The Boxing Movie “Ali” And Why I Think It Fails

As U.K fight fans will more than likely be aware, the boxing biopic of “The Greatest” was aired at the weekend. Though I had seen the movie before, I tuned in for another viewing. I’m sorry to say, however, that my opinion of the film was not changed as a result of watching it once more. I was extremely excited when the project was first announced some years back, but the finished product was a big let down. In my opinion the film, despite both its considerable budget and star quality, fails both Muhammad Ali and his many fans. Maybe I’m wrong, who knows? These are just my feelings. Feelings I explain in the following article. See if you agree with me.

Michael Mann’s “Ali” is a painstakingly put together film. At least regarding the selection of actors in relation to their ability to look and sound like the real life characters they are playing. Will Smith must be commended for the incredible effort he put in so as to give as good an impersonation of Ali as possible. The muscle he added to his physique was the result of months of boxing training and voice coaching enabled him to bring back to life all Ali’s famous quotes, speeches and poems with dialect remarkably similar to “The Greatest’s”. He definitely looked and sounded the part. The problems with the film do not lie at his feet though. It really is quite extraordinary that such a talented filmmaker as Michael Mann was able to come up with a film, dealing with one of the most exciting and controversial figures of the twentieth century, if not of all time, that is boring. But this is indeed the case.

The film is flat and despite the tagline, “Forget what you think you know,” it tells us absolutely nothing new. Too much is Ali’s God-like reverence evident in this biopic, never does the film attempt much of anything in the way of criticism. Certainly not with Ali’s religious issues and the black Muslims. Surely the rift between Malcolm X and Elijah Muhammad, which Ali was right in the middle of, should have been looked at with more detail. Ali was accused by some who were in the know for having betrayed Malcolm. According to Sunni Khalid, a student of Ali and The Nation of Islam, as quoted in Mark Kram’s book Ghosts of Manilla, “Ali threw Malcolm away like a pork chop. Even today those who really know can never forgive him.” The film merely sidesteps this issue and Ali simply mumbles how Malcolm “shouldn’t have quarrelled with Elijah Muhammad.”

Malcolm X was like a father figure to the young Ali but we are supposed to believe that he was dismissed in such a swift and painless manner. Why? What exactly was it about Elijah Muhammad that Ali so revered, or feared? The film never answers any questions about this episode or just what hold the Muslims had over Ali. They certainly never came to his aid financially during his enforced exile due to his refusal to renounce their cause, whatever this was. The reasons for the whole affiliation with the Muslims that Ali had remains a debated topic and in no way was it as simple as this film makes out, with Ali a seemingly constant and loyal follower, never questioning the order.

Another annoying problem with the film is a lack of consistency. For example, the first Clay vs. Liston fight has approximately quarter of an hour’s screen time devoted to it, while the much more important and historical first Ali-Frazier fight is given only a fraction of the time. And the Ali-Norton fights, in which Ali was also beaten on the first occasion, with his jaw broken, are completely non-existent. The reason such vital parts of the Ali story such as these are absent is a mystery. Another omission, or a total changing of the facts to be more precise, is the one
that so incensed Joe Frazier; he considered suing the filmmakers. During the financially drained years of Ali’s exile Joe proved to be far more sympathetic than any of Ali’s religious brothers. Yet in a scene in the film, Joe, played by James Toney, is rebuffed when he offers Ali some cash. This was just not on. Joe did give him money, a grateful Ali even says so in his official first autobiography. Joe was understandably angry and hurt.

The film ends with Ali’s victory over George Foreman in Africa. There is no “Thrilla in Manilla”, nor is there any mention of the brave battle Ali would have in later life with Parkinson’s. Half a film? Definitely. Maybe, as some critics said, only when Muhammad is no longer with us will his life story accurately be put on screen, unhampered by the filmmaker’s fear of betraying their hero. Only when the huge shadow of Ali’s legend is unable to cast itself upon such a filmmaker’s attempts will we be able to see who the man really was. If you watch this film hoping to be satisfied in this way (as I did when it was first released) you will be sorely disappointed. Michael Mann’s “Ali”, what a shame.