Frazier vrs Ali

I've decided that if I could only have one film genre it would be documentary. Unlike the majority of studio pics, in which the bottom line is the most important factor in its production, often resulting in stodgy loose films, with poor scripts and acting more wooden than Ron Jeremy on one of his horny days, documentaries are usually manifestos of obsession and the truly extra ordinary.

No matter how affecting a studio film is, there is always the underlying truth that it is artifice. Documentaries on the other hand, are by there very nature rooted in reality and fact. Whilst it is true that prejudice and direction always skew Absolute Truth, therein lays the skill and art of the director, to produce a film which manages to hold a narrative and argument which engages and prompts the viewer to question there own perceptions, or emotionally pull in the viewer to feel what that situations reality really is or was.

Most studio film goers are pea brained morons, who for the most part erroneously think that Mel Gibson is hard and that Sly can speak English, and therefore studios produce films with no quality or as Mark Kermode puts it, we live in the age of "the death of narrative cinema". Documentaries on the other hand don't usually have that box office pull, so in order to get made have to usually come from obsession, or at the very minimum a truly engaging story. This makes for a more heart felt, honest and in my opinion seductive viewing experience. In short, documentaries are monuments to human genius, strength, loss, struggle, triumph, even just the plane ordinary and any other qualities that makes us the human race. An examination of the Human Condition.

All this is leading up to an incredible documentary that I watched yesterday. Titled Thriller in Manila, it was far more than just a movie about a fight. This was a movie about accepted perception of a living legend, about politics and about the nature of obsession and revenge. I cant give to much away as the film does itself have a narrative arc (unlike many documentaries). During the film I swung from sympathy for Joe Frazier and contempt for Mohammad Ali, to mutual respect for both, and culminating in pity. I strongly recommend that if you can, you should watch this film. The film was affecting to the degree that my next art work is in many ways based on the fight and rivalry. I watched another documentary later on last night called "Am I black enough for you?", and mention this because both films are set in Philadelphia. Another topic of discussion (why certain cities and times bring out certain qualities and movements?".

It also made me lament for our dearth of true boxing quality in the heavyweight division presently, and the cancellation of the Pacquiao Mayweather fight. Those years of 65-75 seemed to involve the Greatest Fight of all Time every few years or so. When was the last time a fight could claim to live up to that kind of billing?? Pacquiao Mayweather would have had the right to call itself a fight between the two best boxers this side of the millennium.

Anyway, I don't have time presently to go into detail of all the documentaries that Ive watched and been affected by, but here is a list of some of the best:

Touching the Void (obviously)

Capturing the Friedmans

Spellbound

Etre et Avoir - To Be and to Have (one of my personal favorites)

Gandhi (Hollywood its true but a Classic)

to name but a few.


http://www.film4.com/reviews/2008/thriller-in-manila