His nickname was “The Greatest”: one of the most iconic boxers in history, Muhammad Ali is widely regarded for the exceptionalism he displayed in and out of the ring. He was one of the few professional athletes who truly defined the terms of his public reputation, thriving in the spotlight where he was often provocative and always entertaining.
Muhammad Ali, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 1981, does not speak anymore. But Claire Lewins, the director of “I Am Ali", does an excellent job of telling his story through the voices of others and even through his own. The documentary makes use of tape recordings—“audio journals,” he dubs them—in which Muhammad Ali talks lovingly to his children and sheds new light on a familiar story.
The film brings the audience through various stages of Ali’s life, from his childhood and beginnings in boxing to his Olympic gold and the iconic match with Sonny Liston. It leads us through his success in the ring and his troubles outside of it: his conversion to Islam, his change of name, his exile after refusing the draft. It even touches upon his life after boxing.
Ali’s brother, one of his ex–wives, his business manager, his trainer and his children add to the narrative of the film. They offer a portrayal that is far from objective—Ali is undeniably mythologized, with controversial subjects skipped over. It is easy, however, to get lost in the thrill of the film, the crystallized moments of perfection when Ali knocks his opponents down. We know what comes after, for Ali and for boxing, but we are too caught up to care. In the end, “I Am Ali” is a vivid, engaging portrayal of a brilliant man and his story, which despite its repetition, still deserves to be told again.
