FILM: BOXING GYM – SYDNEY FILM FESTIVAL SERIES
Director: Frederick Wiseman
Synopsis: Explores the world of a boxing gym in Austin, Texas, dwelling on the discipline of training as people from all walks of life aspire to reach their personal best.
Review: Boxing is not for everyone but it does attract all walks of life. That is the message that BOXING GYM is trying to get across. At Lord’s Gym in Austin Texas, Richard Lord runs a firm but friendly ship. He is skilful, softly spoken and respectful of all of his clients. A former professional boxer, Lord now imparts his knowledge of the sport on the willing.
One of the boxers in conversation with a newcomer, acknowledges the fact that boxing is a brutal sport and is essentially about contact violence.
What Richard Lord does is not just about that though. This is evident when a young boy afflicted by epilepsy joins his gym to learn defence and strength techniques. He is there with his parents and tells Lord that he can’t get hit in the head because of his epilepsy. So Lord tells the boy and his parents that he won’t condone any hitting in the head and will just work on punching bags and strength techniques so the boy can still come and train. This is a nice moment early on in the film that sets the tone for what follows.
The documentary is without a narrator. That was a risk the filmmaker Frederick Wiseman took that, in this reviewer’s opinion, didn’t quite pay off. The lack of narration gave the audience a more personal account of the goings on at the gym but the piece itself lacked pace. This would have been compensated by some running dialogue about the people at the gym, their stories and why they came to train. The real life people that Wiseman chose to feature were interesting enough to warrant further exploration that just wasn’t provided.
There were nice interludes about fondness for tango and boxers who played the accordion. It was also good that focus was paid to women who boxed at the gym so as not to segregate the audience or those who mixed in those circles. This was capped off with a scene that featured a mother and son at the gym training together.
If you like the sport, you’ll enjoy this film. There isn’t much for anyone else however. At under 80 minutes it’s long enough to ensure enjoyment but it will probably be best viewed on DVD.
