https://socialistaction.org/2016/06/05/muhammad-ali-1942-2016/
Muhammad Ali: 1942-2016
/ 23 hours ago
June 2016 Muhammad Ali
In tribute to Muhammad Ali, who died on June 3, we are reprinting this
biographical film review, “‘Ali’ is good … but not the greatest,” from
our January 2002 issue.
By JOE AUCIELLO
“Ali,” directed by Michael Mann, starring Will Smith, Mario Van Peebles,
Jon Voight. A Columbia Pictures release, 2001 (rated R, 158 min.)
No Black man in 20th century America was more famous than Muhammad
Ali—not Booker T. Washington, Marcus Garvey, Martin Luther King Jr.,
Malcolm X, or Jesse Jackson. Who else could be, at the same time, an
Olympic champion, a symbol of Black pride and nationalism, a symbol of
youthful rebellion against the establishment both in sports and in
society, a symbol of Islam, an antiwar martyr, and a superbly gifted
athlete with an incredible string of victories?
Muhammad Ali was the hero of an entire generation in the militant 1960s:
loud, brash, obnoxious, controversial, he possessed the strength and
skill to silence his critics and stun his supporters. He fought all over
the world and defeated every major heavyweight fighter of his day,
became champion three times, and successfully fought his most grueling
battles outside the boxing ring.
In his prime Ali stood up to frightening odds as a boxer and as a Muslim
without a moment of self-doubt or self-compromise. No wonder he was
idolized.
Perhaps Ali’s finest moment, the one that required the greatest measure
of strength and courage, came in 1967 at the height of his success, when
the U.S. government ordered the heavyweight champion to register for the
draft. Ali refused on principle, citing his religious faith as a Muslim
and his political convictions as a Black nationalist.
Malcolm X had spoken sharply against Black men’s willingness to enlist
in Washington’s wars, fighting for “freedom” overseas but turning the
other cheek at home. Only weeks before, Martin Luther King Jr. had for
the first time criticized the Vietnam war and linked the civil rights
movement to the peace movement. Muhammad Ali answered the government in
a similar vein: “No Vietnamese ever called me nigger.”
Respectable opinion called him “ungrateful,” “unpatriotic,” and some
even spoke of “treason.” Ali’s heavyweight title and his license to box
were taken away from him. No matter. Ali did not yield.
More than any other athlete and as much as any individual, Muhammad Ali
embodied the hopes of the youth rebellion that he entertained and
inspired. James Brown’s hit song, “Say It Loud (I’m Black and I’m
Proud)” seemed to be written for Muhammad Ali; it was the soundtrack to
his life.
The film “Ali” does not, despite honest effort and good intentions, live
up to the real-life Ali. The dilemma for the director is to capture on
film the story of a man whose life is too large for a movie. The problem
is not satisfactorily resolved, and perhaps, in all fairness, it cannot be.
The film covers the years 1964 to 1974, from the first fight against
Sonny Liston when Ali won the heavyweight championship, to the fight
against George Foreman when Ali regained the crown—the “Rumble in the
Jungle,” which took place in Zaire. (One of his greatest battles, the
third match against Joe Frazier in 1975, the “Thrilla in Manila,” is
omitted).
Also omitted or minimized is the context of Ali’s life. To provide the
historical backdrop and explain the depth of white racism in the 1950s
and 1960s, the civil rights and Black nationalist movements, the Nation
of Islam, the protest struggles against the war in Vietnam, would be to
include more material than a feature length film could possibly contain.
The film’s unintentional result, however, is to diminish Ali’s impact on
his era.
Muhammad Ali is not a man given to introspection, so the story of his
life is largely told from the outside. The film’s infrequent use of
voice-over does little to draw the audience inside the character. As a
result, the audience does not understand, from the film itself, what
motivates Ali.
Ali’s important relationship with Malcolm X, for instance, is never
fully clear. The first hour of the movie is really the Muhammad Ali /
Malcolm X story, told largely from the perspective of “The Autobiography
of Malcolm X” (including scenes of federal agents wiretapping Malcolm’s
phone and directing an informant inside the Nation of Islam).
Why, when Malcolm was forced out of the Nation of Islam, did Ali remain
with Elijah Muhammad instead of following his mentor, Malcolm? Malcolm
himself did not know, and so the movie provides no answer. Ali merely
says to him, “You shouldn’t have quarreled with Elijah Muhammad.”
Despite these limitations of narrative point-of-view, the starring role
is a personal triumph for actor Will Smith. His previous work gave
little hint that he could fill the screen so thoroughly and believably,
especially in the realistically choreographed fight scenes, where the
film is at its best. Smith’s portrayal of Ali has already earned him
Golden Globe nominations, and he is sure to receive an Oscar nomination
as well.
Concluding in 1974, at a moment of triumph, the film says nothing about
Ali’s life in recent years. The Muhammad Ali of today, the puffy-faced
man with the soft voice, slurred speech, and shaking hands—symptoms of
Parkinson’s disease—is still a potent personality. No other athlete had
more right to stand in Atlanta in 1996 to light the Olympic torch.
Now, Hollywood wants to draft Ali as the national Islamic spokesman for
the U.S. war in Afghanistan, a role that unfortunately he is willing to
accept. Perhaps no other public figure could make a more convincing
commercial for U.S. imperialism. But, more than anyone, Ali knows—or
should know—why he once again ought to refuse his support to another of
Washington’s wars.
Yet, despite what Muhammad Ali may say or do today, this film will
remind viewers of a time when he was truly “the greatest.”
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June 5, 2016 in Black Liberation, Arts & Culture. Tags: Malcolm X,
Muhammad Ali
Related posts
MOVIE REVIEW:’Ali’ is Good… but not the Greatest!
Malcolm X biography marred by political confusion
The Legacy of Malcolm X
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