When We Were Kings (1996, USA)

Director

Leon Gast

Cast

Screenplay

Format

Colour and black and white

Language

English

Running time

86 minutes

Classification

PG

Distributor

Polygram

Genre

Sports documentary

Setting

Zaire in 1974

Main characters

Mohammed Ali, George Forman, Norman Mailer, George Plimpton

Narrative focus

Mohammed Ali as he prepares for the fight

Synopsis

The film describes the preparations for a huge sporting event in Zaire where Mohammed Ali and George Forman met each another in the boxing ring. A massive media machine surrounded the event and even the nation's dictator, Mobutu, became involved in the event. We are shown Ali and Forman training for the fight and the organisation involved in staging the concert prior to the fight which is then delayed by six weeks. One of the key elements of the film is giving some sense of the following that Ali experienced amongst Africans. The film inter-cuts this footage with interviews that look back to the event and assess its significance in terms of sport, politics and race.

Background

It took 23 years for the director to bring When We Were Kings to the screen. Upon its release it won the Oscar for Best Feature Documentary and was also awarded many other honours. Norman Mailer wrote a book about the match, entitled The Big Fight.

Commentary

The opening twelve-minute sequence of the film combines a huge range of information and effect. It synthesises the political, historical and media-related elements of the film and as the film progresses, through Ali's charismatic personality these political, cultural and historical themes of the film are developed. Music from the concert overlays images of Belgian Congo news footage showing Colonel Mobutu and archive footage of the American South, making connections between racism and tyranny. This sequence draws together music, archive footage and commentary, inter-cutting these elements to suggest the conflict and contradiction surrounding an American cultural event taking place in an African country ruled by a dictator. Spike Lee's opening comment about how Hollywood and TV have taught people to hate the black man reflects that a major theme of this film is about racial prejudice.

The film is a documentary about a major sporting event from almost thirty years ago, but it adopts a dramatic narrative for the fight. Norman Mailer's recollection of the fight is used as voice over. The sense of drama with Ali as the hero is intensified by the use of music rising up as Ali fights back.

Also recommended

Ali (US, 2001, Michael Mann), starring Will Smith as Ali, is a dramatisation of elements of the great boxer's life, including his fight against prejudice and his anti-war stance.

Fighters (UK 1991, Ron Peck), available from bfi Video

Teaching suggestions (Key Stage 3, age 11-14)

Citizenship focus

• The world as a global community and the political, economic and social implications
• Diversity of national, regional, religious and ethnic identity in UK
• The work of community-based national and international voluntary groups
• Significance of the media.

Subject links

Geography: contrasting environments: USA and Africa

History: the struggle for Civil Rights by Black people in the USA

Freeze frame

Watch the scene where Ali is training at the roadside, and pause the film when he punches the camera.

• How does this shot draw attention to the camera crew?
• How is this scene different from when Ali is formally interviewed by the documentary makers?
• Is either a'truthful' representation of Ali?

Spot the shots

Watch the rock concert sequence which cross-cuts between James Brown dancing on stage and the African children stomping their feet as they dance outside.

• What meanings does this suggest to you?
• What are the positive implications of the world as a global community and what are the possible negative implications of juxtaposing these images?

Top and tail

Watch the opening and closing sequences.

• What black and white archive footage has been used and why?
• Identify as many of the different historical figures that you can.
• What are the lyrics of the song that is played alongside these images?
• How does this effect your understanding of the images?
• What message do you think the filmmakers want to get across?

Discussion

The following questions can be used as a starting point to focus discussion before generalising the issues that the film raises.

• What was radical about Ali's journey to Zaire?
• What is significant about the link between America and Africa?
• Why is the film called'When We Were Kings'?
• Why was Ali a hero for the African people?
• How was skin complexion used as a way of identifying with Africa?
• How did Foreman's arrival with Alsation dogs effect his image?
• How did Ali's refusal to join the Vietnam War link with his anti-racist image?
• Mobutu was derided by Western powers and white liberals as a brutal dictator. Why would black Americans be prepared to stage such a major event in this country?

The film started off as a documentary about the rock concert but ended up a film about Muhammed Ali.

• Why do you think this happened?
• How does Ali use the media as a political tool?

As a 20th century art form, film has often been used by public figures and politicians to'spread the word'. The Suffragettes were one of the first political movements to use film as a campaigning tool. Muhammed Ali uses his position as an international sports figure to get across a political message in this documentary. What is this message and how does he manage to get it across?

Practical production work

• Ask students to work in pairs and imagine that they are campaigning to raise awareness about a particular issue within the school or the local community. How would they use film to help them?
• Students could read Martin Luther King's'I have a dream' speech, to provide a model for a political speech, before writing their own based on the following questions:
  • What do you think needs changing about the school or society?
  • What would you want to change about people's attitudes to education and careers?
  • What kind of message would you want to get across?

    Students could video the speeches and edit them, intercutting them with images that illustrate the main points.