Tyson – Blu-Ray Review

The Film:

It’s so rare that you see a documentary in which the director never gets in the way of the subject. James Toback simply lets his camera roll and allows “Iron” Mike Tyson to tell his story – from his bullied young self to the manic depressive trash-talker who coined phrases like “I will eat your children”. On a superficial level, it’s a remarkably simply picture. Once in awhile there are split-screens and echoed conversations, but the bulk of the film is composed of a lone Tyson discussing his life to the camera. He’s rarely accompanied by music, and the archival footage is used only to accent Tyson’s accounts, not to tell the story on their own. It’s fitting for two reasons – not only does it give us an incredibly intimate look at a man most of us only know from his negative media coverage, but it illustrates Tyson as a victim of his own fame. A bullied boy, still alone, left only to reflect and regret. He puts it simply: “old too soon, smart too late”.

Tyson is the Mike Tyson story as told by Tyson himself. We’re never given insight by his friends, family, or media reporters – we, as the audience, are simply meant to believe every word coming out of Tyson’s mouth. Surprisingly, it’s not a hard thing to do. He speaks eloquently and heartfelt. For a man many people would label as a “brute”, he’s remarkably thoughtful, poetic, and even quite critical of himself. While we cannot know whether or not everything he tells us is true, he sure is persuasive.

Iron Mike grew up in a tough poverty-stricken neighborhood in Brooklyn. As a fat boy in such a harsh environment, he was often bullied. One day, he fought back – and, much to his surprise, he was damn good at it. Thus the seeds were planted for the boy who would become the baddest man on the planet.

The first turning point in his life came when he met the legendary trainer Cus D’Amato, who refined Tyson’s boxing skills and set him straight after a stint in a juvenile detention center. D’Amato died a year before Tyson won his first heavyweight title, but Tyson speaks of him as though he were the sole reason he was able to escape the streets.

The film covers many of the great media controversies – from his marriage to Robin Givens to the alleged rape of Desiree Washington. We also get his take on the infamous ear-biting incident. He says he was insane and uncontrollable, completely ashamed to have lost his cool. What’s so remarkable about the way Tyson speaks is that we forgive him for everything he says. How can you not sympathize with a man so vulnerable and honest with himself?

Tyson is simply fascinating. It’s only flaw is that it’s not two hours longer – I was dreading the end credits as I felt I’d only been given a teaser. So much more could have been covered in depth, from his relationship with Don King to an expanded analysis of his relationship with Desiree Washington. But, still, the film remains a wonderfully intimate and compelling portrait of a man most of us hardly ever thought twice about.

The Blu-ray:

Audio/Video: The film looks beautiful in a 1080p 1.85:1 widescreen presentation. The archival footage is of varying quality, but it’s understandable as it’s unavoidable. The scenes on the ocean, in particular, are beautiful with vivid and lively colors. Tyson’s narration is also always clear without any sign of distortion.

Audio Commentary: The disc includes a commentary track with director James Toback. He is incredibly thorough with his anecdotes, and there is rarely a moment of silence on the track.

A Day with James Toback: Running about sixteen minutes, this is a short documentary following director James Toback on the day of the film’s premiere. We see phone calls to celebrity guests, press interviews, Tyson arriving to the premiere, and so on. It’s a bit self-congratulatory, but nonetheless a fairly worthwhile feature.

Iron Mike – Toback Talks Tyson: The best feature on the disc. For about ten minutes, Toback answers a series of question regarding the making of the film. Among the topics addressed are how much creative freedom Tyson allowed Toback, and why Tyson tried to hide his tears to such an extent in one of the most powerful moment of the film.

James Toback on “The Big Picture Show”: This is a thirteen minute promotional piece on the film. It includes a brief Q&A with an audience with scenes from the film edited in between.

Theatrical Trailer: The Blu-ray disc features the film’s theatrical trailer.

Previews: The Blu-ray disc presents additional high definition trailers for the following: “Blu-ray Disc is High Definition”, Sugar, Rudo y Cursi, Moon, Whatever Works, Waltz With Bashir, and Redbelt.

Conclusion: Although the film didn’t have quite the emotional resonance for me on the second time around, I still find it to be a fascinating documentary and one of the best films 2009 has had to offer. The special features are nothing too special, but nevertheless I’d give the Tyson Blu-ray a recommendation.

The Film: Rating:
The Blu-ray: Rating:

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