When We Were Kings
1996 · Movie · PG · 89 min · ★ 7.6 · 91% critics
In 1974, a legendary heavyweight title bout is staged in Zaire, turning a boxing match into a global spectacle. As the fighters train and the hype builds, the event becomes a crossroads of sport, politics, and culture, boosted by a major music festival and intense international media attention.
Also known as Quando eravamo Re
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Details
- Years
- 1996
- Release date
- 1996-10-25
- Language
- English
- Rated
- PG
- Runtime
- 89 min
- Critic score
- 91/100
- TMDB rating
- 7.6/10 (254 votes)
About
You’ll likely enjoy this if you want a gripping sports documentary that also explores culture, celebrity, and power around a major event; Not for you if you only want nonstop boxing action or a light watch like Stop Making Sense.
Pros: electric real-life stakes; rich cultural backdrop; memorable live music | Cons: heavy focus on one figure; politics can feel bleak; fight footage limited
Themes
- africa
- boxer
- black magic
- world champion
- zaire
- psychic power
- sympathy
- endurance
- sports documentary
- power of love
- heavyweight champion
- boxing
- +15 more
Awards & recognition
- Academy Award — Best Documentary Feature Film · 1997
- Sundance Special Jury Recognition · 1996
Cast & crew
Muhammad Ali
as Self
George Foreman
as Self
Don King
as Self
James Brown
as Self
B.B. King
as Self
Spike Lee
as Self
- MS
Mobutu Sese Seko
as Self
Norman Mailer
as Self
George Plimpton
as Self
Malick Bowens
as Self
Directed by Leon Gast