City of Ali looks back on the death of boxer Muhammad Ali in 2016 and how the city of Louisville, friends, fans and the media celebrated his life.if (typeof __ez_fad_position! = ‘undefined’) {__ ez_fad_position (‘div- gpt-ad-solzyatthemovies_com- Mittelrecht-3-0 ‘)};
The most pressing question this film wants to answer is: How do you say goodbye to The Greatest? It’s not easy, but it was a work of several years before he died. I am a native of Louisville. You couldn’t grow up in the city without knowing who Ali was. In fact, a few years before his death, I was almost in his presence. Unfortunately, he had to cancel his performance that morning for health reasons. Anyone born in the city but not currently living in Louisville will definitely get homesick.
Watching the funeral procession five years later is a sight that still gives you goose bumps. How can you not burst into tears when you see all the fans who have come to say goodbye? I remember rushing back from my contract job in June just to watch the funeral and move. The chills that I have today are the same chills that I had five years ago. The documentary – too short at 81 minutes, but I’m biased – features some highlights from the memorial service, including Billy Crystal and President Bill Clinton.
Planning the memorial and everything related to the occasion was no easy task. The documentary takes us behind the scenes with family members and government officials to learn their accounts. As Ali’s death spread, all eyes were on Louisville. In fact, people came to the downtown Muhammad Ali Center to pay their respects. At this point the center also decided to open its doors for free.
Outside of the funeral service and the procession to Cave Hill Cemetery, there is no shortage of interviews with family, friends and even those in the media. Craig Melvin talks about how he wanted to go to Louisville to have a front-row seat in history. Among those surveyed are Louisville’s Mayors Greg Fischer, Dick Cavett, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Evander Holyfield, Hannah Storm, and Bill Plaschke.
This film may also have started with its origins in the Louisville Metro Government. However, I think it works by bringing in the outside voices. You certainly don’t go wrong with some of the national votes either. Plaschke is a Ballard graduate and Hannah Storm lived briefly in Louisville. But beyond that, they also find a way to tie in the events of 2016 to the protests for racial justice last summer. Tyler Gerth photographed some of the photos featured in the film, and the credits confirm that he was killed in a tragic murder last summer.
There has been a lack of documentaries since Muhammad Ali died five years ago Not. HBO Max is currently home to Ali vs. Cavett: The Tale of the Tapes, What’s My Name: Muhammad Ali, and Muhammad Ali’s Greatest Fight.
City of Ali could be longer, but the documentary is a solid addition to the movie canon by Muhammad Ali – one that comes with a lens from Louisville.
Danielle Solzman is from Louisville, KY and has a BA in Public Relations from Northern Kentucky University and an MA in Media Communications from Webster University. She has roots for her beloved Kentucky Wildcats, St. Louis Cardinals, Indianapolis Colts, and Boston Celtics. She lives less than a mile from Wrigley Field in Chicago, is an active reader (sports / entertainment / history / biographies / select fiction) and is involved in the Chicago improvisation scene. She also watches and reviews many films.
She has previously written for Redbird Rants, Wildcat Blue Nation, and Hidden Remote / Flickside. Her film reviews can be found on Creators from April 2016 to May 2017.
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