Joe Frazier: When the Smoke Clears

Filmmaker Mike Todd's Joe Frazier: When the Smoke Clears is a biographical portrait of the legendary heavyweight boxer and former champion, made shortly before Frazier died of cancer in late 2011. Todd follows Frazier to London, where the latter talks about his life and times, achievements and disappointments, sharing along the way his wisdom not only about boxing but also about community, relationships, and the perspective of time on one's view of what is important. While most of the documentary concerns the past—Frazier's childhood in racist South Carolina, his family's move to Philadelphia, a hardscrabble youth alleviated somewhat by his passion for fighting, his amazing career in the ring—all roads eventually lead to Joe Frazier's Gym, which is in a tough, impoverished, contemporary Philly neighborhood. Here, an ailing Frazier reflects on the gym as an institution and community anchor, giving young people a sense of accomplishment and direction. Frazier's son Marvis runs the gym, gives inspirational talks, visits (in his capacity as a minister) young men in prison, and holds up his father as an underappreciated catalyst for positive change. Other interviewees include old friends and family members, along with boxing greats Larry Holmes and George Foreman, and various journalists, managers, and trainers. Some of these witnesses also reflect on the complications of Frazier's legendary rivalry with Muhammad Ali, especially the unfortunate perception that Frazier was not only apolitical (in contrast to Ali), but even a tool of the white establishment. With all of that behind him, the late Frazier here just seems to be a good man trying to make the world a better place. Highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (T. Keogh)