What a thrill to see this close up and personal documentary featuring the wonderful people of Louisville and the hero Cassius was to both races when race was still a BIG issue. There are hysterical moments when in retrospect everyone is wrong about The Greatest and we also see the quiet gentle giant that was Sonny Liston. This gem focuses upon the people who profit as well as those who remained proud of the sport of boxing and plenty of up close and personal footage of ministers, sportswriters, gamblers, schoolchildren and the very many who objected to Clay's ( Ali ) acceptance of the Followers Of Islam. White people in particular were thrown aback when Ali changed his name and did so on the most public of stages and right before the Islam followers rejected all white people as racist in America. The lack of boxing or live fighting after the movie's beginning scenes is a bonus as one can enjoy the many renowned people in this cast and their commentaries can never be duplicated. This documentary is a breathing and moving celluloid of a more yet slightly less modern racially influenced American society and belongs in high school history, sociology and political science classes and museums throughout our country.
Review of Float Like a Butterfly, Sting Like a Bee
If you missed the 60s here's the black & white version of The Greatest Getting Independent
21 September 2009
Warning: Spoilers