When We Were Kings
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| German title | When We Were Kings |
| Original title | When We Were Kings |
| Country of production | United States |
| original language | English |
| Publishing year | 1996 |
| length | 85 minutes |
| Age rating | FSK 12 |
| Rod | |
| Director |
Leon Gast , Taylor Hackford |
| production |
Leon Gast , Taylor Hackford |
| camera |
Maryse Alberti , Paul Goldsmith , Kevin Keating , Albert Maysles , Roderick Young |
| cut |
Leon Gast , Taylor Hackford , Jeffrey Levy-Hinte , Keith Robinson |
| occupation | |
When We Were Kings (alternative title When We Were Kings ) is an American documentary from 1996 , which was directed by Leon Gast . Essentially, the film is about the legendary world championship heavyweight boxing match between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman , the so-called Rumble in the Jungle . The fight took place in Kinshasa , Zaire on October 30, 1974.
A number of celebrities are featured in the film, including James Brown , Jim Brown , BB King , Norman Mailer , George Plimpton , Spike Lee, and Thomas Hauser .
When We Were Kings received very positive reviews and won the 1997 Academy Award for Best Documentary .
content
The film shows the preparations for the fight. Ali speaks of his beliefs about the situation of Afro-Americans and Africans and scoffs at Foreman. The film shows Ali’s popularity with the press and the people of Zaire and Foreman's failed attempts to gain popularity as well. The role of boxing promoter Don King is also described. He made his first appearance as a boxing promoter in Zaire. Excerpts from Miriam Makeba's , James Brown and BB Kings appearances in Zaire are also shown. The film also deals with the question of why the fight in Zaire takes place despite the brutal tyranny of Mobutu Sese Seko . In one scene you can see Ali greeting and hugging Mobutu. Norman Mailer , George Plimpton , Spike Lee , Malick Bowens and Thomas Hauser are interviewed and commented on Zaire, Ali and the fight. Most thought Ali had little chance against the young and strong Foreman. Much of the fight itself is also shown. Ali successfully practiced the tactics of rope-a-dope in this fight : Ali let himself be beaten by Foreman for several rounds. Ali held the cover up and cushioned himself on the ropes. In this way he lulled Foreman on the one hand to be safe, on the other hand the latter lost a lot of energy trying to strike down his opponent. Then in the eighth round, Ali landed a series of hits that sent Foreman to the ground. Ali got back his world title, which he had been stripped of for refusing to fight in the Vietnam War . Spike Lee concludes that he finds it regrettable that young people know so little about this period and its most distinctive personalities.
Reviews
- When We Were Kings received mostly positive reviews, for example from film critics Roger Ebert and Edward Guthmann.
- Ebert praises the film for taking you back in time and capturing the electricity of Muhammad Ali.
- Guthmann also praises the director for capturing the atmosphere of the time and for emphasizing the importance for African pride and self-esteem.
- Wolfgang Hübner wrote in the Rhein-Zeitung: "One of the advantages of this film is that it also lets you hear the rousing rhythms that were performed by the musicians who traveled to Zaire, such as James Brown, BBKing and others." The film also successfully documents the "incomparable charisma of Ali's person and his popularity with the local masses".
- "A dramatic review of one of the most momentous events in an eventful decade".
- “When We Were Kings” is the director's greatest success to date and won an Oscar in 1997 for best documentary. Rightly so: The documentary thrives on the tight montage, the entertainer Ali and the music. The result is a mixture that transports the excitement about the "Rumble in the Jungle" into the present day. You see the film and understand what moved people .
Awards
- 1996: New York Film Critics Circle Award for best documentary
- 1996: Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards for Best Documentary
- 1997: Oscar for best documentary
- 1997: Broadcast Film Critics Association for Best Documentary
- 1997: Independent Spirit Award in the Truer Than Fiction category
Nomination for the Grand Prix of the Belgian Film Critics Association.
additional
- In 1997, an album with the film's soundtrack was released. It includes music by Zelma Davis, the duet "When We Were Kings" by Brian McKnight and Diana King . Also "Rumble In The Jungle" by The Fugees together with A Tribe Called Quest and Busta Rhymes .
Web links
- When We Were Kings in the Internet Movie Database (English)
Individual evidence
- ^ When We Were Kings in the Lexicon of International Films . Retrieved August 13, 2012
- ^ NY Times: When We Were Kings . In: NY Times . Retrieved November 21, 2008.
- ↑ T. Fawcett in the Austin Chronicle ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ^ Critique by Ebert
- ^ Critique by Guthmann
- ↑ Oscar documentary "When We Were Kings" - legendary title fight in Zaire 1974 ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as broken. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Description of the film on Artechock
- ↑ Leon Gast's criticism of cultural classics> ( Memento of the original from July 1, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
