In defence of Michael Mann
With Ali, director has reached the top of his form
FEATURE
ALI
Starring Will Smith
Directed by Michael Mann
Now showing
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Michael Mann is undoubtedly one of the most accomplished and innovative directors working in Hollywood today. His career path has taken him on a fascinating journey from his early work in documentaries, to a gig writing scripts for the TV series Starsky and Hutch, culminating in a decade-long string of big-budget Hollywood films. Along the way, Mann has made such enduring classics as Thief (1981) with James Cann, and created Miami Vice (1984) for television. His last four features have been, in order, Last of the Mohicans (1992), Heat (1995), The Insider (1999) and, most recently, Ali (2001). This is an impressive list, not only for the quality of the films but also for the diversity of subjects and his formal treatment of them.
Whereas Last of the Mohicans was a beautifully executed adaptation of James Fenimore Cooper’s classic story of Hawkeye, set during the battle over the North American colonies, Mann returned to his background in police drama with Heat, a film that played out as the ultimate psychological examination of the cop-versus-criminal dynamic. It was with The Insider, however, that Mann showed himself to be a consummate craftsman and master of the medium, and took the next step towards creating potent new forms of cinematic expression.
Starting with unlikely material – an article in Vanity Fair – Mann produced a compelling drama out of the interaction between 60 Minutes producer Lowell Bergman (Al Pacino) and unwilling corporate whistle blower, scientist Jeffery Wigand (Russell Crowe). It was an audacious move to create great cinema out of current affairs and it worked brilliantly. Mann’s penchant for perfectionism manifested itself most clearly in his ability to turn the buff and tuff Russell Crow into a brow-beaten corporate cog. It is truly an amazing transition and Crowe’s finest hour to date. Mann’s collaboration with veteran cinematographer Dante Spinotti also gave The Insider the pitch-perfect look and feel to deliver a deeply emotional and moving story without having to attach the usual Hollywood pliers directly to the heartstrings. In The Insider, Mann was moving towards a more sparse, less talky and highly visual style of storytelling. It seemed like the man who had refined the musical montage as a narrative device had begun to move sharply away from the subject of testosterone-fueled action to a much more profound and subtler area of the human psyche.
Mann’s latest, Ali, is a continuation of his formal evolution and, despite its detractors, remains an important new work. In Ali, Mann has upped the stakes and taken on what could probably be considered one of the most difficult subjects a filmmaker could ever deal with. Not only is Muhammud Ali one of the most photographed and filmed personalities of the last century, his life and times are also a political minefield. Mann has to deal with the iconic images of Ali, many of which are relatively fresh in the minds of the audience – it is the kind of historical detail that only the fussiest of directors can manage and he pulls it off. Another hurdle is making a boxing film that does not pale or seem derivative or imitative in comparison to the great boxing films of the past – Mann finds a new look and feel for the boxing ring and gives us some exhilarating, visceral footage.
The bio-pic has always leaned heavily on story and dialogue, but has been shy on the poetics of cinema. Mann turns the tables on this tired formula and gives us a fresh new approach, setting a new standard for sparse dialogue. Not only is the dialogue pared to the bone but the story itself is innovatively edited, leaping forward in time when necessary and dwelling on small tangential details that seem to speak volumes.
Ali offers something different – real cinema, a truly visual experience – which in these days of blab fests and empty action is a treat. Another rare treat indeed is the $100 million Hollywood film that eschews patriotism.
Ali is not without its faults. For a reasonably comprehensive (almost exhaustive) list of these faults, read the user comments written about the film on the Internet Movie Database (www.imdb.com). For every element I celebrate, there is a harsh critical opposite. Mann’s growth as an artist and director could end up being in direct proportion to his popularity – and that would be a shame because he is just now at the top of his form. |
