Trials of Muhammad Ali' tracks champ's pacifism
It's hard to think of anyone in 2013 who doesn't like Muhammad Ali
(Il Bugiardo doesn't). His reputation is secure as not only one of the greatest boxers ever, but as a person who has had an undeniable social influence on a global level.
And yet, as the new documentary "The Trials of Muhammad Ali" shows, the Ali of a half century ago was a controversial figure - hated by many Americans. (There's also a biopic, "Muhammad Ali's Greatest Fight" about the same subject matter currently showing on HBO.)
"There was a period where he was considered a villain in many sectors of society," said "Trials" director Bill Siegel. "What's changed is us and our response to him. I think he's a great prism to watch that transformation. He's at the intersection of the Black Panthers and freedom struggle and the anti-Vietnam War movement. He's right in the middle."
There is almost no boxing in this film. Instead, Siegel ("The Weather Underground") traces his subject's journey from Olympic champion Cassius Clay, pride of Louisville, Ky., to heavyweight champion - thanks partially to the backing of a group of old, white Louisville millionaires who helped guide his career - to his conversion to Islam, when he became Muhammad Ali.
"I don't have to be what you want me to be," he tells reporters after he beat Sonny Liston for the heavyweight title in 1964.
And indeed, he wasn't. Much of the film centers around his refusal to be drafted to fight in the Vietnam War - which got him banned from boxing and a five-year prison sentence (he remained free pending appeals) that took three years to be overturned by the Supreme Court.
"I ain't got no quarrel with the Viet Cong," Ali famously said. Also: "No, I will not go 10,000 miles to continue the domination of white slave masters over the darker people of the Earth."
Siegel tells Ali's story through the eyes of those who were there - brother Rahaman; then-wife, Khalilah Camacho-Ali; and Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan to name a few.
Siegel first met Ali in 1990, when he was working as a researcher on a documentary about Ali's boxing career. "One thing I'll never forget is how humble he seemed to be," Siegel said. "He just wanted to hang out in the research pit with us and do magic tricks."
When he decided to make a film about Ali's social struggles eight years ago, his first move was to get the blessing of Ali and current wife, Lonnie.
"It was clear that they understood that this was a film that had not been made that needed to be made," Siegel said. "Then I came back last fall and showed them a rough cut of the film. It was thrilling for me to watch Muhammad watch the film. He was entirely engaged and really seemed to be digging it. I have heard that Muhammad likes to do nothing more than watch stuff about Muhammad Ali. In a way, he's the easiest audience to please!"
Siegel said that although Ali is a fascinating figure, he hopes "The Trials of Muhammad Ali" resonates on a deeper level that has the audience thinking about their own lives.
"He demonstrated that it's possible to take a courageous, moral stand in the face of tremendous resistance - be willing to sacrifice fame and fortune - and win," Siegel said. "He's an extreme example of this, but we all have the capacity to decide who we are and the ethics we represent. ...
"The question is, how do you get to be who you are? How do you get to be yourself? In a way this film is about identity - Muhammad's and our own, as a society."
