by Dan Berman (Guest Critic)
Director Barak Goodman gives us a fascinating look into the world of boxing legend Joe Louis. Not in the last 60 years have we ever had a boxer that made us want to better ourselves more than Joe Louis. We have seen them come and go throughout the years. Like Sugar-ray Leonard, Muhammad Ali, and George Foreman amongst other boxing greats of the last century. No one can compare to what Joe Louis stood for at a time when we needed his courage to continue on. Louis was a god-fearing, respectable man who stood for the best in black America. He did it with courage, and raw determination.

The Fight represents a lot of historical facets in our American history. It demonstrates race, politics, public relations, and the cultural status of that era. It bares down hard with authority. There have been documentaries about the world of boxing and what it means to us but that is just the beginning. They only cover what is on the surface but not the stuff that hits down deep. The Fight is a time portal back to where those feelings will hit you like an uppercut to the jaw.

It’s a simple fact there will never be a sporting event that will come close to the evening of June 22, 1938 at Yankee Stadium. On that night, 90,000 people glued their eyes on center ring as they witnessed sports history in the making. In one corner Joe Louis, in the other, Max Schmeling. It was a night not to be ignored. It was America’s Louis against Germanys Schmeling-which made sports history.

During that time period an entire race of people had to go through the suffering before reaching at least some peace. Black America had great political influential leaders including Martin Luther King, and Malcolm X. When it came to heroes within the ring there was only one, Joe Louis.

The Fight is fascinating with rare and hard to find footage filled with glorious cinematography. Certainly one of the best films of the year.

Goodman is a major broadcast award: the Peabody; a Dupont Columbia; an Emmy Award, and an Academy Award nomination. In his 12 years of producing documentaries he’s also done films such as Scottsboro: An American Tragedy, The Lost Children of Rockdale County, Merchants of Cool, and the Failure To Protect.

The Fight made a brief stint at the Coolidge Corner Cinema due to the
2nd Annual Independent Film Festival of Boston-which ran from April 29th-
May 2nd.

Dan Berman