What techniques has Leon Gast applied to engage his audience in "When

Throughout the year I have been studying the documentary 'When We Were Kings' based around the 1974 World Boxing Championship fight between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman. The fight was staged in Zaire, Africa and is subsequently predominantly an African influenced film, although still effective in delivering the story and exposition of one of the greatest sporting moments of our modern era. Through use of a complex sound track - including live sound and interviews from the past - Gast is able to entice me to continue viewing the colourful, musical and exciting documentary. Using a majority of archival footage combined with a cast of experts and witness' Leon Gast captures the moment whilst providing us with the necessary background information and detail. A number of questions are asked and social issues raised providing us with a contrast of morals and ideals creating a fast moving, intriguing look at an event adopted in to boxing folklore as the greatest of all time. Although Gast is unable to incorporate much of his craft - due to a majority of archival footage - he is still able to build tension and demonstrate importance through his shot selection, use of motifs and selection of music.

When I viewed Gast's dramatic yet uplifting look at the 1974 World Heavyweight Boxing title fight in Zaire, I was engaged through his use of evocative and up-beat music. Music plays almost constantly throughout and is effective in establishing a mood of fun and excitement about the brutal bout. To begin the film Gast introduces us to the tribal rhythms of Zaire, I believe to signify the origins of both fighters and the importance of cultural links between America, Africa and the evolution of popular culture. Gast also employs the use of a mysterious African women - a dancer and performer - through use of close up's and intense, tension building rhythms. She appears throughout the documentary and we are told later that a witch doctor predicted Foreman might be defeated by use of a voodoo spell involving a "woman with fluttering hands". Whether there is any element of truth to the prediction, Gast's inclusion of this native African lady is clearly to provide an element of mystery and intrigue around not only the fight in Zaire, but also Ali's greatness. The tribal rhythms and traditional African music work well for Gast and are effective in portraying the mood...

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...nter the armed forces during the Vietnam war- had resulted in a jail sentence and loss of the title. This was Ali's return, the greatest of all time was returning to the ring to face one of the most formidable individuals ever to step in to the square shaped arena, making it a bout no red-blooded American and no self respecting sports fan worldwide could miss. Gast's subject matter - the fight itself - and people involved - namely Ali - are perhaps one of the most appealing events to be covered in sports history (with relation to real life relevance)

The people involved in Gast's documentary are remarkably effective in delivering the recount of the 'Rumble in the Jungle' combining aging experts with those who were scattered amongst the commotion that was the concert and fight in Zaire, 1974. Spike Lee appears throughout to provide a modern, filmmakers perspective while George Plimpton and Norman Mailer commentate, adding excitement and human dimension to the fight. Mailer and Plimpton covered the fight in the seventies and provide us with a credible recount and are effective in providing professional detail for us helping us understand some more technical angles explored by Gast.