It isn't hard to believe that something commonly searched for on Google is the question "Am I too old to box professionally?" especially when it is a common theme talked about in many famous boxing films. In this week's blog post, I would like to focus on how certain films discuss the importance of age and time in their plot. In certain instances, age can be introduced as a weakness or a motivator, and time is portrayed at a loss. In The Set-Up (1949), we see a protagonist motivated by their age because it is their greatest weakness. In Body And Soul (1947), Raging Bull (1980), and On The Waterfront (1952), boxing captivates much of the boxer's life, taking up precious and valuable time. And in films like Ali (2001) and Million Dollar Baby (2004), we see boxers are automatically considered at a disadvantage because of the stereotypical beliefs about age affecting one's physicality. BOXERS REMINDED OF THEIR AGE
In all these films, it can be concluded that there is a sense of whimsicality surrounding the topic of age. By not giving real reasons as to why age is so threatening to a boxer's career, it is seen as more plausible when a boxer beats their opponent. It is no question that physical health is something people cannot control. In Leger Grindon's book Knockout!, he states "Like Robert Warshow’s gangster, the boxer is a tragic figure; he personifies a division between body and spirit, and since time dictates the deterioration of the flesh, he is destined for a fall (Warshow 1975). " Time will make a boxer weaker, but in these boxing films, we see boxers beat the unbelievable and rise even though the odds are stacked against them. differences of age: losing time
While watching all these films, I have concluded that time and age is considered extremely valuable to the boxer. Most times, age is a motivator to the boxer and it keeps the audience intrigued by proving those who believe the stereotypes of aging boxers wrong. Although this is often times celebrated in the boxing films, the audience is also presented with the fact that boxing consumes its fighters. Boxers often age before ones eye's because they are caught up in the sport. More often than not, a boxer's career and their successions/failures are more important than creating a family. In boxing films, age and time are just concepts, and these topics will always be defined by who the boxer is, and what that boxer does with their life.
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Author(savannah hink) |