When We Were Kings
I was five years of age when heavyweights Muhammad Ali and George Forman had their legendary match in Zaire. I remember hearing about it a few years after the fact, when I saw the fighter in his twilight, up against Leon Spinks and Larry Holmes. Times were far better for the man also known as Cassius Clay in 1974, when the "Rumble in the Jungle" was broadcast to one billion viewers worldwide. But Ali was the underdog. Forman, much unlike his more recent image, was an aloof, menacing presence who hit harder than anyone. He did not ingratiate himself with the natives in Africa, while Ali had them chanting in the streets with approval. Director Leon Gast spent over twenty years piecing together 1996's WHEN WE WERE KINGS, and persistence certainly paid off. The wealth of archival footage elucidates what a monumental event this fight was. Of course it was far more than just a matchup. It was a cultural juggernaut, tainted with...
