Change Your Image
emilyplec
Reviews
Fists of Freedom: The Story of the '68 Summer Games (1999)
Fists of Freedom both delights and disappoints
Fists of Freedom is an important film that chronicles the Black Boycott movement and touches on the lives of several American athletes involved in the 1968 Summer Olympic Games. It is a must see for anyone interested in the history of racism in sports. It is a beautiful tribute to the eloquence of John Carlos's and Tommie Smith's courageous stand. At the same time, it is deeply flawed for reasons other than its omission of contemporary interview footage with John Carlos, though this is its most glaring fault. The film also perpetuates some racially problematic characterizations of black athletes and activists. If you would like to know more about the limitations of the film, check out the doctoral dissertation (UMI Proquest) titled "The Presence of the Past: Rhetorical History and Cultural Memory of the 1968 Summer Olympic Games." If you just want to be moved by a well-narrated montage of archival and interview footage, sit back and prepare to be delighted. The coverage of Bob Beamon's record setting long jump and the massacre of student protesters in Tlatelolco are other highlights worth appreciating.