November 12, 2019
When We Were Kings
Greg Vellante READ TIME: 2 MIN.
Taking 22 years to edit and finance before it was finally released, Leon Gast's "When We Were Kings" is a phenomenal documentary about the famous "Rumble in the Jungle" heavyweight championship match between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman. Held in Zaire (now known as the Dominican Republic of the Congo) on October 30, 1974, the fight showcased Ali's iconic "rope-a-dope" technique, which exhausted Foreman's energy and resulted in a knockout by Ali in the eighth round. The entire match is a force of physical and emotional nature, especially considering the championship title was previously taken from Ali due to his refusal to be drafted into the United States Army during Vietnam.
There's so much more to "When We Were Kings," aside from the fight itself. Much of Gast's work focuses on the buildup to the match, with Ali discussing his beliefs regarding Africans and African-Americans. Gast also zeroes in on Ali's relationship with the people of Zaire, which could've made for an entire documentary on its own (especially when considering the problematic ethics of holding the fight in Zaire, as it was funded by the brutal dictatorship of Mobutu Sese Seko).
There's a wide array of familiar faces in the film, too, including Don King, James Brown, and B.B. King, as well as interviews with Norman Mailer, George Plimpton, Spike Lee, Thomas Hauser, and Malik Bowens. Interview subjects discuss Zaire, the fight itself and the legacy of Ali.
All in all, the documentary is utterly fascinating, and a worthy new addition to The Criterion Collection. The new, restored 4K digital transfer with 5.0 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack on the Blu-ray is stunning, and bonus features on the Criterion release include:
� "Soul Power" -- a 2008 documentary about the Za�re 74 music festival directed by Jeffrey Kusama-Hinte
� New interview with producer David Sonenberg
� Interview from 1997 with director Leon Gast
� Trailer
� An essay by critic Kelefa Sanneh
"When We Were Kings"
Blu-ray
$31.96
https://www.criterion.com/films/30086-when-we-were-kings
