Muhammad Ali, the Greatest
Directed by William Klein
Written by William Klein
1969/France
IMDb link
First viewing/YouTube
[box] I done wrestled with an alligator, I done tussled with a whale; Handcuffed lightning, thrown thunder in jail; Only last week, I murdered a rock, injured a stone, hospitalized a brick; I’m so mean I make medicine sick. – Muhammad Ali[/box]
[box] It’s not bragging if you can do it. – Dizzy Dean[/box]
The only time I watched boxing in my life was when Muhammad Ali fought. I just loved to watch him dance around the ring. So this was nostalgia and thus perfect for Lockdown.
The version that I watched spanned Ali’s career from his first heavyweight champion win against Sonny Liston in 1964 through the 1974 “Rumble in the Jungle” fight against George Foreman in Zaire. We see highlights of several fights and classic Ali mouthing off as no one before or since.
The Beatles visit Ali’s training camp in 1964
Given the 1974 footage, the release date for this seems odd. I can only assume that the color footage in Zaire was added later for a re-release. I’m glad it was included as this part is particularly fascinating. If you have any affection at all for Ali, this is a must-see. If you weren’t born while this was going on, find out what it was all about. Recommended.
