The Good
An interesting look at Mike Tyson ike Tyson.
The Bad
I wish he had been a part of the commentary track for this film.Tyson is a documentary that brings viewers into the mind of this great fighter. Forget what you know about him, forget what you think you know, just clear your mind and go in and let Tyson talk to you. Because my friends that is what this movie does. Those expecting a film where we see this fighter go from the mean streets of Brooklyn, to the Catskills, to the home of revered trainer Cus D’Amato, to an eventual incredible run as the heavyweight champion will not be disappointed. Those expecting a film where anybody other than Tyson does the talking might be a little let down.
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
James Toback has given viewers Mike Tyson in his rawest form yet. We don’t have conjecture by other parties so that we can gain a perspective, that has already been done in other documentary films. What Toback does here is allow Tyson to speak and discuss himself in a way that the fighter never has before. Juxtaposed with this is footage of his career (both good and bad) and Tyson talks as much as he can about a given subject.
While some people might be put off by certain aspects of this man, Mike Tyson is nothing if not interesting and fully human in this well made film.
Features
James Toback is very a intelligent man and this is all on display in this commentary track. He talks about wanting this commentary to play as a stream of conscious, similar to the streams that Tyson spews in this film. He talks a lot about his technique and what he was trying to achieve with this movie. Most importantly, he didn’t want this documentary to feel as if Tyson was talking directly to somebody. Rather, he wanted it to feel like he was just captured talking. The director constantly talks about not thinking things through before he started shooting. He discusses not thinking about editing until the movie was done. All of this explains why this film has the airy, free form feel that it does.
A Day with James Toback
Iron Mike: Toback Talks Tyson
I am not sure why I watched this because it is basically the commentary track cut down to a more succinct form. Toback discusses the film, his relationship to Tyson, and what he was trying to achieve in putting his friend on film. While some might think that the director is merely some white guy that is enthralled with this African American figure, they would be looking at this film too simplistically. Toback is enthralled but he clearly loves his subject and is protective of him. Yet, he knows the only way to really show that love is to not hold back in his handling of the subject matter.
The Big Picture Show
Video
1.85:1. On standard definition this movie didn’t look that amazing. It seems like Sony has over-baked the picture in a lot of parts. The film is a mix of Tyson’s talking head footage, with older, archival footage. The old footage doesn’t look too bad but the footage of Tyson was just really dark. I screened this movie during it’s theatrical run and it seemed to breath a lot more on the big screen. I guess I am more forgiving when I watch documentary films because even though things don’t play that great, I didn’t find that this bothered me too much.
Audio
English 5.1 - Dolby Digital. Subtitled in French. Close Captioned. The audio on this movie was really well done. Sony is a company that is known for their audio work. They have always been at the forefront and in many ways lead the way for sound innovation. This movie is a documentary so the sound is simpler than most films they release. However, I liked the quiet, cool quality that the audio gives off. Good work, Sony!
Package
The front cover of this DVD features multiple shots of Tyson with some critic’s quotes. The back cover gives us three more shots from this film, a description, another quote, a Special Features listing, a credits list, and technical specs. There isn’t anything too special about it but I don’t know that there needs to be.
Final Word
As a huge boxing fan I was very happy when the folks at MovieWeb gave me this DVD to review. Having basically developed a love for this sport when I was 14 because of this fighter (although, I did pick Michael Spinks to beat him!), it almost felt like I was listening to an old friend talk about their life when I watched this documentary. Most of the material on this release will not be new to fight fans. One who has followed this man’s career isn’t going to hear anything that they probably don’t know. However, to the public at large this film isn’t a plea for understanding. Rather, it’s more like viewers are presented this portrait and the onus is placed on them to wrap their heads around it.
All of this plays very well here as it brings the Tyson documentary to a whole other dimension. Human beings are complex. We are great, we are flawed, we are everything and nothing all at once. To make Tyson the vessel which conveys that really makes this film a landmark achievement in expanding the form of the medium.
