Ring of Fire: The Emile Griffith Story

1962 was a dark year for American boxing. In a brutal match the welter weight champion Benny Paret was beaten so bad by his opponent Emile Griffith that he died ten years later from the injuries The incident caused moral panic in America and lots of voices who wanted to ban boxing were raised all over the land.Ring of Fire tells the story of Emile Griffith´s life before and after thedisastrous match. Through old footage from the past and interviews from thepresent a portrait of a gentle and sensitive man is slowly being drawn. The film hints- but never really confirms that Griffith is homosexual, something very forbidden in the macho world of boxing, makes the story even more interesting. Through the years Griffith has been forced to fight against the prejudices around him. Dan Klores and Ron Bergers fascinating documentary takes no side in the debate of whether boxing is a too brutal sport. It rather shows that nothing ever can be seen in just black and white. And also, that reconciliation isalways better than revenge.PER NYSTRÖM