Blu-ray Movie Reviews

In 1999, Sports Illustrated voted Muhammad Ali its “Sportsman of the Century.” Ali unquestionably deserves this honor, but it doesn’t begin to convey his importance. Political martyr, civil rights activist, religious zealot, and all-around hero, Ali was one of the 20th century’s greatest figures and, during the ’70s, the most recognizable person on earth. Ali has been the subject of countless films including the brilliant When We Were Kings, 1997 Oscar-winner for Best Documentary. Whereas Kings idealized Ali, I Am Ali humanizes him, showing him as father, friend, and husband, a portrait made possible by access to Ali’s audio journals. These tapes, together with rare archival footage and present-day reminiscences from Ali’s friends, peers, and family, form the foundation for director Clare Lewins’ intimate documentary.

No one will purchase I Am Ali as a showoff disc, and it’s hard to criticize the sound and image quality of old film clips; however, many of them seem to have been cleaned up for this documentary. As for the modern “testimonial” footage, cinematographer Stuart Luck presents a series of portraiture-quality frames, beautifully composed, although a persistent reddish saturation compromises fleshtones. Many interviewees are filmed in harsh, direct lighting, which sometimes imparts a stark, severe quality. Image detail is superb, as is evidenced in skin and clothing textures. Whites, blacks, and every shade in between are well rendered, as gray scale and contrast are gloriously reproduced. Shadow detail is uniformly excellent.

Audio is dominated by the low-fidelity vocals of ancient film clips and audio tapes, although great care has been given to optimizing detail and clarity. With both vintage and current footage, the dialogue channel is notably crisp and realistic. Simon Bass’ lovely soundtrack is convincingly reproduced by both front and rear channels, but there’s little evidence that the disc features DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1.

The Blu-ray includes five extras, though the first four are nothing more than a continuation of the film’s testimonials. Although these clips provide additional insight about Ali, they tell us nothing about the creation of the documentary: a major disappointment. I Am Ali is required viewing, not for sportos alone but for anyone who cares about The American Century. Hopefully, that’s all of us.

Blu-Ray
Studio: Universal, 2014
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Audio Format: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Length: 112 mins.
MPAA Rating: PG
Director: Clare Lewins
Starring: Muhammad Ali, Hana Ali, Maryum Ali