The tribal face tattoo. The high-pitched lisp. The rape conviction. The threat to eat Lennox Lewis’s children, and the eerily unforgettable Evander Holyfield ear bite. Whether you remember him from his ferocious ’80s victories, his endless news appearances or just through the seemingly endless pop-culture parodies, former heavyweight champion boxer Mike Tyson has become little more than an amalgamation of clichés. Tyson, a captivating new documentary from director James Toback, looks past these clichés to provide a candid and uncensored first-hand account of the boxer’s life story, and speaks far louder than any of Tyson’s actions ever could.
Following his early life of crime and stints in Juvenile Detention Hall, Tyson met his first mentor, coach and eventual legal guardian Cus D'Amato (which sounds like “Custom Auto,” through the narrator’s lisp). This led to years of physical and, more importantly, mental and spiritual training, culminating in a gold medal in the ’82 Junior Olympics, and soon enough, the World Boxing Council’s heavyweight belt. Sadly, as Tyson explains, the spotlight was far too bright at age 20, and just as quickly as “Kid Dynamite” had blown up, he also self-destructed.
Throughout the film, Tyson leaves in every gruesome detail to the point of jaw-dropping surprise. From drugs to promiscuity to STDs, a failed first marriage, years behind bars, a vengeful conversion to Islam and an admission that many of his post-success fights were simply for the paycheque, he almost seems incapable of lying. Perhaps the film’s most telling moment occurs when Tyson admits to “taking advantage of other women,” but denying his guilt in Desiree Washington’s rape allegations — the one he was actually convicted for. This caused his downfall, he argues, and it haunts him to this day.
The footage of the infamous Holyfield incident also shines new light on the bite, offering Tyson’s opinion that it was all he could do to put an end to his opponent’s illegal head-butts, oddly unnoticed by the referee. Whether you believe him or not, it’s hard not to feel sorry for the “Baddest Man on the Planet,” who breaks down crying several times throughout the story. Now living in the Las Vegas suburbs, millions of dollars in debt to the IRS; Tyson says all he lives for these days is his children and the fact that he can’t believe he’s made it past 40.
In the end, all this film would have required to hold the viewer’s interest is a camera pointed at Tyson and a microphone turned on while he told his story. Unfortunately, Toback’s editing is actually somewhat distracting, needlessly layering multiple shots of the boxer today and snippets of his dialogue. Perhaps this is meant to reinforce his repetition of phrases or anecdotes, but it simply gets in the way. Still, the astonishing archival footage, eye-popping photos and Tyson’s own words offer more than enough to keep anyone glued to their ringside seat.
Post the first comment: (Login or Register)