Muhammad Ali: Through the Eyes of the World

UPC: 025192165825

Studio: Universal Studios

MPAA Rating: NR   Contains:null

Summary: Muhammad Ali has been called the greatest athlete of his century, but he was much more than a great boxer; he was one of the most compelling figures of his time, a leader in the civil rights movement, a fiercely principled man who nearly traded in his career rather than violate his religious beliefs, and a figure of remarkable charm and charisma in a sport hardly known for producing articulate men. Muhammad Ali: Through the Eyes of the World is a feature-length documentary which uses vintage films clips and interviews with his friends, family, and admirers to tell the full story of Ali's life and career. Celebrity interviews include James Earl Jones, Billy Crystal, Rod Steiger, and Billy Connolly. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Category: Sports & Recreati

Features: "Through the Eyes of the World"
Unseen interviews
Stills gallery
Music video
Fight chronology
Ali featurette
Trailer
Ali center promo

Muhammad Ali: Through the Eyes of the World

Format: DVD

Release Date: 01/29/2002

Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1 Alternate Wide Screen

Audio: DD5.1 Dolby Digital 5.1

Runtime: 104 Minutes

Sides: 1

Number of Discs: 1

Language(s) English

Subtitles: English,Spanish,French

Region: USA & territories, Canada

Chapters: Side #1 --
0. Scene Selection
1. Chapter 1 [1:40]
2. Chapter 2 [5:26]
3. Chapter 3 [2:24]
4. Chapter 4 [3:17]
5. Chapter 5 [1:54]
6. Chapter 6 [3:12]
7. Chapter 7 [3:19]
8. Chapter 8 [3:16]
9. Chapter 9 [8:25]
10. Chapter 10 [2:43]
11. Chapter 11 [1:03]
12. Chapter 12 [1:41]
13. Chapter 13 [1:42]
14. Chapter 14 [1:53]
15. Chapter 15 [:32]
16. Chapter 16 [1:33]
17. Chapter 17 [1:12]
18. Chapter 18 [8:12]
19. Chapter 19 [6:30]
20. Chapter 20 [:27]
21. Chapter 21 [:12]
22. Chapter 22 [1:34]
23. Chapter 23 [3:48]
24. Chapter 24 [1:12]
25. Chapter 25 [1:13]
26. Chapter 26 [:34]
27. Chapter 27 [2:34]
28. Chapter 28 [3:07]
29. Chapter 29 [:36]
30. Chapter 30 [4:53]
31. Chapter 31 [2:35]
32. Chapter 32 [3:04]
33. Chapter 33 [:43]
34. Chapter 34 [8:05]
35. Chapter 35 [2:24]
36. Chapter 36 [5:43]
37. Chapter 37 [:39]
38. Chapter 38 [:16]

Tom Wiener

As a celebration of the career of Muhammad Ali and his impact on not only the world of sport but the world at large, this documentary can be termed a success. It contains many of the film clips familiar to anyone, even those with little interest in boxing, and adds testimony from dozens of people--Ali family members, journalists, entertainers, and ring foes-nearly all offering unstinting praise for the man chosen by Sports Illustrated as the top athlete of the twentieth century. It's revealing that there are so many show business figures here, from Billy Crystal to Billy Connolly, from Rod Steiger to Berry Gordy; Ali was as much a showman as a splendid fighter, and these men are paying homage to a fellow entertainer. In trying to expand Ali's role beyond that of a heavyweight fighter with amazing speed and agility, the filmmakers have pared down the number of interviewees from the boxing world. There is Angelo Dundee, Ali's longtime trainer, and there are quick glimpses of Ali foes Henry Cooper, Chuck Wepner, Jimmy Ellis, and George Foreman, but Joe Frazier's absence is noticeable (though perhaps understandable, since Frazier held a longtime grudge against Ali for his public statements preceding their third fight). Fighter Lenox Lewis does offer a pithy assessment of Ali's practice of "the sweet science" of being able to hit someone without getting hit yourself, a rarity in the heavyweight division, which favors a toe-to-toe, slug-it-out style. Although the film makes it clear how Ali affected people of color the world over--with testimony from Maya Angelou, James Earl Jones, and tennis super dad Richard Williams--it does also include the observation that Ali's post-boxing career as an ambassador of goodwill was largely symbolic, as he had no intrinsic interest in politics. Writer Mark Schram also offers a critique of Ali's earlier work as a Muslim, claiming he was simply a puppet of Elijah Muhammad and his minions. The film shows how Ali's declining health has made him a figure of dignity, not pity. His crowning public act, lighting the Olympic torch at the 1996 Atlanta Games, seems a fitting act for a man who transcended a sport with limited appeal. ~ Tom Wiener, Rovi

Cast and Crew: Phil Grabsky  Director 
Phil Grabsky  Producer 
Louise Murray  Producer 
Rick Thomas  Executive Producer 
Stuart Watts  Executive Producer 
Muhammad Ali  Actor