When We Were Kings (1996)

When We Were Kings (1996) is a powerful documentary that revisits the 1974 heavyweight championship in Kinshasa — the legendary "Rumble in the Jungle" between champion George Foreman and challenger Muhammad Ali. Framed by promoter Don King’s gamble and backed by Zaire’s dictator Mobutu Sese Seko, the film pieces together archival footage and contemporary interviews to tell not only the story of the fight but also the larger cultural and political moment: the Black Power era, African-American connections to Africa, and the role of music and spectacle in popular politics. Watching the film you’ll be transported into the electric atmosphere of 1970s Kinshasa: crowded streets and stadium roars, behind‑the‑scenes preparation, electrifying fight sequences, and a star‑studded music festival featuring performers like James Brown and B.B. King. Intimate interviews and newly unearthed footage reveal Ali’s charisma and strategy, Foreman’s power, Don King’s ambition, and the complicated influence of Mobutu. The result is part sports chronicle, part cultural history — emotionally stirring, visually rich, and thoughtful about identity, power, and performance. If you watch it, expect to be entertained by the drama and pageantry of the bout, moved by the human stories around it, and prompted to think about how sport, music and politics intersect in a defining moment of the 20th century.

Actors: Muhammad Ali, George Foreman, Don King

Director: Leon Gast

Runtime: 88 min

Genres: Documentary, Sport

7.7 /10 83 /100 7.9 /10 8.0 /10