12 best boxing movies, from dark dramas to musical comedies
Educational Program Cinema / / December 29, 2020
1. Mad bull
Raging Bull
- USA, 1980.
- Drama, film-biography.
- Duration: 129 minutes.
- IMDb: 8.2.
Aged boxer and trainer Jake LaMotta recalls his life. Once he received the nickname "Raging Bull" for his cruelty. Moreover, LaMotta's aggression was not limited to the boxing ring. Close people also suffered from his actions.
One of the strongest roles of the legendary Roberta De Niro based on the biography of Jake LaMotta. And this makes the picture even stronger and more poignant. And besides, Martin Scorsese's film is simply amazingly filmed and still looks exciting.
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2. Million dollar baby
Million Dollar Baby
- USA, 2004.
- Sports drama.
- Duration: 132 minutes.
- IMDb: 8.1.
The 31-year-old waitress Maggie dreams of boxing. And in the role of her mentor, she sees only the unsociable old man Dunn. But he refuses to work with the "girl" over and over again. However, after the loss of a student, Dunn still takes up the training of Maggie, striking in her persistence.
Great Clint Eastwood
acted in this film as a director, producer and even a composer. He also played one of the main roles. And the author's multifaceted talent allowed Million Dollar Baby to take four Oscars, including for Best Film.Watch in iTunes →
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3. Rocky
Rocky
- USA, 1976.
- Drama.
- Duration: 120 minutes.
- IMDb: 8.1.
The film follows a loser boxer, Rocky Balboa, who makes a living taking out debts for a mobster. Suddenly, he receives an offer to fight in the ring with the world heavyweight boxing champion Apollo Creed. The thing is that he was recently injured, but does not want to postpone the battle, and therefore is looking for a weak opponent. Rocky decides to defeat the eminent enemy by all means.
This picture glorified the novice actor Sylvester Stallone, who had previously played in second-rate cinema and even in porn. The image of Rocky Balboa has become a real legend, and Stallone returned to him more than once. Well, the film itself is considered one of the best dramas about sports and fortitude.
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4. Knockdown
Cinderella man
- USA, 2005.
- Drama, biography.
- Duration: 144 minutes.
- IMDb: 8.0.
Heavyweight boxer Jim Braddock is plagued by setbacks. After several defeats, he takes on any job to support his family. But fate gives him another chance. And Braddock makes his way out of the lines for free food to the heights of the sports Olympus.
This film is based on the real life of the boxer Jim Braddock. Russell Crowe, who played the main role, decided to get used to the image as much as possible. He brought himself into proper physical shape, and during the filming he fought with real athletes. This approach cost the actor several teeth: the opponents did not always have time to stop the blows in time.
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5. Fighter
The fighter
- USA, 2010.
- Drama, sports, biography.
- Duration: 114 minutes.
- IMDb: 7.8.
Boxer Mickey Ward returns to the ring after a series of failures. The hero is trained by his half-brother Dicky Eklund, who was once addicted to drugs and ruined his career. With the support of his brother and the woman he loves, Ward gets a second chance.
In this film, also based on the athlete's biography, the acting duo of Mark Wahlberg and Christian Bale. Moreover, the first for the role swung strongly, embodying an old dream to realize himself in sports. And Bale, playing a drug addict, lost a lot of weight. As a result, Wahlberg even began to worry.Mark Wahlberg is worried costar Christian Bale has an eating disorder for his health. But their efforts were not in vain. The film received six Oscar nominations and two awards.
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6. Requiem for a heavyweight
Requiem for a Heavyweight
- USA, 1962.
- Drama, athletic.
- Duration: 95 minutes.
- IMDb: 7.8.
The famous boxer Luis Rivera loses the fight to his young rival Cassius Clay. Doctors advise an already aging athlete to end his career, otherwise he may lose his sight. However, he is determined to have revenge. And the manager of Rivera is trying with all his might to dissuade the boxer from the fight, since he got involved in a showdown with the mafia.
The main role in this film was played by two-time Oscar winner Anthony Quinn. And his young rival was Muhammad Ali himself, which made it possible to show boxing fights as realistic as possible.
7. Creed: Rocky's Legacy
Creed
- USA, 2015.
- Drama, athletic.
- Duration: 133 minutes.
- IMDb: 7.6.
After the events of the first "Rocky" the main character and his opponent Apollo Creed became very close friends. And in the fourth part, the black champion died in the ring. Many years later, Apollo Creed's son Adonis decides to get serious about boxing. And in the role of his mentor, he sees only Rocky Balboa.
In 2006, Sylvester Stallone completed Rocky's boxing history - in new films he appears already in the form of a coach. And the main role has departed young star Michael B. Jordan, who perfectly played the daring boxer. Separately, it should be noted the staging of battles in this film: the film contains a four-minute scene in the ring, filmed without editing.
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8. Lefty
Southpaw
- Hong Kong, USA, 2015.
- Drama, athletic.
- Duration: 124 minutes.
- IMDb: 7.4.
Champion Billy Hope is happy: he has an excellent career, beloved wife and daughter. But after the tragic death of his wife, everything in his life falls apart. A Boxer will be disqualified and deprived of parental rights. Hope needs to find the strength to return to the ring.
According to the original idea, this film was supposed to be a sequel to "Eight Mile", and the main role would again be played by rapper Eminem. But then the idea was abandoned and Jake Gyllenhaal was invited. Not long before that, the actor had lost a lot of weight while filming the movie Stringer. Therefore, Gyllenhaal had to train every day to urgently get in shape. Eminem also worked on the soundtrack and sang one of the songs to "Lefty" himself.
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9. Champion
Champion
- USA, 1949.
- Drama, sports, noir.
- Duration: 99 minutes.
- IMDb: 7.4.
Midge Kelly and his disabled brother Kony hitchhike to California. On the way, they get into trouble, and the hero has to enter the ring instead of an injured boxer. This is how Midge's sports career begins. True, he soon faces the cruel underside of boxing: contractual fights and bandits.
The main role in this picture was played by the legendary Kirk Douglas (father of Michael Douglas). This noir and the dark film has long been included in the golden fund of cinematography. And Douglas received his first Oscar nomination for him.
10. First glove
- USSR, 1946.
- Drama, comedy, sports.
- Duration: 79 minutes.
- IMDb: 7.1.
An experienced coach Privalov meets a young strongman Nikita Krutikov in the park and invites him to become a boxer. He initially confuses everything and almost ends up in a rival club. But then he still achieves good success in the ring. However, there are several factors that can hurt his career. And Privalov is very afraid of them.
The energetic and cheerful film by Andrei Frolov became a real hit in the Soviet distribution. In the year of its release, "The First Glove" took third place in terms of the number of viewers: more than 18 million people watched the picture
11. The second attempt of Viktor Krokhin
- USSR, 1977.
- Drama, athletic.
- Duration: 98 minutes.
- IMDb: 7.1.
European boxing champion Viktor Krokhin flies in an airplane and recalls his life path. Like many children after the war, he grew up without a father. The street taught him how to fight, and perseverance allowed him to become an excellent athlete.
Originally a neighbor of Stepan, lover in the mother of Victor, Vladimir Vysotsky was supposed to play, but in the end the role was given to Oleg Borisov. Vysotsky, on the other hand, wrote the song "Ballad of Childhood" for the film, but it was not included in the first edition, since the author did not agree with the censorship edits.
12. Ali
Ali
- USA, 2001.
- Drama, biography, sports.
- Duration: 157 minutes.
- IMDb: 6.8.
The biographical picture tells about the path of one of the most famous boxers in the world. Young athlete Cassius Clay (real name of Muhammad Ali) wins the Sonny Liston championship and becomes a star. His further fate turned out to be difficult: his friendship with Malcolm X, a change of name and refusal to serve in the army turned the hero into a very controversial person.
The role of Ali was played by the famous Will Smith, who received an Oscar nomination for her. And in the ring, real boxers competed against him. For example, Sonny Liston was played by five-time US amateur champion Michael Bentt.
What boxing films do you like? Which do you think is the best? Share in the comments.
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