Five great boxing movies

Feature by Tom Grieve | 15 Feb 2017

Inspired by the release of trio of Johnny Harris' powerful and unflinching boxing film Jawbone, we consider the best boxing movies cinema has to offer

There’s arguably no sport that lends itself better to cinema than boxing. In addition to the cinematographically thrilling in-ring action, there is the endless drama built into the narratives of individual fighters, where broader issues of race and class mix intoxicatingly with personal glories and bitter disappointments. The release of new boxing movie Jawbone, written by and starring Johnny Harris, makes for the perfect excuse to look at some of the great on-screen depictions of the sweet science.

Gentleman Jim (1942)

Dir. Raoul Walsh

Relentlessly entertaining, Raoul Walsh’s 1942 cracker features controversial lothario and adventurer Errol Flynn as a young Irish brawler who goes from fighting his brothers in the back yard to fighting for the heavyweight championship in this story of the early days of boxing. A self-professed real life brawler who claimed to have accidentally killed somebody in a fight in his native Australia, Flynn is superb as a quick talking, heavyweight pretty boy here. If you need further endorsement: Gentleman Jim is reportedly Mike Tyson's favourite boxing film.

Fat City (1972)

Dir. John Huston

A young Jeff Bridges stars here as an up-and-comer befriended by Stacy Keach’s over-the-hill former contender in this tale of fighters at the far edge of their sport. Fat City throws cold water on the typical Hollywood narrative of the plucky underdog who rises from rags to riches. There's nothing wrong with a bit of fantasy, but John Huston's lean, existential film walks a different path: preferring to watch its characters fade away rather than go out in a blaze of glory as it emphasises the wrecked and exploited bodies of those who don't make that one-in-a-million shot.

Rocky (1976)

Dir. John G. Avildsen

The original Rocky just about edges Ryan Coogler's Creed in the punch-up to make this list. With a script by its star, Sylvester Stallone, Rocky remains one of the most brutally effective sports movies ever made, with its rousing soundtrack and build-up-to-the-big-fight structure. It'd be generous to list John G. Avildsen’s film amongst the trailblazing masterpieces of 70s New Hollywood, but it does contain enough of their grimy charm to surprise viewers more familiar with the bombast of later franchise instalments.

When We Were Kings (1996)

Dir. Leon Gast

The only documentary on this list, but When We Were Kings boasts a subject with more charisma than 99% of movie stars. Charting the build-up to Muhammad Ali’s 1974 “Rumble in the Jungle” bout with George Foreman, Leon Gast's doc casts a wide net, capturing the political, ideological and cultural implications of one of boxing’s most famous fights. It’s an eye opening film that serves as a potent reminder that sport – and the myriad miniature dramas that surround it – is an incredibly useful barometer of a culture in a particular time or place.

Ali (2001)

Dir. Michael Mann

Whether it’s the bank robbers in Heat and Thief, the cops in Manhunter and Miami Vice or the journalists in The Insider, American master Michael Mann has always thrived on stories of single-minded individuals with professional codes of honour. He finds an ideal subject in Muhammad Ali's dedicated, politically engaged world champion. Here the director captures boxing’s sweat, grime and glories with wonderfully textured imagery, whilst simultaneously managing to coax a career-best dramatic performance out of Will Smith while he's at it.


Jawbone is released by Vertigo

Follow Tom Grieve on Twitter at @thomasgrieve