1. By: Mariana Osorio and Jasminne Benitez
Boxing Films
By: Mariana Osorio and Jasminne Benitez

2. Did you know?
Boxing films are the only sports related films to win an Academy Award for Best Picture, and they did it twice (for Rocky, Million Dollar Baby.)

3. Setting
The settings are often:
Gym
Large Cities
Boxing Rings

4. Iconography Familiar aspects of the boxing genre are: Violence Blood
Sweat
Boxing gloves
Boxing ring
Training Gym
Punching Bags
Large urban cities
Boxers
Knockouts
Money
Brutality
Big audiences (not really focused in upon but are heard through their cheers and/or boo’s)
Men are usually shirtless
Muscular (masculine)

5. Tone/Style
Boxing Films usually have stylized scenes in a boxing ring with a great amount of blood, violence, sweat, and exaggerated flashbulb camera flashes. The films are typically known for:
Fast pace camera movements
Camera flashes
Slow motion shots
Violent punching Sounds
Little lightning at some scenes
Often close ups
The Ring (1927), directed by Alfred Hitchcock

6. Narrative
Boxing Films usually revolve around the life of a struggling male boxer aspiring to make the “cut” and gain respect.
The films typically have a male as the leading role such as the films Rocky, The Boxer, and The Fighter.
However, a few films revolve around a female character who struggles to become known and respected by others especially male boxers.
Some of these films include A Million Dollar Baby(2004) starring Hilary Swank and Girlfight (2000) starring Michelle Rodriguez.

7. Characters Washed-up fighters/former “Golden Boys”
The characters in boxing films are often:
Washed-up fighters/former “Golden Boys”
Adoring family members/girlfriends
Street fighters
Underdogs/ an improbable champion
A heavyweight champion
Fight promoters

8. Themes Disintegration of families The American Dream
Themes include:
Disintegration of families
The American Dream
Man vs. environment/society
Alienation
Hopelessness
Redemption

9. Other elements of boxing films
Boxing films can overlap with documentary films about boxing‎; a large portion of boxing movies are based on real-life boxers.
Boxing films transcend the mere confines of the ring, becoming something more, mirroring the struggles of everyday people.
Boxing can be seen as a metaphor for every fight in a person’s life, those moments where all that’s left when life is stripped down to the bare essentials: grit, determination, and heart.

10. Audience Reactions
Many sports film enthusiasts feel boxing movies are the best sports related genre.
Gritty boxing films are popular with the public because they showcase an array of serious topics such as death, depression, imprisonment and ultimately, victory
The themes of human triumph, defeat, and perseverance inevitably resonate with people because it allows them to connect to the characters because the ideas like that of the scrappy underdog pinned against the ropes or that we can make a comeback and become the champ are relatable.

11. Must-see film #1 Rocky (1976) Director: John Avildsen
Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, Burt Young
Plot: A small time boxer gets a once in a lifetime chance to fight the heavyweight champ in a bout in which he strives to go the distance for his self-respect

12. Must-see film #2 Girlfight (2000) Director: Karyn Kusama
Starring: Michelle Rodriguez, Jaime Tirelli, and Paul Calderon
Plot: Diana, without her father knowing it, trains as a boxer and achieves impressive success, blazing new trails for female boxers.

13. Must-see film #3 Million Dollar Baby (2004)
Directed by: Clint Eastwood
Starring: Hilary Swank, Clint Eastwood, and Morgan Freeman
Adapted from Rope Burns: Stories from the Corner
Plot: A determined woman works with a hardened boxing trainer to become a professional.

14. Must-see film #4 Cinderella Man (2005) Directed by: Ron Howard
Starring: Russell Crowe, Renee Zellweger, Paul Giamatti
It tells the story of James Braddock, a supposedly washed up boxer who came back to become a champion and an inspiration in the 1930s.

15. Must-see film #5 The Fighter (2010) Directed by: David O. Russell
Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Christian Bale, Amy Adams, and Melissa Leo
Plot: A look at the early years of boxer "Irish" Micky Ward and his brother who helped train him before going pro in the mid 1980s.