refresher for those of us who know the story, and it’s a great primer for those who don’t. Still, most of us have probably forgotten how intense and polarizing a figure Ali really was. To see icons such as Jackie Robinson speak out against Ali is certainly disheartening, but then we also see his influence on such monumental figures as Tommie Smith and John Carlos (the pair who initiated the “Black Power” salute at the 1968 Olympics) and how that influence was so widespread. That is exactly where the film wins: it shows us Ali, but it also shows us those who did not like Ali. We get both sides. Trying to imagine any sports superstar of today taking such a stand is the stuff of wild fiction—it would never happen. In today’s buttoned-up corporate world of sports, an intelligent free spirit such as Ali would be squashed at an early age. Just seeing him talk in the film makes it worth the price of admission. Fascinating, fascinating film. It is not perfect, and it drags at times late in the third act, but it still accomplishes its goals and captures the essence of the polemical central subject. Please try to get out and see it before it leaves! For show times: landmarktheatres/market/Denver/Denver_frameset.htm
Posted on: Tue, 01 Oct 2013 14:59:28 +0000
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