Max Schmeling is certainly a candidate for such a description. Then there is also the likes of Beckenbauer, Nowitzki, Schumacher, Becker and maybe a handful more. So many will probably not be too amused to hear that Uwe Boll is the director who made this film. However, I have to say I was very positively surprised by the outcome. The fact that Henry Maske (one of Germany's greatest boxers of all time himself) played Schmeling did not hurt the film at all, even if Maske had no real acting experience. A brave choice and a successful one. Maske was up to 15 years older than Schmeling when he played him in the film, but also this is not a problem at all. Also all the other boxers in the film with ring action are played by professional boxers such as Artur Abraham.
As it is been so long since Schmeling's peak, people today know hardly nothing about him. A shame. And this film educates us on an athlete who does not deserve to be forgotten. For example that his name as a fighter was Black Uhlan of the Rhine. The film plays at wartime, but it's really much more about Schmeling's career than about politics, although we, of course, find out about Schmeling's attitude towards the Nazis who glorified him after he bet the Negro Louis and forgot him after he lost to Louis. It's interesting to watch Schmeling's struggles as he still was not fully accepted as a champion due to the way he won his first big fight (an illegal punch by his opponent). Only knockouts or really long fights counted as worthy back in the day. Another big part of the film is about Schmeling's long-lasting relationship with actress Anny Ondra.
The most interesting way to watch this film is obviously if you don't know anything about the way Schmeling's big fights ended, especially those against Louis, but it's equally a great watch for those with an interest in the world of boxing. Certainly recommended. I have not seen too much from Boll, but this is certainly a pretty good movie, possibly his best.
As it is been so long since Schmeling's peak, people today know hardly nothing about him. A shame. And this film educates us on an athlete who does not deserve to be forgotten. For example that his name as a fighter was Black Uhlan of the Rhine. The film plays at wartime, but it's really much more about Schmeling's career than about politics, although we, of course, find out about Schmeling's attitude towards the Nazis who glorified him after he bet the Negro Louis and forgot him after he lost to Louis. It's interesting to watch Schmeling's struggles as he still was not fully accepted as a champion due to the way he won his first big fight (an illegal punch by his opponent). Only knockouts or really long fights counted as worthy back in the day. Another big part of the film is about Schmeling's long-lasting relationship with actress Anny Ondra.
The most interesting way to watch this film is obviously if you don't know anything about the way Schmeling's big fights ended, especially those against Louis, but it's equally a great watch for those with an interest in the world of boxing. Certainly recommended. I have not seen too much from Boll, but this is certainly a pretty good movie, possibly his best.