Sports dramas most often attract viewers not with a specific type of martial art, but with a demonstration of the struggle of characters, overcoming oneself and achieving high goals. These are films about boxing. The list below is subjective and does not claim any laurels.
Rocky
The 1976 film, which made Sylvester Stallone famous, became a real bomb in the cinema. He has won many prestigious awards, including three Oscars.
The best boxing films are usually made based on real events. This has its own drama. Rocky is one such movie. The film is based on the battle between Ali and Vepner.
And the plot is as follows. A simple guy Rocky Balboa lives in Philadelphia, works as a bouncer at his mafia boss during the day, and performs in the ring in the evening, because he is a beginner boxer.
World champion Apollo Creed decides to give a chance to some newcomer to fight him, because his alleged opponent in the fight for the title will not be able to enter the ring. Creed liked the nickname Rocky, and he chooses it.
Balboa begins enhanced training and enters the ring on the day of the battle very confident. And in the first round, Creed gets a knockdown from a rookie. Yes, he did not expect this! All fifteen rounds were almost equal fight, but in the end Creed survived and won on points.
The best films about boxing tell not just about the fight, but about the fiery heart of a boxer who believes in his victory and thanks to this achieves success.
"Fighter"
This picture is also based on real events and tells the story of two boxer brothers. One has already left the sport, the other continues to participate in competitions. Their personal drama is highlighted. The fact is that Dicky's older brother once showed great promise and was a real star in his town. But he was mired in doubtful relationships, used drugs and became a frequent guest at the police station. Mickey wants to conquer the top of the boxing Olympus. Dickie, who trains him, pulls his brother down, interferes with his implementation. The guy makes a difficult decision for himself and begins to train on his own, which is why the whole family turns away from him.
The film received many positive reviews, film awards and praise.
The main roles were played by Mark Wahlberg and Christian Bale. And they did it excellently!
Million Dollar Baby
2004 film, awarded four Oscars.
Waitress Maggie dreams of a boxing career. She comes to the gym in search of a coach, but no one agrees to take the girl as a student. Then the girl begins to train herself and makes fantastic progress.
At the suggestion of his friend, who had been watching Maggie for a long time, she began to be trained by Frankie Dunn. Our heroine begins to participate in battles, win and receive excellent prize money. At this time, her relations with the family, which is not interested in the success of the girl, but only draws money from her, become complicated. Maggie and Dunn are very close, they are like a father and a daughter.
Finally, the day comes. H. Maggie will fight for the world title. The invincible Billy begins to lose from the first rounds. Angry, she makes a sneaky little hit, Maggie falls on a stool in her corner of the ring and breaks her neck.
Now she is forever paralyzed. Her family is indifferent, the main thing for them is that the girl writes a will. Dunne is nearby, taking care of Maggie.
After amputation of the leg, her mental state worsens, and the girl thinks about suicide. Dunn helps her to make it, who is not able to look at the torment of his best student.
The best boxing films affect the innermost feelings of both heroes and viewers. They show a real human drama, a tragedy that is difficult to remain indifferent to.
"Cruel ring"
The incredible film of Jacques Wanish.
The main character is boxer Viktor Perez, who, through his perseverance and difficulty, achieved the championship. He has tremendous prospects, an excellent career awaits him, he loves and is loved, lives in the best city in the world. What else is needed for happiness?
But a brutal war intervenes in his life, with which Victor enters into an unequal battle.
Jewish descent destroys his fate. Victor ends up in a concentration camp. Now he is boxing for the fun of the local warders.
Despite the fact that the theme of the film is very gloomy and dramatic, the main leitmotif is that a person is free, he decides how to live and how to die. Even the fact that Victor is a prisoner does not prevent him from believing and winning.
The Cruel Ring movie is a hymn to the power of the human spirit.
Soviet cinema
The 1946 movie "The First Glove" - produced by the USSR. He became one of the rental leaders of that year and gathered a multi-million audience.
Boxing coach Ivan Vasilievich Privalov works in the Meteor society. He meets Nikita Krutikov in the park, in which he sees the future champion. Privalov has a rival Shishkin from the Motor Society, who tricked Krutikov into training with him.
But thanks to an acquaintance with a beautiful gymnast, Nina Nikita reveals a hoax and returns to Privalov.
Nikita was a talented athlete, he will fight for the championship. But there are a few points that may interfere with him. Firstly, relations with Nina, which make him forget about sports. Secondly, the director of his state farm, which is campaigning for the guy to return. And thirdly, the wife of the coach, who is sleeping and sees her husband quit boxing.
After Nina, at the request of Privalov, refuses the wedding with Nikita, the guy gets on the train next to the house. The coach is terrified! But almost reaching his destination, Krutikov realizes that he must return and accept the battle.
Despite the fact that the enemy is almost knocked out, Krutikov loses. But just at that moment he is born as an athlete. The guy rises fighting spirit, and he is ready to move on.
The film "The First Glove", although comedic, but shows the formation of a true athlete and the triumph of his sports spirit.
Lefty
The movie Lefty gathered mixed reviews, but all critics agreed that Jake Gyllenhaal's play was excellent.
He played the role of Billy Hope, in whose life everything was perfect. He is an illustrious boxer, a world champion, he has a beautiful wife and a lovely daughter. His life is just a dream. Wife Maureen asks Billy to leave the sport in order to spend more time with her and her daughter. Hope agrees, he's about to announce his retirement from the sport at the party.
But suddenly his life changes dramatically. Wife dies, his manager leaves. Hope literally loses his mind and does not control his behavior. Because of this, his daughter is taken to a shelter.
This was the last straw. By all means, Billy must return to his usual way of life. And for this you need to return to sport and win the most important victory in your life.
The film "Lefty" did not go beyond the scope of its genre, but remained a sports melodrama, which is interesting to watch. Of course, it contains cinematic stamps, but for lovers of life pictures this will not be an obstacle.
Phantom Strike
Director Robert Townsend made a biographical film about boxer Sonny Liston and his fight with Mohammed Ali.
The image of Ali can be called the most replicated in such sports films. The best boxing films were made based on his fights. The image of this boxer has repeatedly inspired directors.
However, the film "Phantom Strike" tells exactly about Liston and his ridiculous defeat. The emphasis is on the rematch against Ali. Nothing foreshadowed the storm that broke out. Liston received a knockout in the second minute of the battle from a seemingly weak blow. But for seventeen seconds he could not recover and lay on the floor. When the battle resumed, it turned out that the acceptable time for recovery had expired, and Ali was named the winner.
Ali movie
"Ali" is a sports drama of 2001. The leading role was made by the notorious Will Smith.
As the name implies, we are talking about the most famous American boxer, Mohammed Ali.
In 1964, Cassius Clay was still a young and promising boxer. However, this does not prevent him from endlessly believing in himself. He wins Olympic gold and continues to perform in the ring, changing the history of boxing.
His life is no less remarkable than fate in sports. Relations with religion, with my friends, with women - all aroused interest. No wonder the champion was nicknamed the legend. He defended the rights of ordinary citizens, defended the freedom of his country during the war in Vietnam. Ali through his life gave people hope for the best.
The film "Ali" to a greater extent tells that if you believe in yourself and your success, you can achieve anything in life! The picture clearly deserves to be watched.
The documentary "I am Ali" (2014) was also shot about this legendary boxer.
Counterattack
Another film, it would seem, about boxing. But still in such sports dramas the hero’s life comes to the fore. Counterattack is a film that makes you think.
Emilio is our hero. His life cannot be called easy. He had already been in prison. His main dream today is the Golden Gloves tournament held in the city. For him, this is a chance to change his life.
The guy is surrounded by many problems: the illness of the grandmother, the discord with the girl, the struggle with the stepfather, terrorizing the mother ... All this leads Emilio to a psychiatric hospital. He loses hope, wants to quit sports, but faith helps him fight on. He has reasons to return to the ring, and he does it.
Films about boxing, the list of which is presented above, are primarily paintings about life, courage, humanity and self-confidence. Such sports dramas seem to be called to prove that only perseverance and work can lead to the goal, without it there will be nothing - no fame, no victories, no success.