When We Were Kings (1996)

User Rating:

7.8/10   

Director:

Leon Gast

Release Date:

14 February 1997 (USA)

Genre:

Documentary | History | Sport

Tagline:

The untold story of the Rumble in the Jungle

Plot:

A documentary of the 1974 heavyweight championship bout in Zaire between champion George Foreman and underdog challenger Muhammad Ali.

Plot Keywords:

Zaire | Underdog | Boxer | Boxing | Racism

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 6 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

Muhammad Ali	...	Himself
George Foreman	...	Himself
Don King	...	Himself
James Brown	...	Himself
B.B. King	...	Himself
Mobutu Sese Seko	...	Himself (President of Zaire)
Spike Lee	...	Himself
Norman Mailer	...	Himself
George Plimpton	...	Himself
Thomas Hauser	...	Himself
Malick Bowens	...	Himself
Lloyd Price	...	Himself
Wilton Felder	...	Himself (sax, The Crusaders)
Wayne Henderson	...	Himself (trombone, The Crusaders)
Stix Hooper	...	Himself (drums, The Crusaders)

MPAA:

Rated PG for images of violence, brief nudity and some language.

Runtime:

89 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Netherlands:12 | Australia:PG | Finland:S | France:U | Germany:12 (bw) | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:NC-16 | Spain:13 | UK:PG | USA:PG

Company:

Das Films

Trivia:

Though almost all of the footage in this documentary was shot by producer/director Leon Gast in 1974, one reason it took 22 years to complete was because the negative and rights to the film were entangled in civil suits involving the Liberians who financed the movie's making.

Quotes:

[Responding to Howard Cosell]
Muhammad Ali: And you're always talking about, "Muhammad, you're not the same man you were 10 years ago." Well, I asked your wife, and she told me you're not the same man you was two years ago!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The 50 Greatest Documentaries (2005) (TV)

Soundtrack:

In A Cold Sweat

The most elusive man outside the ring

Muhammad Ali is arguably the greatest sports figure of all time. He is remembered for his athletic achievement, political stances, and larger than life personality. Yet we never knew him.

Michael Mann made a decent movie called Ali a few years ago. He tried his best to draw a portrait of an elusive human being. But what he was trying to achieve had already been done before with When We Were Kings.

When We Were Kings is a phenomenal documentary. In my opinion, the prototype for all documentaries. Taking place in and around perhaps the best boxing match of all time, the Rumble In The Jungle, in which Ali faced George Foreman(of grill fame...). Ali is shown as a man brimming with confidence, yet his constant boasting becomes a coat of armor that protects him from his own self-doubt. Yet he endears himself to the African people who embrace him like he's one of their own. In these moments Ali appears both invincible and mortal.

There are some cool musical numbers by James Brown and B.B King as well as appearances by Spike Lee, Don King, and the controversial president of Zahire at the time, Mobutu Sese Seko. These appearances add depth to the amazing events of the film.

If you love documentaries, sports, or character stories, When We Were Kings is among the class of each.