Cassius Clay’s transformation to Muhammad Ali—his conversion to Islam and refusal to serve in the Vietnam War—was one of the defining acts of personal conscience in the 1960s, a riveting one-man challenge to institutional racism, religious intolerance, and a justice system wielded to send a message about voicing impertinent protest. Banned from his livelihood and convicted of a felony with a five-year prison sentence, Ali was forced to spend four years fighting his way to the Supreme Court. Bill Siegel’s (THE WEATHER UNDERGROUND) film, rich with archival footage and interviews, examines Ali’s complicated relationships with the key voices of the era and the impact of his actions on a culture that still struggles with the issues of race, identity, faith, and justice he stood for. “An invigorating film that brings the long-forgotten controversy to life…. Captures the thrill of Ali’s personality even for viewers with little interest in the sweet science.”—The Hollywood Reporter. (86 mins.)
THE TRIALS OF MUHAMMAD ALI screens Wednesday, October 9 at 7pm in our Whitsell Auditorium (located in the Portland Art Museum). The film is being presented as part of our Voices in Action: Human Rights on Film series.
Advanced tickets are available for purchase here.
