Muhammad Ali, the Greatest by William Klein

Photographer and filmmaker William Klein’s portrait of the legendary boxer follows his career from the breakthrough 1964 fight with Sonny Liston to the epic “Rumble in the Jungle” with George Foreman a decade later. The film traces his transformation from Cassius Clay, prize-winning fighter, to Muhammad Ali, member of the Black Muslim movement and outspoken antiwar activist. Shot during a turbulent period for America following the civil rights era, Klein’s film captures both the fight of “The Greatest” and his place amid the cultural backdrop of the ongoing Black struggle in the US.

Presented in a new 2K restoration. 1974, France, DCP, English and French with English subtitles, 123 min.

Part of Cinema Revived: Timeless Selections from the Vault, an ongoing presentation of notable feature-length films from the Ruben/Bentson Moving Image Collection.