A Documentary That Every Fighting Game Fan Should See - Wiggy's Blog

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A Documentary That Every Fighting Game Fan Should See Stuck

Posted on January 30, 2013 at 06:35 PM.

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While Ken Burns is known for his various works on war-time America and other pockets of U.S. history, one of his lesser-known but equally impressive works is Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson. It aired as a two-parter on PBS almost a decade ago, and it's available in various formats, including through Netflix. In fact, someone still has the whole thing on youtube (Part I is here, and Part II is here.)

If you have an appreciation for the sweet science, past or present, you owe it to yourself to see this documentary. In fact, I think fighting fans of any stripe (or anyone interested in a fascinating personality profile) would get something out of this story.

Besides the usual level of craft that is present in Ken Burns' work (awesome detail, interesting voice-overs for the characters, great sense of place), this piece resonates especially clear because the real Jack Johnson of 100 years ago is pulled through the keyhole, warts and all. This is a man who was truly self-aware and self-assured, and he projected an image of defiance and confidence that bucked the deep racial intolerance of the time.

Contrary to the era of Muhammad Ali, who dealt with racism but also a different form of "othering" due to the Vietnam War and his religious beliefs, Johnson was a man who was dealing with crowds of 25,000 white men who wanted to see him lose at all costs. There were those in crowds at his fights who would have been willing to kill him, and everyone knew it. Johnson was routinely denied title shots because the white champions of the time refused to fight a black man. He had to literally chase his would-be white opponents around the continent, winning fights and making his case.

His boxing style is also an interesting part of the piece, and it's fascinating to watch this ancient footage (crazy that they still have it) of a defensive fighter that would frustrate his opponents with selective counter-punching and tireless defensive boxing. He defied the side-to-side defense of the time by staying "in the train tracks," moving forward and backward, and not paying the price for it. One match is especially amusing, as he was sparring in an exhibition with a friend and training partner who decided to take some liberties and try and knock him down. The result of this "breaking of the script"? Well, you'll have to see for yourself.

Still, Jack was his own man. He openly frequented bars and travelled with prostitutes (mostly white), and he liked to drive fast cars and wear the fanciest clothes he could buy. This was a man who almost seemed to ignore the realities of the time and just lived his life to the fullest, whatever the cost to himself or those around him.

I can't recommend this documentary enough, and I hope you seek it out.

Comments

# 1 SHAKYR @ Jan 30

Yeah, this is a must have for casual and hardcore boxing fans. Jack Johnson was an interesting boxer.

# 2 phenom2311 @ Jan 30

Disregarding the era argument, Jack Johnson may have been the greatest boxer of all time. This documentary is outstanding.

# 3 tril @ Jan 31

good article. I actually watched this documentary a few years ago. Plus Wynton Marsalis delivers a classic soundtrack/score to this documentary. Jazz Lovers would also appreciate this.

# 4 Wiggy @ Jan 31

Quote:


	good article. I actually watched this documentary a few years ago. Plus Wynton Marsalis delivers a classic soundtrack/score to this documentary. Jazz Lovers would also appreciate this.

Yeah, I actually did watch it when it aired as well, but I thought that I should give people the heads up about, in case they hadn't heard of it.

Agreed, the jazz in it is fantastic.