The Combat Sport: Boxing Yesterday And Today

Filmmaker William Rose draws on several sources both from history and from modern boxers, promoters, and journalists, to weave an illuminating tale of one of the oldest forms of athletic competition in the world: the sport of boxing. Beginning with the games in Greece, this documentary chronicles the war-torn history of a sport that has through the ages divided the public. Some see boxing as a natural outlet valve for man's native aggressive impulses, while others consider boxing to be barbarism, pure and simple. Running throughout the film is a story within the larger story, as viewers watch a hopeful named Frankie gearing up for his first professional prize fight. In addition to the generous sampling of footage and stills focusing on the late greats of the boxing world, the film also features contemporary interviews with Jake LaMotta (immortalized in Martin Scorcese's Raging Bull), trainer Angelo Dundee, and fighter Marvin Hagler. Writer Bonnie Dane-Evans has fashioned a good script which sets the stage for a thought-provoking discussion. Perhaps the confusion surrounding the moral issue is best summed up in the remarkable comment of one boxing fan: "I love the fights. It's either dancing or fights. Tonight I pick the fights." An interesting either/or, to say the least. For those libraries who can afford it, The Combat Sport: Boxing Yesterday and Today is highly recommended. (Available from: Sport & Society Educational Films, 955 Massachusetts Ave., Suite 240, Cambridge, MA 02139; 1-800-343-5540.)