Unlimitedia Sick Product of a Sick System

Matialth Good concept, poorly executed.

Maidexpl Entertaining from beginning to end, it maintains the spirit of the franchise while establishing it's own seal with a fun cast

Guillelmina The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

runamokprods Intelligent, interesting and occasionally moving, this tells the story of boxer Emile Griffith, a gentle warrior, who accidentally killed a man in the ring, and who may have been gay at a time (the early 60s on) when an admission of that by an athlete was unthinkable. Indeed, one of the frustrating and sad things about the film is that Griffith still insists on keeping his sexuality mysterious, which keeps the film from deeply exploring a potentially very powerful part of Griffith's story. It feels awkward that the subject is so front and center in some ways (he was mocked with a slur for being homosexual by the man he beat to death in the ring), yet so danced around in others. But there's plenty here to hold your interest. Griffith's career arc, his jovial, likable personality, the great use of archival footage, the emotional and career complexities of taking a life all make for a documentary that while perhaps not all it could be (and a bit repetitive at times) is still very worth watching.

dtucker86 I am a Sergeant in the Army stationed in Korea and was unable to watch this amazing film when it premiered on TV. I think they had an inkling of just how amazing it would be because they showed it without commercials. This is a heart-wrenching story not only of boxing but of society as well and how we have changed over the years. The movie opens the fatal night of March 24, 1962 with Don Dunphy announcing the fight between Emile Griffith and Benny "Kid" Paret with the title at stake. The two had already fought twice splitting the victory between them. They were sort of the Ali-Frazier of the middleweight division. Paret had cruelly taunted his challenger before the fight calling him "maricon" (faggot). This was a shocking slur the press didn't even report at the time. Griffith had to be restrained from attacking him at the weigh in. This fight will always be one of boxing's most infamous because it was the first time a nationwide audience saw a man killed before their eyes. Ironically, even before this fight Griffith had not been known for being savage in the ring or a hard puncher. His record going into the fight was 28-3 with only 10 knockouts. However, in Round 13, he pinned Paret against the ropes and delivered the most savage beating you will ever see a boxer give another. In less then ten seconds he delivers over twenty devastating blows to the head. The referee did not stop the fight in time and Paret dies ten days later. There were so many far reaching aspects of this tragic night in 1962. Many hypocritical politicians called for the abolishment of boxing. It was years before fights were ever televised again. Referee Ruby Goldstein, who had had a distinguished career otherwise, never called another fight. However, the most devastating consequences that night were for poor Emile Griffith as this documentary makes painfully clear. Today, there is no big deal about a celebrity admitting their gay. It seems you cannot have a hit TV show, for example, without a character being gay. We put people like Ellen DeGeneres up on pedestals and make them icons of our culture. However, in the world of 1962, an admission of this was career suicide especially in the manly sport of boxing. How could a champion be gay? Griffith's personal life is his own business, but its heartbreaking watching this film and how the tragedy basically ruined this poor man. Griffith fought another fifteen years and became a six time champ. He was never the same fighter however. He fought another eighty bouts after March 24, 1962 but only scored twelve knockouts. He relied on his superb boxing ability rather then brute force to win. He admitted he was terrified of killing another. What shocked me is that champions of his era made nowhere near the outrageous purses of those today. Gil Clancy, his trainer, pointed out that it was common for even a champion to get only $50,000 for a fight. Like so many, Griffith stayed in boxing long after he should have retired. He lost twelve of his final twenty three fights. Today Griffith is a broken old man who requires full time care. He suffers from pugilistic dementia and also from nightmares still. I think the most touching moments of this film are the end where Paret's son embraces the weeping old champion and tells him he is forgiven.

lavatch "Ring of Fire: The Emile Griffith Story" is documentary film-making at its best. This lean, ninety-minute program presents a compelling human drama, as well as a thoughtful meditation on the sport of boxing.I was age 12 at the time of the tragic ring death of Benny "The Kid" Paret, and I can still vividly recall the graphic images and descriptions in the newspapers in 1962. But it was not until the year 2005 and this powerful documentary film that I learned that Emile Griffith is a decent man who was often vilified in the media. This film helps to set the record straight about the tragic death of Paret and the exceptional character of Emile Griffith. The most moving scene in the film is when, many years after the fight, Griffith meets Benny Paret's son and asks for his forgiveness. With the passing of over forty years since Paret's death, it is surprising that the "sport" of boxing continues to titillate fans. At least there are no longer the grueling fifteen round bouts, and today the referees will step in to end a fight sooner than in past eras of boxing. "Ring of Fire" is brilliant in allowing the documentary film footage of the Griffth-Paret fight to speak for itself, thus allowing the viewers to draw their own conclusions about the entertainment values of boxing.

neovsr2d2 An extremely well done documentary which reaches well beyond the boundaries of sports. Even though it follows the boxing career of Emile Griffith, its a poignant story that touches upon an era of innocence in America that is long gone. Sports writer, Pete Hamill made an early comment in the film in which he states that even though it is 1962, America was still living in the '50s. Being almost 2 decades removed from our World War II war heroes, America was on the cusp of a new time. A time where death could be seen on TV. A time where our potential new heroes would be scrutinized and seen as human with frailties and tastes that may be different from what was perceived as the norm. I would recommend this documentary to all, not only sports fans. But, only by being a sports fan, did I hear about it on commercial TV (which I don't watch much of). I look forward to seeing it again, hopefully, on DVD soon. It would be unfortunate if people judge this as only as a sports documentary.