Muhammad Ali & Fighters: The Greatest

Starring:Muhammad Ali, Sonny Liston, Angelo Dundee, Jack Nilon, Chris Dundee, Finlay Campbell, James X, Malcolm X, Jersey Joe Walcott, Jimmy Braddock, Floyd Patterson, Norman Mailer, Stepin Fetchit, Sam X, George Foreman, Don King, Mobutu Sese Seko, Joe Frazier, John Daly, Paul McCartney
Director: William Klein
Studio: Delta
Product Type: DVD

Editorial Review:
Description
There is perhaps no one in the world whose face is better known than Muhammad Ali's. His legacy is unmatched in the world of sports. This program tells that story, from his ups and downs in and out of the ring, to his ultimate resurrection as a great humanitarian. No stone is left unturned in this, the definitive biography of one of the world's most enduring and endearing heroes.

Amazon.com essential video

Decades ago, documentary filmmaker Leon Gast attempted to complete a feature about the 1974 "Rumble in the Jungle" championship bout between boxers Muhammad Ali and George Foreman in Kinshasa, Zaire. Sundry complications, though, held up the project until its release in 1996. It was well worth the delay. From Gast's perspective of modern history, the six weeks Ali and Foreman were forced to spend waiting in Africa for their fight to take place now looks like an important moment in America's cultural understanding of African American roots. In a nutshell, Ali had been stripped of his heavyweight champion title because his opposition to the Vietnam War-era draft had landed him in prison. Reigning champ Foreman agreed to a Don King-promoted match in Kinshasa, but after all parties got there the fight was put off. Gast captures the charismatic Ali, in the ensuing days and weeks, going out among the people and getting to know them while the more reclusive Foreman keeps to his own company. Meanwhile, King brings over black American artists such as James Brown and the Spinners to mix it up with African musicians. The sense of excitement and connection is thrilling, as is the boxing footage of Foreman and Ali finally taking swings at one another in a titanic duel. Writers George Plimpton and Norman Mailer, each of whom was covering the fight as journalists, are on hand to recollect the details. Whether you're a fight fan or not, this is a unique experience and a fascinating insight into America's sense of identity. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

Great Kinetic Movie Making.......2007-04-24

Certainly one of the greatest sports movies of all time, and one of my favorites. I can't think of an athlete in public life who has brought me more pleasure than Muhammad Ali. This movie serves as a record of the man and his times, brilliant, funny, charismatic, and athletic.

Great Documentary about Ali's Fight with Foreman.......2007-04-08

I am a huge fan of Muhammad Ali. He had such confidence in himself (at least outwardly) that he taught me how to have confidence in myself. I have been inspired by his strong spirit.

You get a good snapshot of this in When We Were Kings. Ali is heavily favored to be knocked out by George Foreman, who enters this fight against Ali 40-0 with 37 knockouts.

But watch Ali draw strength from the African people in Zaire. Watch him as he focuses on both his training and in the PR for the fight. Watch him mix it up with James Brown in a concert in the days leading up to the fight. Soak in all the eyewitness commentary of Budd Schulberg and George Plimpton and others who were in Zaire.

This is a well made period piece, capturing Ali in the days prior to one of his best nights ever. Excellent!

Great Documentary.......2007-03-27

Great Documentary. It gave us a new perspective about Muhamadd Ali 's personality and all the details behind this fight. Definitely, a collector's item.

One of My Absolute Favorite Films.......2007-03-21

I was going to say that it was my favorite documentary, but it transcends the form and puts its shadow across any type of movie you could think of. "When We Were Kings" is as inspiring as it is educational; the fight between Foreman and Ali will show you a philosophy so profound and so sharp it'll feel as if a glove is making contact with your cheek.
Absolutely stunning, recommended for all - never before has being "up against the ropes" had such awesome effects on my thinking.

El amor propio y la grandeza.......2007-03-08

Este es un clásico. No es acerca de boxeo, aunque puede disfrutarse algunos intercambios. Es acerca del valor, del quererse a sí mismo. De buscar con audacia el propio camino. A diferencia de las especificaciones técnicas del DVD, tiene SUBTITULOS EN ESPAÑOL. Pienso usarlo en mis clases de administración para ejecutivos de empresas. Un ejemplo, extremo y NECESARIO. EMOCIONANTE ¡¡¡¡¡¡

Average customer rating:

Excellent Introduction to Muhammad Ali!
I AGREE WITH A VIEWER!
This is the DVD to buy
Memories of the golden era of heavyweight boxing
Great DVD value for all fight fans

Muhammad Ali - The Greatest Collection
Starring: Muhammad Ali , George Foreman , and Joe Frazier
Manufacturer: Hbo Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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45 Fantastic Fights of the Century
When We Were Kings
The Superfight - Marciano vs. Ali
Champions Forever: World Heavyweight Champs!
Muhammad Ali - Through the Eyes of the World

ASIN: B00005RY9R
Release Date: 2001-10-30

Amazon.com

Before Muhammad Ali, plenty of African American heavyweights boxed, but few did for the game (or for blacks) what Ali did. Ali was bold, outrageous, and controversial. His antics outside of the ring showed an often-hilarious flair for self-promotion, and his conversion to Islam and decision to avoid the Vietnam War only fueled the storm of controversy that surrounded him. The thing about Ali, though, was that he was good enough to get by with it; after all, it's hard to argue with success. In the ring, he showed a sheer prowess and technique that few before or since could approach (the bonus CD-ROM discusses the similarities and contrasts between Ali and the great Joe Louis). Outside the ring, Ali had a sharp mind, good looks, and the strength of his own convictions going for him. This DVD contains footage of Ali's 1964 fight in which he slaughtered Sonny Liston, the 1974 bout where his technique got the better of George Foreman and his fearsome punching power, and the brutal 1975 fight against Joe Frazier (all fights are shown in their entirety). There have been few heavyweight boxers who can compare favorably to Muhammad Ali, and this DVD should be in the collection of all those who consider themselves fans of the sport. --Jerry Renshaw

Customer Reviews:

Excellent Introduction to Muhammad Ali!.......2006-12-14

This is a great bargain! You get three of Muhammad Ali's most justly celebrated fights (Ali-Liston I, Ali-Foreman, and Ali-Frazier III), plus one hour long documentary of Ali on one DVD.

You see Cassius Clay/Ali's huge heart in surviving Liston's furious fifth round assault, then coming back to whitewash Sonny in round six. You also see Ali's resiliency and toughness in outlasting and outfighting the heavily favored George Foreman.

Finally, you see Ali against Joe Frazier in the Thrilla in Manila with Don Dunphy and Ken Norton calling the fight.

The Ali documentary was filmed in the early 1980's, so you don't get the revisionist history and reflection associated with the longer lapse of time.

This Ali DVD must be the greatest. Highly recommended.

I AGREE WITH A VIEWER!.......2006-03-18

I don't understand why they don't release the career's of (boxing bigist names Ali included). There are websites on the Internet that claim to sell career sets for just about every fighter you can think of. The Problem is that what they are offering are burned (Homemade) DVD'S. These sites claim that the DVDS are high quality but, these DVDS freeze and the audio doesn't go along with the picture. There are TV ads in them LOL. That is Anti-piracey (sp) and it is highly illgal. Last but notleast they charge too much. Like I said I don't see why the studio's can't produce sets legally like they do EVERYTHING ELSE. They produce wreasliing, Baseball, Baseketball and Football DVDS. They release all these sports programs on DVD but Boxing gets overlooked. I DONT'T GET IT!!!

This is the DVD to buy.......2004-07-06

"Muhammad Ali, the greatest collection"

THIS IS THE DVD TO BUY

This has lots of boxing.
The whole fight with original microphone.
a) 1964 Clay vs Liston [THE WHOLE FIGHT]
b) 1974 Ali vs Foreman "Rumble in the Jungle" [THE WHOLE FIGHT]
c) 1975 Ali vs Frazier "Thilla in Manila" [THE WHOLE FIGHT]

Just highlights of some fights: [JUST THE HIGHLIGHTS]
a) 1960 Olympics Z. Pietrzykowski of Poland
b) 1960 Turnney Hunsinger
c) 1962 Archie Moore
d) 1964 Sonny Liston
e) 1965 Sonny Liston rematch
f) 1966 Cleveland Williams
g) 1967 Zorra Folley
h) trouble with the draft board
i) 1970 Occar Bonavena
j) 1971 Joe Frazier
k) 1973 Ken Norton
l) 1973 Ken Norton rematch
m) 1974 Joe Frazier rematch
n) 1974 George Foreman [Rumble in the Jungle]
o) 1975 Joe Frazier [Thrilla in Manilla]
p) 1978 Leon Spinks
q) 1978 Leon Spinks rematch
r) 1980 Larry Holmes

Memories of the golden era of heavyweight boxing.......2004-02-23

A truly tremendous compilation of Muhammad Ali's best fights. You will get the entire fights along with walk-ins, as well as pre- and after fight hoopla. The best thing is that the fights are shown with the original broadcasting commentary, so the excitement really makes you feel like actually being there back in the seventies. The only drawback of this DVD is the 60 min HBO documentary focusing on the entire career of Ali, where they show only short fight flicks with mixed over studio sounds and studio commentary. In my opinion, the overall quality of the DVD would have been better without the documentary. Sometimes, less is more!

Great DVD value for all fight fans.......2003-08-07

Considering you're getting three full fights, PLUS a one hour biography, PLUS a reference CD-ROM, this is a great value. Perfect for all boxing fans, casual or serious. The "Rumble in the Jungle" fight happens to be my fave.

Average customer rating:

THIS IS ROCKY'S LAST GIG ON WHAT NOW APPEARS TO BE HIS FINAL MOMENTS ON FILM.
A Fun DVD
Rocky lives again
Great Fight of a Hypothetical Century
Fight Fan's Dream!

The Superfight - Marciano vs. Ali
Starring: Rocky Marciano , and Muhammad Ali
Manufacturer: Mackinac Media
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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45 Fantastic Fights of the Century
Rocky Marciano - A Life Story
Rocky Marciano
Champions Forever: World Heavyweight Champs!
Muhammad Ali - The Greatest Collection

ASIN: B000A7DVO0
Release Date: 2005-12-26

Description

In the late 1960's, a Miami boxing promoter, who had a successful radio series of fantasy boxing bouts between champs of years past, fed their statistics into a computer, which predicted a "winner." Based on the popularity of these fights, he convinced a retired Rocky Marciano and a suspended Muhammad Ali to meet in the ring for filmed fight based on the computer results. On January 20, 1970, The "Fight of the Century - Ali vs. Marciano" was show one time in 1500 theatres across the United States and Europe and once in the early 70's on ABC's Wide World of Sports. All prints of the fight were destroyed, except for one given to the US Copyright office. The SuperFight has not been seen since. Marciano retired as the only undefeated Heavyweight champion. Ali, was 27 and undefeated. Both champs were motivated to find out who was the greatest heavyweight champion of all time.

Customer Reviews:

THIS IS ROCKY'S LAST GIG ON WHAT NOW APPEARS TO BE HIS FINAL MOMENTS ON FILM........2007-06-20

I will be writing a review on the legendary historic computerized sports event entitled "THE SUPERFIGHT, MARCIANO VS. ALI starring two of the greatest Heavyweight Champions the world over. I give you the only UNDEFEATED Heavyweight Champion of the world with 49 wins, no losses who hails from Brockton, Massachusetts, THE BROCKTON BLOCKBUSTER, ROCKY MARCIANO. I also give you another great Heavyweight Champion of the world with 29 wins, no losses (In 1969) from Louisville, Kentucky, MUHAMMAD ALI. "THE SUPERFIGHT" film was originally shown ONCE in 1500 packed theatres on 20 January 1970 and once again on ABC's Wide World of Sports also in 1970. According to the attached colored booklet, following the showing of "THE SUPERFIGHT" on ABC's Wide World of Sports in 1970, all of the original prints of the fight were destroyed except for one given to the Library of Congress. THE FIGHT HAS NOT BEEN SEEN SINCE, UNTIL NOW. After all of these years, this legendary historic "SUPERFIGHT" also originally dubbed "THE FIGHT OF THE CENTURY" would see its first and only premiere on DVD released in 2005 by Mackinac Media. As always, if I hear any new additional information concerning this legendary historic fight or the fighters, I will edit this review immediately so that you the consumer will get the overall best informative and most accurate review possible.

"THE SUPERFIGHT, MARCIANO VS. ALI" is the very first computerized fight of its kind to ever gain so much worldwide attention despite the fact that the two real life fighters would actually be pulling the punches as a result of their re-enactment of their computerized fight that was conducted by a Miami Boxing promoter who would also produce and direct the film, Murry Woroner. The fate of the fight would be left up to a computer to decide. The computer would choose the winner. But before I go any further, let me take you back to the beginning which would lead us up to 20 January 1970.

According to the attached colored booklet, this whole computerized boxing technology series actually began when Murry Woroner, a Miami Boxing promoter, conducted a radio series of fantasy boxing bouts and called it "THE BEST OF THE ALL-TIME HEAVYWEIGHT TOURNAMENT." Woroner would pit up and stack great Heavyweight Champions from different era's against each other such as John L. Sullivan vs. Jim "Cinderella Man" Braddock. But how did Woroner do this process in 1969? A then state-of-the-art computer fed statistics about the fighters. A revolutionary new software program allowed the computer to predict the outcome on what would have happened had the fighters met at the peak of their careers. With all of the great legendary Heavyweight Champions of years past stacked up against each other, the computer determined Rocky Marciano to be the winner by beating Jack Dempsey, thus crowning Marciano overall champion of the undisputed all-time Heavyweight Tournament.

Meanwhile, legend has it that Muhammad Ali was extremely outraged in losing early in the all-time Heavyweight Tournament series which would result in Ali suing Woroner for defamation of character. The lawsuit would eventually be dropped and settled when Woroner would agree to have the computer decide a match between Muhammad Ali and the "All-Time Computer Champion" Rocky Marciano. Another agreement would be to convince the two undefeated champions to stage and simulate on film what the computer predicted.

The fight of the century was on and it was now time for the fighters to prepare in getting into physical as well as mental shape prior to fight night. Ali, at age 27 and at the prime of his ability, did not think that the aging former champion would pose any threats or problems for him.

Marciano, on the other hand, at age 46, was already 13 years into retirement from boxing. Marciano also realized that he was overweight and out-of-shape. In reality, Marciano missed fighting in the ring so much that he took this fight seriously and actually trained hard like he was preparing for a real fight. In truth, Marciano trained as hard or harder than any fighter preparing for a fight by running again, working out in the gym and eating right. The result was a near lean and mean Rocky Marciano who at age 46, had shed sixty pounds for the fight. By the time he climbed into the ring again, Rocky had gotten into decent shape. This goes to show you the devout love, passion and devotion that Marciano had for the sport and how he trained excessively like a true warrior and gladiator would resulting in fighting with a true boxers heart that would lead him to 49 victories and no losses.

In my opinion, Marciano's focus and training extremely hard prior to fight night would tell the whole story physically thus determining the outcome of the fight. Rather than tell you the whole fight in detail and spoil it for all of you, I would rather you buy this legendary historic fight on DVD and see the fight for yourselves. Doing this, you will be able to determine for yourselves WHO WAS THE GREATEST FIGHTER OF ALL-TIME?

Following the completion of the computerized fight, both Ali and Marciano would make an appearance on the popular "Merv Griffin Show." Sadly, Rocky Marciano would never live long enough to see the results of the computerized fight. A few weeks later, on 31 August 1969, Marciano would die in a tragic plane crash. The legendary computeried fight is now a tribute and part of Rocky's legacy. This legendary historic computerized fight now serves as the final moments of Rocky Marciano on film doing what he does best and doing what he loves, BOXING.

In closing, Rocky Marciano is irreplaceable in the sport of boxing. His perfect unblemished fight record of 49-0 and retiring as the only unbeaten Heavyweight Champion of the World still stands to this very day. There would be other great fighters that would pass through boxing history and become great Heavyweight Champions and emulate the Marciano gladiator and warrior approach. Great fighters such as Sonny Liston, George Foreman and Mike Tyson would follow in the footsteps of the Marciano legend and legacy and breath new life into the sport of boxing. Boxing will forever always remember Rocky Marciano and will never forget him. This legendary computerized fight is a true testament and a fine tribute to a great Heavyweight Champion who gave us another fight for one last time that would also give Rocky Marciano one last dream come true of finding the fountain of youth. Here's to you Rock. Thanks for reading my review and I truly hope that you have enjoyed reading it as much as I have truly enjoyed writing it for your reading pleasure. I also deeply hope that all of you will also read all of my other reviews in the near future when time permits. ROCKY MARCIANO FOREVER! R.I.P. Rocco Francis Marchegiano A.K.A. Rocky Marciano, Undefeated World Heavyweight Champion, Born 21 September 1923, Died 31 August 1969 at age 46.

A Fun DVD.......2007-03-04

John L. Sullivan would have KO'ed both these guys!! Just kidding. It's worth buying to see both the 'greatest' boxers together. What struck me was Ali's ability to act. He made it look real.

Rocky lives again.......2007-02-24

as a avid marciano fan, this is a film i've been waiting a long time to see. i convinced myself to suspend disbelief, before settling down to watch the fight. i did'nt need to bother. it seems only the head punches were pulled. The action was classic ali/marciano. whether you agree with the result or not, is not important. this is the last and only time you will see two of the greatest heavyweights of all time sharing the same ring. I thought they could have put some of rocky's less well known fights or even a mini biography, but there was'nt, so therefore, i give this dvd 4 stars.

Great Fight of a Hypothetical Century.......2007-01-03

I'm sorry to read all reviews that consider this a racist view of two of the greatest heavy weights that ever lived. I thing that it is something that we will always wonder about that if both of these boxers whould have ever fought when they were in there prime what the outcome would have been. The fight did demonstrate very well both styles of Marciano and Ali to the tee. In my opinion the only way Ali could have won this bout would be if he would had ran from Marciano most of the fight.

Fight Fan's Dream!.......2007-01-01

Hey, this is just pure fun and it's great that the biggest dream match in boxing history sort of happened. Watching these two greats swap punches, even pulled punches, is a thrilling experience.

My only criticism is the computer decision. As evidenced in Ali/Foreman and Ali/Frazier, Ali can take some devastating punches and still go the distance. I would argue that both Frazier and Foreman hit harder than Marciano as they weigh quite a bit more as well. Add into that Marciano's short reach, and you've got to give this to Ali by decision. Marciano had not fought anyone of Ali-in-his-prime's caliber--his two toughest foes, Walcott and Louis, were both way out of their primes and in their late 30's while Marciano was in his twenties--prime years for a fighter.

I guess I can't blame the computer, as at the time of filming, Ali hadn't fought those heavy hitters and you have to wonder what kind of data was fed into the computer. Nearly every boxing expert gives this to the Greatest.

If you'd like to see a more fnatastic version of this fight, go watch Rocky 2. It's obvious who Balboa and Creed were based on.

Muhammad Ali - Through the Eyes of the World

Average customer rating:

good dvd to get to know more of ali's life as a boxer!
The Thriller Boom in my Living Room
Comprehensive documentary on The Greatest
Loved it

Muhammad Ali - Through the Eyes of the World
Starring: James Earl Jones , Billy Crystal , Richard Harris , and Rod Steiger
Director: Phil Grabsky
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
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Binding: DVD

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Similar Items:

When We Were Kings
Muhammad Ali - The Whole Story
A.K.A. Cassius Clay
Muhammad Ali - The Greatest Collection
The Greatest

ASIN: B00005RIIX
Release Date: 2002-01-29

Product Description

Muhammad Ali Through the Eyes of the World presents an unparalleled, celebrity-filled tribute to one of the most extraordinary personalities ever to capture the public s imagination! Discover the powerfully moving story of how Ali s fight for glory in the ring transformed him into an international hero whose achievements resonate with millions around the world.

BONUS MATERIALS
Through the Eyes of the World
Unseen Interviews
Stills Gallery
Music Video
Fight Chronology
Ali Center Promo
Ali Featurette
Trailer

System Requirements:

Running Time 104 Min

Format: DVD MOVIE

Amazon.com

Muhammad Ali's grace, charisma, and remarkable bravado shine through in this affectionate look at his life and career. Muhammad Ali: Through the Eyes of the World takes a fairly straightforward documentary approach, chronicling Ali's life and career through film footage and interviews with journalists, loved ones, and a few bizarre commentators, like Scottish comedian Billy Connolly. The film does an excellent job of conveying both Ali's genuine importance as a historical figure and his incredible personal magnetism. Though the documentary doesn't shy away from his faults, Ali is simply impossible to dislike. Most importantly, the film's commentary and carefully selected fight footage make it clear even to those who don't follow the sport what a remarkable boxer Ali was. At one point, Lennox Lewis refers to the "sweet science" of not getting hit, and watching Ali dodge a barrage of punches, we understand exactly what he means. Muhammad Ali: Through the Eyes of the World doesn't pack quite the dramatic wallop of When We Were Kings, but it is a compelling look at one of history's greatest athletes. --Ali Davis

Customer Reviews:

good dvd to get to know more of ali's life as a boxer! .......2007-01-19

a bit disappointing...! Hoped to get more archive-information and images of all the fights which ultimately got him to the top and made him world-champion, again and again!

The Thriller Boom in my Living Room.......2003-12-31

What an outstanding DVD (4.75 stars) -

I was really skeptical at first because the price was so low and I just thought this was going to be one of those cheap and poorly put together Muhammad Ali pieces. I put it on my Holiday Wish List and I figured 10 bucks is pretty cheap for a family member and it's a DVD I want to check out...Maaaan did I get lucky!

Lots of great, fun and rare footage. Some great interviews and thoughts and memories from some pretty interesting people and a hilarious story from Billy Crystal in the Special Features section (the only good thing about that section otherwise it's pretty lame)

Great for any Muhammad Ali fan! - The price for this DVD is absolutely outstanding!

Comprehensive documentary on The Greatest.......2002-01-22

Muhammad Ali was recently named the "Sportsman of the Century" by Sports Illustrated magazine. "Muhammad Ali Through The Eyes of the World," which comes out on January 29th, tells the amazing story of this great athlete, political figure, and celebrity and you can easily see why Ali might have been chosen for this great honor. After all, he always knew he was "The Greatest" - something he claimed about himself from his earliest days of boxing.

"Muhammad Ali Through The Eyes of the World" is a documentary without a narrator. It basically is hundreds of short clips of interviews of everyone from childhood neighbors, former trainers, boxing opponents, friends, family, celebrities, etc. All of these are held together and made cohesive with clips from various sports and boxing historians. The number of voices making up the documentary, though, is really stunning! About the only one they didn't get a current interview from was Ali himself, but given that he suffers from Parkinson's disease now, that would probably have been fairly difficult.

As most people born before 1985 know, Ali was born Cassius Clay in Louisville, Kentucky. His start in boxing came from his bicycle being stolen. He told his father that he was going to "woop" whoever it was when he found out who had stolen his bike. His father asked if he knew how to fight and Ali said no, so his father took him to the local boxing ring and thus was born one of the greatest if not THE greatest boxer ever. What he did in the ring was revolutionary for a heavyweight, as he danced around with the agility of a Barishnikov ducking and bobbing and getting in a punch here and there till he finally bested his opponents either by out and out knockout or by TKO. At least this was the case in his early days. This documentary covers all of his fights, and although there was only an average of 10 or 15 seconds of footage of each fight (save for his fight with Spinx where there is only a still image), at least there was footage of each and lots of commentary about each fight from various people.

Ali was great not only for what he did in the ring, of course, but for his behavior in the public eye. He was a showboater and braggadocio, of course, but he backed this up and was a gracious looser the few times this happened. Nevertheless, more importantly he was outspoken about his own political and moral beliefs. Most people know that he converted to Islam and changed his name to Muhammad Ali, and subscribed to many of the stances of that organization, at least initially. But what many don't know is that Ali was outspoken even before this. For example after coming back from winning the gold metal for boxing in the 1960 Olympics, he through his metal into the Ohio River to protest the racism that was still blatantly prevalent in his home town.

The documentary does not shy away from the controversial aspects of some of what made Ali a complex individual, although it definitely puts his flaws in a positive light, as if to make excuses for them. For example, although a wonderfully supportive father, Ali had 4 wives, and apparently quite a few affairs on top of this. While he divorced one wife apparently because she did not want to cover herself in the way that the Nation of Islam would have proposed (as well wanting to dance, smoke, etc.), Ali was seen escorting new girlfriends on trips while still married. The only family members actually interviewed were one his former wives and one of his daughters. Both are very favorable towards Ali, and his daughter actually says she's glad he was so prolific with relationships or she and all her brothers and sisters would not be around.

The documentary is almost two hours long, so has quite a bit of great footage. Universal presents it in anamorphic widescreen (1.78:1), and transfer is wonderful - at least as far as the modern interview clips go. Of course earlier footage of fights, interviews, etc. from the '60's and 70's are flawed, but there's not much that could have been done about these. The audio is almost primarily dialogue and so the 5.1 Dolby Digital Soundtrack really doesn't get a chance to show off, but the dialogue is crisp and clean for what its worth. One would not expect to see extras on a documentary, but Universal has provided a decent array of bonus material, although each one is fairly small in length. I actually preferred this after watching the 114-minute documentary! Included is a music video, stills of the artwork of Leroy Nieman who did live work during Ali's fights, additional interview outtakes, and a very short "featurette" which could have been simply inserted into the documentary itself without seeming out of place. Also there is an Ali Center Promo: The Ali Center is being built in downtown Louisville and will promote learning and striving for excellence in all areas for youth based on Ali's own life experiences. Finally, there is "Through the Eyes of the World" which has short clips from the "man-on-the-street" but also some boxing professionals on what Ali means to them. I would have liked somewhat longer clips for these as they were only about 10-20 seconds each, but there are so many (10 countries are represented), that having clips that were much more than a couple of minutes per country would probably have gotten a bit tiresome, especially after the fairly long documentary. All these extras and the documentary itself make a really good value for even the list price..., let alone for discounted copies!

Overall, "Muhammad Ali Through The Eyes of the World" is a very comprehensive documentary. It tells a complete story of a great figure, both within sports and outside, from so many different perspectives, with so much old and newer footage, and with so many voices, that you can't help to come away from it feeling like you've really learned a great deal about Ali, and why he himself as well as so many other still consider him to be "The Greatest."

Loved it.......2001-12-07

This is the greatest Ali movie ever made. Period

Average customer rating:

True Propaganda.
Misleading, Inaccurate and Grossly Distorts the Truth
A refreshing look at a figure we hear many lies about
A unique perspective
Social Bully, Lamb Disguise

Fidel: The Untold Story
Starring: Fidel Castro , Alice Walker , Nelson Mandela , Ted Turner , and Elián González (II)
Director: Estela Bravo
Manufacturer: First Run Features
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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El Che - Investigating a Legend
American Experience: Fidel Castro
Cuban Story
CHE: Rise and Fall (Che Guevara: The Documentary)
Biography - Fidel Castro: El Comandante (A&E DVD Archives)

ASIN: B00009IAYC
Release Date: 2003-07-22

Customer Reviews:

True Propaganda. .......2007-03-25

This movie was somewhat astounding to me as, from the very beginning, it makes a point of depicting Fidel Castro in the kindest of lights. We see him as a man and a man alone which, frankly, is not an honest way to portray him. Certainly, humanizing him is appropriate as a human being is exactly what this mass murderer is, but to treat him as an underdog is to miss the real point of his reign--regardless of what Harry Belafonte might think. The increased poverty and suffering of the Cuban population that he produced is what should be remembered first and foremost. I refer viewers to Ron Radosh's memoirs if they'd like to know what its like in Cuba in the eyes of a disinterested third party or the other excellent works written about him like Against All Hope or Inside the Pirate's Den. In Cuba today, the arrests continue as does Castro's repulsive totalitarian regime. I do not wish death upon Mr. Castro, but hope Revolucion! ends as soon as possible.

Misleading, Inaccurate and Grossly Distorts the Truth.......2007-02-28

Being an American myself who has actually visited Cuba within the last year, I find the other reviews of this documentary to be completely misguided. Like them, I first saw this documentary and believed that Castro wasn't actually such a bad guy, but that the U.S. and Cuban exiles were biased and portrayed him as a monster. When I met several Cuban exiles who emotionally told me the stories of how they had their houses taken away by Castro and how their parents were tortured and placed in rat-infested prisons for simply expressing their support democracy, I thought these Cuban exiles were exaggerating. However, after I visited Cuba last year, I have to painfully admit that these people were correct in the stories they told me. I went to Cuba expecting to see racial equality, free healthcare and free education, as people like Ted Turner and Steven Spielberg had claimed existed in Cuba. What I learned from actually speaking to people in Cuba during my trip was a competely different picture from that portrayed of Castro in this documentary. Not to mention, I expected to see beautiful, exotic buildings. However, what I actually saw was building after building in Havana crumbling, with no electricity and on average, there were five to six families living in one two-story house. In one house I visited, the roof was partially torn off, one family of three lived under the staircase, two families lived in the kitchen, and three families lived upstairs, which consisted of two bedrooms and one closet. Very, very sad. Each day they had to wait in a line for two hours to just to get one ration of bread and rice. When I asked one of the mothers about the school system she explained that all children who attended were required to denounce any "counterrevolutionary activity" they saw at home to their teachers. As a result, many Cuban parents went to jail because one of their children notified authorities that their parents were "disagreeing" with the government some way. Imagine being placed in jail because U.S. law states your child must tell his third grade teacher he overheard you say "I disagree with the Iraq war and dislike President Bush" at your kitchen table. I also learned that when school children participate in a government march for the communist party they're given a coupon, which must be given to their teachers the following day to prove they participated. If they don't turn in their your coupon, the teacher will make a notation on a report card that each Cuban student carries from kindergarten until he graduates from high school. In addition to information about the student participation in all political activities, the report card also has information about his family including whether his parents belong to the Communist Party, a Committee for the Defense of the Revolution or the CTC or Confederation of Cuban Workers. In pre-Castro Cuba, the CTC used to represent Cuban workers and demand new benefits and better salaries for them. In Castro's Cuba, however, the CTC, exploits the workers, treating them as if they were slaves. The poor Cuban workers have to pay a fee to the CTC from their meager salaries in order to be "represented" by them. I was in such shock to learn these facts that I am now firmly convinced there is no such thing as a "free educational system" in Cuba.

As my conversations with Havana locals turned to the issue of free healthcare, praised by many ignorant Americans (myself having been one of them before this trip), I became even more distraught at the truth about healthcare in Cuba. The truth is that Castro has built excellent health facilities for the use of FOREIGNERS who pay hard currency for medical services. However, Cuban citizens are not even allowed to visit those facilities ! Cubans who require medical attention must go to other hospitals, that lack the most minimum requirements needed to take care of their patients. Most hospitals are filthy and patients have to bring their own towels, bed sheets, pillows, or they have to lay down on dirty bare mattresses stained with blood and other body fluids. Next time you hear someone say that Cubans receive "excellent free healthcare" (as I once used to say) please think again because that is simply not true. I spoke to five people whose family members died while attempting to "float" to Florida on dangerous, man-made rafts because they were so desperate to escape Fidel Castro's regime. Most people I spoke to were afraid to answer my question "Do you like Castro?" But their silence and weary down-turned eyes spoke volumes about the truth. Most people HATE Castro and think he is selfish, oppressive monster who has banked millions of dollars while the Cuban people starve and wait in line for rations of bread. I came back from my trip to Cuba a changed person. I felt so stupid and ignorant for having believed this documentary and other statements made by American actors and directors such as Sydney Pollack, Danny Glover, Steven Spielberg, Jack Nicholson and Kevin Costner, that portrayed Castro as "brilliant" and Cuba as having "excellent healthcare and education." If you watch this documentary you should also watch the movie "The Lost City." This movie is the story of a Cuban family during the Cuban Revolution and ACCURATELY shows you both pre-Castro and post-Castro Cuba. It depicts how Castro's government slowly began eliminating free press any semblance of property rights and freedom. The movie is fair because it portrays both points of view--one brother in the movie supports Castro and the other disagrees with Castro. The cab driver I had while I was in Havana told me that, being 75 years old, he had experienced both pre-Castro and post-Castro Cuba. When Castro took power he was poor and believed in socialism and the revolution. But now, 45 years later, he is no better off than he was before. At least before Castro, he told me, he had better healthcare, a better house and freedom to express his religious beliefs (Castro closed all churches and essentially banned religion) and political beliefs. Perhaps the saddest part of my trip, which still resonates in my head today, was how this old man just kept repeating over and over "I should have left in 1959. I should have known. I should have known. Now I am old and cannot leave. I'll never be free."

A refreshing look at a figure we hear many lies about.......2007-02-21

America never gets the real story- should be required viewing.

A unique perspective.......2006-08-11

What is so rewarding about this traditional-style documentary is the humanization of Castro, a figure made grotesque and often demonized in the United States by a very small minority of persons. Regardless of how you perceive "socialism", this documentary shows Castro from a relatively positive profile and therefore his and Cuba's history from a unique perspective. Americans will be surprised to discover that in many parts of the globe Castro is considered a great hero, whereas here he is portrayed as equal parts monster and tyrant. No mention is made of repressive measures or political prisoners however, an interesting omission, but given the fact that almost all reports and documentaries focus exclusively on his "repression" and the fate of political prisoners, it is somewhat understandable. Even the uneducated would benefit from seeing this documentary, and would probably think of Castro in a different light.

Social Bully, Lamb Disguise.......2006-05-24

If you are interested in the psychology of social bullies, a.k.a. dictators, do not miss this one.
The documentary will add some unseen footage of this minor character in the gallery of Stalin, Hitler, etc. Also you can exercise your brain pondering why people that seem to be normal and even intelligent in some cases, can have such a limited field vision as to laud this, and by extension any, dictator.
The director of the documentary, Estela Bravo, is a non Cuban filmmaker with strong leftist bias, that for many years has been the darling of the only governmental Cuban studios, and has been given access to material totally out of boundaries to the own Cuban filmmakers.
And that is the norm in The Island of Dr. Fidel: foreigners with propaganda potential get the white glove, nationals are sub-citizens in their own country.

Shame on you Fidel Castro. One only hopes that Estela on the side has been hiding some real relevant material to be shown after the dictator's "biological solution".

Champions Forever: World Heavyweight Champs!

Average customer rating:

World HW Champs
"Champions Forever" Documents the Best Five Boxers of the 60's and 70's - Tops!
Great documentary
A Very Uncomfortable Dinner But Great Fights
great overall

Champions Forever: World Heavyweight Champs!
Starring: Larry Holmes , Joe Frazier , Ken Norton , Muhammad Ali , and George Foreman
Director: Dimitri Logothetis
Manufacturer: Image Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B00004S899
Release Date: 2000-04-04

Description

Five champions together for the last time! Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier, George Foreman, Larry Holmes, Ken Norton. For more than twenty years, these kings of boxing ruled the ring as they passed the world heavyweight title from one to the other. Now, for the first time, see them all come face to face--gloves off--in an unprecedented video event, hosted by Reggie Jackson. In "Champions Forever," you'll discover the real men behind the legends, uncover the hidden anguish and secret passions that drove them to greatness. Hear them talk about themselves--and each other--with surprising candor. Relive the most thrilling moments from dozens of their greatest bouts and hear the fascinating truth about how these legends felt when they squared off to do battle. This is unlike any sports video you've ever seen, an exciting, emotional odyssey through the awesome careers of five bigger than life heroes who, for millions of us, will always be "Champions Forever."

Customer Reviews:

World HW Champs.......2007-05-08

Some surprising and candid comments especially by Foreman like the fact that his knees were shaking before the Frazier fight and how imposing Norton looked to him before blasting out both of them.

"Champions Forever" Documents the Best Five Boxers of the 60's and 70's - Tops! .......2005-08-18

"Champions Forever" may be the best boxing documentary of all time. Exquisitely done, it features the five greatest heavyweight boxers of the 1960's and 1970's. The story focuses primarily on M. Ali, beginning with his huge upset victory over the sullen and powerfully intimidating Sonny Liston, and then proceeds to document the rise of Joe Frazier, George Foreman, Kenny Norton, and finally Larry Holmes. While the story seems to revolve around the rise and eventual fall of M. Ali, the other four greats are featured in their biggest fights as well. There are interviews with all five men, and they bring timely commentary to their lives and fights that is both enlightening and informative.

In the heavyweight division, there was no greater period than that of the 60's, 70's, and 80's. These five fighters ruled the heavyweight division during this time, and their fights with each other are now considered classics nin fisticuffs. In watching the documentary, Foreman comes off as the most well-rounded of the five. He shows candor (admitting his knees were shaking when he met Frazier for the first time!), humility (praising the other fighters frequently), and a terrific sense of humor (he has a 1,000-watt smile). The bad blood that Frazier still carries for Ali is clearly evident in his interviews. Frazier believes that Ali verbally taunted and abused him unnecessarily in the build-up to their three intense fights. While Ali says he was only trying to build the gate and create excitement for the fight, (as he did for all his fights), Frazier took the verbal darts personally and it is obvious that Ali's words hurt the intense pride of Joe Frazier. In fact, Frazier is so torn on this that he actually expresses a macabre sense of satisfaction that his powerful punches may have caused Ali's Parkinson's Syndrome. Frazier comes across as a bitter and "small" man based on his comments about Ali. Ali's comments are painful to watch, as he is obviously suffering from the Parkinson's affliction and has little expression and haltering speech. Larry Holmes clearly suffers being in the shadow of the great Ali, and he is somewhat bitter like Frazier, not so much towards Ali, but towards boxing in general, as contemporary boxing did not recognize his greatness at the time. Kenny Norton was champion by default, being "awarded" the title by boxing associations when Ali first retired, and his inclusion is this group may be somewhat questionable. I do not mean to take anything away from Norton, as he gave Ali and Holmes fights that were wars. However, Norton was easily beat by Foreman, while he and Frazier never battled. (I suspect Frazier's powerful shots would have stopped Norton, who was not a KO specialist). Norton's inclusion in this group is clearly due to his three epic battles with the great Ali. Norton's awkward style gave Ali fits and Ali could not dominate Norton with his jab and speed as he did others. Boxing enthusiasts believe Norton won 2 of 3 of their fights, the last fight being "awarded" to the clearly aging Ali based mor on his legend than his ability.

While this is the best boxing film I have ever viewed, I would have loved to have seen two other boxers included, those being Sonny Liston and Mike Tyson. The inclusion of these two men would have summed up the years 1960 - 1990. Obviously, Liston was dead long before this film was made (1989), and Tyson was the current heavyweight champion in 1989. If the film is ever remade (doubtful), it would nice for the sake of completeness to have the life stories of both Tyson and Liston included.

If you were alive during the 70's and want to relive the excitment of that period of boxing, there is no better film to watch than this one. If you are a younger boxing fan and have heard about the great fighters of the 70's, this is the film to watch to learn about these greats. There is simply no better documentary of that period than this one.

HIGHLY recommended.

Jim "Konedog" Koenig, (Boxing Fan and Fight-Film Collector)

Great documentary.......2004-12-18

I don't know if this film had a theatrical release or not but if it did and it wasn't at least nominated by the Academy for Best Documentary of the Year as far as I'm concerned the makers of this film were robbed.

A Very Uncomfortable Dinner But Great Fights.......2004-06-01

A Very Uncomfortable Dinner But Great Fights

Great DVD - 4.25 Stars

This is difficult to review - some of the greatest scenes I've ever seen and some of the hardest scenes I've ever seen.

Here's what's hard- watching what's happened to Muhammad. It's just difficult and sad. He's still the Greatest and still likes to clown, but you just can't help but wonder why or what if...

What's also painful is watching the dinner with these great champions. It's good and bad, but mostly just really uncomfortable.

On to the good.

I've never seen so much great fight footage on one DVD.

You don't get entire fights, but get the highlights. It's absolutely amazing and worth getting the DVD (or VHS) for this only - everything else is gravy.

An absolute must have for any boxing fan.
A great item for any Ali fan - there's actually one moment where Ali talks about coming back and taking on Tyson - and I found myself excited and actually thinking how great that would be...and then waking up to the reality and silently laughing at myself.

If you're a George Foreman fan I think you'll want this as well. George comes across as not only a great champion, but a humble and incredible man as well.

great overall.......2003-11-24

This is basically the tale of the five - Ali, Frazier, Norton, Foreman, Holmes - dominant heavyweights during the 70's, generally regarded the golden age of the division. Of course, Ali and Frazier began their careers in the 60's, but it was in the 70's that all 5 of them occupied the galaxy at the same time and had to inevitably fight one another.

This DVD differs only slightly from the Laserdisc version, but it is the extra interview that makes the difference. It is interesting to hear at least three (or four) of the five wonder how they would have against Jack Johnson. Of course, Johnson was the first black heavyweight champion, but more than that, he was a mold breaker in terms of his defense and in his ability to fight the "mental" game. He knew how to stoke the public and press, literally he was ahead of his time, he was Ali before there was Ali. (And there are not a few computer simulated fights by magazines that would have Johnson beating Ali.)

In the interviews, we also share the sadness that Larry Holmes felt while he was champion, where most of the time he was considered an Ali clone and never really on his own merits. Then, before he even got his due, Mike Tyson eclipsed him. Larry Holmes may have been "technically the best" of the five, and in the interview, he illustrates this clearly; when they still sparred, not only can he block Ali's jab, but he can return it stiffer and sharper. They're about the same in size and reach, and it was not until he was 38 that Holmes was knocked out, so they may have been equal in the density of their chins. Although they're not exactly similar stylistically, Holmes had Ali's 1960's athleticism. Holmes edge? The jab, and the power in both hands overall is just a tad greater.

In the end, that is about my only complaint about this movie. It's that the four other fighters merely serve as a footnote to the great career of Ali. Even that segment where we see Joe Frazier in his brutal duel with Jerry Quarry and his victory over Jimmy Ellis, all we hear is the voice of Ali (while he toured the college circuit) asking students "Who's the champion of the world?!" It's too contrived and in my opinion, bad taste. Even the footages of the political events during the 1960's-early 70's were no doubt there to illustrate Ali's social consciousness and the sacrifice he made for his political position.

Ali was indeed a great fighter, definitely the greatest heavyweight, but his greatness was fulfilled by his duels with the fighters who shared the billing with him in the movie. An even presentation would have been welcome, after all, Ali does not need any help in the promotion department anymore.

Overall, this is a good DVD. However, as a boxing fan, you cannot help but wonder, after watching them in action, how the following matchups, which never happened, would have gone:

-Norton vs. Frazier (they were basically stablemates under Eddie Futch, which probably explains why they never met in a formal match)

-Foreman vs. Holmes anytime around 1974-78. This one, I would have paid to see.

Description

(Sports / Doc) While the wonderful words and intellect of Muhammad Ali helped make him the most powerful and influential sports figure in history, his boxing abilities provided the substance to support those words. This program features Ali's greatest and most important rounds, as selected by Muhammad himself. Hosted by Chuck D, all interviews are with Ali's opponents and/or eyewitnesses who attended the fights.

Customer Reviews:

The Bonus fights make this a Bargain!.......2007-06-07

"Ali's Dozen" highlights 12 significant rounds in the career of Muhammad Ali, from his Olympic Gold medal winning effort at the 1960 Olympics to his gutsy 15th round rally to win a close decision over Earnie Shavers in their 1977 battle at Madison Square Garden in New York.

But this 45 minute documentary also includes hours and hours of bonus features. It has the 1966 battle between Ali and Ernie Terrell in its entirety. It has all 15 rounds, the conversations between rounds, and post fight interviews. It is the closed circuit telecast, not one of those grainy Jim Jacobs films.

Moreover, you get Ali-Quarry I and Ali Williams in their entirety (courtesy of the aforementioned Jacobs and Cayton), plus highlights of Ali vs Zora Folley, his last fight before being exiled from boxing for 3 1/2 years.

You also get interviews with Angelo Dundee, Mort Sharnik, and Jerry Izenberg. A must have dvd for Ali fans!

Average customer rating:

A great Doc
Ali-Frazier I Buildup and Battle Misses a Punch

Ali - The Fighter
Starring: Muhammad Ali , George Foreman , Joe Frazier , and Burt Lancaster
Director: William Greaves , and Rick Baxter
Manufacturer: Anchor Bay
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B0007LPSIQ
Release Date: 2005-04-19

Description

The year is 1971, and former champ Muhammad Ali -stripped of his title for refusing to fight in the Vietnam War-has come to New York City to face unbeaten Joe Frazier for the undisputed heavyweight championship of the world. Award winning filmmaker William Greaves goes behind the scenes at what is still called "The Fight of the Century", including the training, the press conferences, the negotiations, the celebrities and the controversial 15 round battle itself. This is Ali at his funniest, prettiest, fiercest and fastest, in a still stunning look at the fighter know simply as The Greatest.

Customer Reviews:

A great Doc.......2007-03-21

This film really takes you to the time when this fight took place. The footage gathered is top-notch and you are able to see Ali's charisma first hand. The absolute best part of this video is the fight at the end. It was incredible to watch that fight without commentators. It seemed like you could hear every blow and also some of the trash talking going on with the fighters. In my opinion this documentary tops when we were kings and I love that movie. Although I am a Muhammad Ali fan, after hearing some of the blows Joe Frazier was landing makes one gain a whole new respect for him.

Ali-Frazier I Buildup and Battle Misses a Punch.......2007-01-04

This DVD should actually be titled something like Ali-Frazier I Prefight and Fight. The DVD is actually a movie that was first released in either 1971 or 1972 about the first fight between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier.

There's some great footage that captures the personalities of both Ali and Frazier. There is also some great training footage of each fighter. The tension of the prefight buildup is captured beautifully. The presentation ends with the actual fight.

So why am I giving this product just three stars?

Because the video quality is very poor.

The producer of this product did no editing to clean it up or digitize it. There are too many scenes where you can't clearly see the faces of the individuals. The visuals are somewhat distorted and the film appears very grainy.

If the producers ever decide to digitize this film, it would be a five, easily.

Average customer rating:

the REEL Ali
I thought I was renting a documentary
Chip Mcalister
Perfect for the hard-core Ali fan
More compelling than ALI with Will Smith

The Greatest
Starring: Muhammad Ali , Ernest Borgnine , Sally Bondi , Richard Gullage , and Arthur Adams
Director: Tom Gries , and Monte Hellman
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
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A.K.A. Cassius Clay
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Muhammad Ali: The Greatest

ASIN: B00005NKSJ
Release Date: 2001-12-11

Description

The incredible career of perhaps the greatest boxer of all time, Muhammad Ali, is dramatized in this exciting film starring Ali himself. Fresh from his gold medal victory at the Olympic Games, 18-year-old Cassius Clay is ready to seek the heavyweight championship. Under the masterful guidance of trainer Angelo Dundee (Ernest Borgnine). Clay snatches the title from Sonny Liston. Soon afterward, Clay converts to the Islam religion and changes his name to Muhammad Ali. When he is suddenly classified 1A by the Draft Board that earlier rejected him, Ali refuses the draft on religious grounds. His hard-won title is taken from him. Winning a three-and-a-half year long court battle. Ali returns to the ring for what have been some of the greatest fights of all time.

Customer Reviews:

the REEL Ali.......2006-07-28

After listening to the audio book Sound & Fury from Blackstone Audio, this bio pix of Ali is a wonderful self promotion.

This 1977 movie had a great cast of actors. Such names as James Earl Jones as Malcolm X, Lloyd Haynes as Herbert Mohamad, Ernest Borgnine as Dundee, John Marley as Ferdy, Roger Mosby as Sonny Liston in minor roles. There are also cameos from Robert Duval, Paul Winfield, Ben Johnson, and David Huddleston. All this creative talent playing against Ali. Ali isnt acting, he is being himself...but himself works.

They skip over his religious beliefs in this film to focus on his career.

Lets be honest, the film isnt a great film..its music is wonderful. The film is minor in scope and its major starred cast.

This movie is for real boxing fans who love films like Rocky, The champ and Digsstown, this is great to add to the DVD film library

Bennet Pomerantz, AUDIOWORLD

I thought I was renting a documentary.......2003-03-30

Expecting to see a documentary of the great man I was rather surprised when I realised this is in fact a film starring Ali himself detailing what he sees as the key points in his life.

As the three stars indicates this film is a mixed bag. Ali does a solid job of portraying himself and the ever brilliant Ernest Borgnine does a good job as Angelo Dundee. The storyline is somewhat disjointed and seeing an old Ali replaying his youthful antics is only a limited success.

There are points in the film where Ali is acting like a prize ..., whether he intentional meant to show this or whether he still didn't realise considering it was still only 1977 when this was made I am not sure.

Like the life of Muhammad Ali himself there are some areas of the film which age very well whilst others already seem rather embarressing and will only get worse as time goes on.

Ali's risking prison by refusing to be inducted into the military is a great example of a principled stand, something that will never be diminished.

However the three stages of Ali's interest in women is an example of the rather dated attitudes of the day. First we have Ali with the white hooker, thankfully saved ...by the calling of Malcolm X. The not so subtle message of this encounter equating white women as basically [easy] who are there to tempt the black man from the righteous path is racist nonsense. Ali is then saved by the perverted ideology of the Nation of Islam as spoken by Malcolm X (bizzarely played by James Earl Jones) and their "blue eyed devil" hate filled speaches. Next he moves to a transitional stage where he is with a black woman who is swiftly got rid of once she dares to dress provocatively and heaven forbid is willing to talk, even flirt with the devil white man. Finally Ali gets the perfect girl, your classic submissive and virginal young black muslim girl who needs her parents permission to go on a date.

The scenes where Ali encounters racism is no more or less convincing than the usual Hollywood stuff. Ali looks all noble whilst some small time actor is paid to stand there and call him "boy" and generally give him grief.

All in all this is probably only going to be enjoyed by the Ali fan. As someone who is a huge fan of the man despite recognising his many shortcomings I found it interesting. Someone with a limited knowledge would perhaps be better off with the modern day Wil Smith epic.

ps. I noticed they didnt include Ali getting pole-axed by 'enrys Hammer (Henry Cooper) in London. Where only the quick thinking of Angelo Dundee ripping Ali's glove and thus stopping the fight for five minutes and allowing Ali to recover prevented him from losing. ;)

Chip Mcalister.......2002-11-17

Chip was excellent in this movie and I know what happened to him. I ran into him in San Clamente, Ca and ate lunch with him. He seems to be doing very well. Good actor and good guy. 11/16/02

Perfect for the hard-core Ali fan.......2002-07-12

To sum it up, "The Greatest" is not a very well made movie. There are a few very taltented actors in it, but overall the movie lacks that certain special somthing that a movie needs to be good. Most of the scenes are dull, long and drawn out. And i don't believe that Muhammad Ali was the perfect choice to play Muhammad Ali, he really is not a good actor. But I did enjoy the movie, because I am a huge Muhammad Ali Fan. Many that ive heard have tried to compare this movie and the recently released "Ali" on DVD. But you can't really compare the two movies. "The Greatest", even though it's not a very good movie, its does portray what happened in Muhammad Ali's life very well. But the movie "Ali" does not portray his life, It just portray's Muhammad Ali himself, not his life. So I would say that this movie is a must for those who want to know more about Ali. Then after wards, rent or buy "Ali" to understand Ali's mind. when you do that, you'll have a great understanding of what kind of person, what kind of things he had to go through, and a much higher respect for "The Greatest."

More compelling than ALI with Will Smith.......2002-01-05

The day after I paid to see the film ALI, starring Will Smith, THE GREATEST, starring Muhammad Ali (playing himself), showed up on cable television. I had high hopes for ALI and low expectations for THE GREATEST.

The better picture? THE GREATEST. That's not saying much (if you saw ALI), but if nothing else THE GREATEST is worth a look for Muhammad Ali's charming performance. THE GREATEST offers several compelling scenes, even if they don't add up to a coherent film, all anchored by the ever-watchable Ali.

Amazon.com

This feature version of Rod Serling's memorable teleplay, theatrically released in 1962, was previously produced in 1956 for live television. The grim tale stars Anthony Quinn as a brain-damaged fighter suffering from too many years in the ring yet pushed into another and yet another punishing round by his corrupt manager (Jackie Gleason). Yearning for a life of his own, Quinn's burned-out hitter falls for a shy social worker (Julie Harris), while Gleason's small-timer tries fending off the pressures of truly bad guys who want the money he owes them. Directed by Ralph Nelson (who also made the TV version), this Requiem opens up into a powerful piece of social realism with the undercurrent of a cautionary fable. The characters are almost archetypal, the story never stops moving, the acting is superb (Mickey Rooney is very good as Quinn's reluctant trainer), and the ending is nightmarishly apt. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

Powerful movie........2007-01-10

I feel that this is one of the most powerful movies that Anthony Quinn has ever starred in.I recomend viewing it to everyone;also all the supporting cast is absolutely wonderful. I'm glad I bought this DVD.

Brutalization of innocence.......2006-09-18

"Requiem for a Heavyweight" is a number one contender for the best movie concerning the "sweet science" that I have ever seen, along with Scorsese's "Raging Bull". Trademark Rod Serling, this powerful little film (originally made for TV) is a remorseless and scathing indictment of a society that worships force while it flourishes and edges toward the top, then is quick to jeer when it falls to the inexorable canvas of nature.

Anthony Quinn gives a gut wrenching performance as the quirky, sensitive and slightly punch-drunk Mountain Rivera, an aging prizefighter who falls at the hands of a young Muhammad Ali (still Cassius Clay at the time this film was made) at the beginning of the film and suffers a detached retina. From the opening scene to the last, "Requiem" is determined to give the viewer a bitter taste of what it meant to be a boxer when mafia thugs controlled the sport and fighters were chewed up and spat out with all the grace and empathy of an ugly car accident. Here Quinn transcends even his portrayal as Zampano the Australian strongman in Fellini's "La Strada".

The forces that control Rivera's destiny are pitiless (his manager Maish, played by Jackie Gleason, is a self-divided man occasionally showing signs of real tenderness toward Rivera but ultimately interested in saving his own neck) and only one other man in this whole tragic story seems to understand his plight--a young Mickey Rooney, turning in an Oscar worthy performance as his trainer Army, a former fighter turned cut-man who despises Maish for his cruel manipulation of Mountain's almost childlike loyalty to him for his own purposes. Unfortunately, Army doesn't have much say in what happens and only has the guts to stand up to Maish in spurts, his resignation getting the better of him as he carts the old pug from employment agency to employment agency, trying to make him understand that the world is no longer his oyster and hasn't been for quite awhile.

Rivera's abrupt and somewhat unrealistic relationship with social worker Grace Miller played by Julie Harris ("The Haunting"), is possibly the only real spark of hope in Rivera's doomed life. I don't see where Mountain couldn't have become a camp counselor or something to that effect: he does not seem so incapacitated or punch-drunk that this would be an impossibility. Maish, with the mob breathing down his neck for the money he lost betting against his own fighter, makes sure that this doesn't happen, getting him drunk on the night of his appointment with yet another famous guest star of boxing lore, the huge Jack Dempsey.

Each scene of this film is an excruciating exercise in degradation, but somehow we feel compelled to watch. You almost hate Serling for getting us to identify so strongly with this tough but very innocent shell of a man, and then throwing him into a pressure cooker he is neither smart enough nor mature enough to even glimpse a way out of. That is real talent.

The ending is perhaps the strongest part of the film and is achingly honest. When faced with the decision to pursue his own dubious prospects in life or save his manager's skin--by extension sacrificing every value he has lived by his entire ugly, violent life--the decision is inevitable. An unforgettable, heart rending artistic accomplishment and more evidence that Serling could have been much more than the creator of that groundbreaking television series "The Twilight Zone".

requiem for a heavyweight.......2006-07-23

Rod Serling's screen play for one of the 3 greatest fight movies ever made.

See It For The Cameo Appearence By Young Cascius Clay.......2006-06-20

Requiem For A Heaveyweight, the feature-length movie was released in 1962. It was initially written for television three years earlier by none other than Rod Serling. It aired on Playhouse 90 in the Fall of 1958. That production starred Keenyn Wynn in the role of Mesch, the desperate and mercinary fight manager. His dad, legendary comic, Ed Wynn played Armie, Mountain Rivera's sympathetic handler. Jack Palance was cast in the lead role of the over-the-hill pugilist, Mountain Rivera. It was shot live and played to a national auidence, a daring event for actors in the primitive new media.

The casting of the movie release is considerablly more inspired. Jackie Gleason stars as Mesch, a man desperatly attempting to stay one step ahead of the bookies and willing to sell the soul of his washed-up fighter to save his own skin. Mickey Rooney turns in an oscar worthy supporting role as Armie, Mountain's handler, confidant and "brother's keeper". And in the lead role we have one of Hollywood's finest dramatic actors, the inimitable, Anthony Quinn. Julie Harris plays a supporting role, as the Social Worker trying to save Mountain from becomming the side show attraction, Mesch has in store for him.

Requiem is a fascinating look at the seemey underbelly of the world of prize fighting. Like the Bogart movie "The Harder They Fall" Requiem loosely resembles the story of former Heavey Weight Champion, Primo Carnarra. Canarra, a giant of a man from Italy who faced a seires of bum-of-the-month has-beens to climb to the heavey weight crown. Many of these bouts were perported to be fixed. Carnara it was said had a glass jaw. Fighters then were viewed largely as commodities, expendable and easily replaced. Both movies speak directly to the heart of the grim reality of the "sweet science", during one of boxing's darkest periods. The film still packs an enormous punch, (pardon the pun) and holds up remarkably well over the years. See it for the great story-telling by Sterling, the brilliant acting by Gleason, Quinn, Rooney and Julie Harris. And finally catch it for the marvelous cameo by a very young and irrasable Cascius Clay.

Would Be 5 Stars If The Film Was Complete!.......2006-04-05

I love this movie. Although I prefer the orginal TV version because the ending is more upbeat, this is still a powerful film that really does not get its due. Even on DVD. The picture is suberb, having been remastered. BUT this edited version of the film leaves out too much. With a run-time of only 86 mintues, you'd think the dim bulbs behind the DVD would want to "pad" the release with everything they could find. And the scenes they left out are anything but padding. Gleason's speech at the end completes his character. We see that he has been ripped apart by the last 17 years and what he was forced to do to Mountain to save his life. The scene is only 1 minute long. Would it really have been so difficult to include this?

In closing, this is a great, great movie. Rod Serling was the best tv writer of his time -- one of the great writers of all time -- and Requiem is one of his best. I recommend BOTH versions. If the DVD was a complete version of the film with some extras about the film, then it would get my highest recommendation! I was fortunate enough to get this second hand for only $4.99 and still feel let down by what is not included in the release.

The movie is worth watching. Make no mistake. If you've never seen it before, it will rip your guts out. But for long-time fans of the film, this DVD release just doesn't measure up. Great picture and sound. Great viewing experience. Incomplete movie. Here's hoping a future relase will correct the mistakes made on this one. The film deserves it.

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