arts & entertainment
long-lost Movie gives Insight Into Muhammad Ali
Documentary filmed in ‘73-’74 chronicles training for famed fight ‘rumble in the Jungle’
By kam williams
Special to
The Skanner News
I
n 1966, Muhammad Ali refused to
report to an Army induction center when
he was drafted to fight in Vietnam,
explaining: “I ain’t got no quarrel with them
Viet Cong. They ain’t never called me [N-
word].” At the time, he was undefeated and
the undisputed Heavyweight Champion of
the World.
However, Muhammad was soon arrested
and convicted of draft evasion, and subse-
quently stripped of his title and boxing
license. And he was unable to fight again
for over four years, until his conviction was
finally overturned by the U.S. Supreme
Court.
Muhammad’s arduous path to regaining
the heavyweight crown culminated with the
classic, 1974 fight in The Congo against
George Foreman forever remembered as
The Rumble in the Jungle. What makes
Muhammad Ali: The Long-Lost Movie so
fascinating is the fact that it was shot in
1973 and 1974 when he was close to com-
pleting his amazing comeback to champ
against what were considered the longest of
odds. After all, Foreman was then consid-
ered unbeatable, given how he had just
knocked Joe Frazier down six times in four
minutes in a two-round contest.
Directed by Anton Perich, the film was
shot entirely on location at Muhammad’s
mountaintop camp located in rustic
Deerlake, Pennsylvania.
The director was afforded free access to
shoot Ali in the gym where he is seen both
sparring in the ring and working out with
his legendary corner men Drew “Bundini”
Brown and Angelo Dundee.
More interesting are the tete-a-tetes with
Muhammad during downtime, when he is
heard musing about everything from his
faith to his training regimen to racism to the
Hurricane Carter case. He even confidently
predicts that he will prevail in the impend-
ing showdown in Zaire, asserting,
“Foreman don’t hit hard. He’s awkward. He
can’t go five rounds. It’s going to be a
shock to the world.”
However, he does concede that “There
ain’t but one thing can stop me from win-
ning the fight.” But you’ll have to see the
movie to find out his very surprising vul-
nerability.
Ever the philosopher, Ali reveals a very
deep side of himself during moments of
reflection. Here’s a sampling of his many
quips shared. “A man’s wealth is in his
knowledge, not in the bank.” “A worldly
loss often turns into a spiritual gain, and
vice-versa.” And “The lover of nature is the
true worshipper of God.”
Vintage intimate footage of The Greatest
on the verge of what would prove to be his
greatest moment in the ring.
Excellent (3.5 stars)
Unrated
Running time: 120 Minutes
Distributor: Anthology Film Archives
June 29, 2011 The Portland Skanner Page 7