Part of Music City Mondays.

In 1974, Leon Gast traveled to Africa to film ZAÏRE 74, a music festival planned to accompany an unprecedented sports spectacle: the Rumble in the Jungle, in which late-career underdog Muhammad Ali would contend with the younger powerhouse George Foreman for the boxing heavyweight championship title—“a fight between two blacks in a black nation, organized by blacks,” as a Kinshasa billboard put it. When the main event was delayed, extending Ali’s stay in Africa, Gast wound up amassing a treasure trove of footage, observing the wildly charismatic athlete training for one of the toughest bouts of his career while basking in his role as black America’s proud ambassador to postcolonial Africa. Two decades in the making, WHEN WE WERE KINGS features interviews with Norman Mailer and George Plimpton that illustrate the sensational impact of the fight, rounding out an Academy Award–winning portrait of Ali that captures his charm, grace, and defiance.  (Synopsis from the Criterion Collection)

“The excitement of the fight, the charisma of Ali, the bewitching stratagems of King, the stylish energy of the images: all of it combined to make many people see WHEN WE WERE KINGS as a celebration of black culture.” —Kelefa Sanneh, criterion.com

“Shows in amazing detail the process through which Ali stepped up to the challenge and succeeded against all expectations. Yet what really makes WHEN WE WERE KINGS sing is its attention to black pride.” —Matt Brunson, thefilmfrenzy.com

“It's almost as if Ali hammered something of himself into Foreman, who would go on to become every bit as affable as Ali…nobody ever looked as if he was having more fun than Ali does.” —Rita Kempley, Washington Post

The Belcourt Theatre does not provide advisories about subject matter or potential triggering content, as sensitivities vary from person to person.

Beyond the synopses, trailers and review links on our website, other sources of information about content and age-appropriateness for specific films can be found on Common Sense Media, IMDb and DoesTheDogDie.com as well as through general internet searches.