HTF BLU-RAY REVIEW: Tyson

Tyson

Studio: Sony Pictures Classics

Year: 2009

Rated: R

Program Length: 90 minutes

Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 1080p

Languages: English Dolby TrueHD 5.1

Subtitles: English, English SDH, French

The Program

What I’ve done in the past is the history, and what I’m gonna do in the future is a mystery. – Mike Tyson

Mike Tyson, the former world heavyweight championship boxer, is a study in contradictions. He is profane and eloquent, violent and gentle, confident and fearful. He craves the stability of family life, yet repeatedly makes such a life impossible by his irresponsible actions. He claims that he wants the companionship of a strong woman – a “CEO type” – but also a woman he can sexually dominate. He is sufficiently insightful to recognize and admit his failures, but he seemingly cannot stop himself from repeating them.

Director James Toback was granted unprecedented access to Mike Tyson for several days, the result of which is this revealing, fascinating and disturbing documentary. Told largely in the boxer’s own words, Tyson covers the man’s journey from juvenile delinquent to undisputed world champion to convicted rapist to champion again. Then came more disgrace when he bit off part of the ear of opponent Evander Holyfield during a championship fight. Tyson’s boxing career ended ignominiously when he was decisively beaten in bouts with inferior opponents. He then checked himself into rehab in 2007 after he was charged with felony drug possession following an auto accident in Arizona.

Raised in one of the worst sections of Brooklyn, Mike Tyson was by his own description an overweight, insecure boy who was bullied until he proved his mettle by beating up an older tormentor. By the age of 12 he was running with a rough crowd and was participating in armed robberies. Following the inevitable arrests and convictions, he was sent to a juvenile facility in upstate New York. It was there that he was introduced to boxing and to trainer Cus D’Amato. D’Amato, who had trained world heavyweight champion Floyd Patterson, recognized that Tyson had the physical ability to be a superlative boxer and took the young man into his home. D’Amato was, until his death in 1985, the only father figure in Tyson’s life.

Tyson dutifully records the highlights and lowlights of the boxer’s career. Footage of his fights – many of which ended in first round knockouts – is interspersed with Tyson’s recollections and with television clips about his misadventures out of the ring. One of the more astonishing sequences shows Tyson and his wife, actress Robin Givens, being interviewed by Barbara Walters. During the interview Tyson looks on in silence while Givens accuses him, on national television, of physical and emotional abuse. Elsewhere he recounts that he fought Trevor Berbick for the World Boxing Council championship while afflicted with gonorrhea, which he blames on sex with a prostitute or some other “filthy woman.” In 1991 he was arrested and ultimately convicted of raping a contestant at the Miss Black America pageant. Over the course of his career he won $300 million in purses, but he had to file for bankruptcy in 2003.

Should we care about Mike Tyson and his problems? Perhaps not. However, like coming upon a train wreck, it is difficult to look away. He is man who is capable of frightening anger and violence, but also of introspection and tears. He has known incredible success and fame, but for every success there has been a tragedy - usually self-inflicted - of equal or greater magnitude (one tragedy which is not covered in the film is the recent accidental death of Tyson’s four-year-old daughter). James Toback was asked about Tyson’s reaction upon seeing the completed film. “He was sitting in the aisle on the floor,” the director recalls, “in a yoga-like position, and he was silent for five minutes, and then said quietly, ‘It’s like a Greek tragedy. The only problem is, I’m the subject.’”

The Video

The 1.85:1 1080p widescreen transfer of Tyson is very good, although some of the vintage footage is necessarily very grainy and not particularly sharp. However, most of the boxing clips are in excellent shape, and the interview footage is of course exceedingly sharp. Some of the ESPN clips come from 4:3 master elements and have been blown up to the widescreen aspect ratio, resulting in some loss of non-essential picture information. Some viewers may be put off a bit by Toback’s frequent use of split screen imagery, which is perhaps a bit overdone.

The Audio

The Dolby TrueHD 5.1 soundtrack is as good as one could expect from a documentary about a prizefighter. Everything is clear and intelligible, and the surround channels get a bit to do during the boxing sequences. However, this is not the type of film which is designed to give your sound system a workout.

The Supplements

The extras include an insightful commentary by director James Toback. He had known Tyson for many years and was one of the few people who still had Tyson’s trust.

In addition, this Blu-ray disc includes two high-definition featurettes. “A Day in the Life” follows the director on the day of the film’s premiere in Los Angeles. The other is an interview of Toback on “The Fabulous Picture Show,” but for some reason it is entitled “James Toback on The Big Picture Show.”

There also is a standard-definition featurette entitled “Iron Mike: Toback Talks Tyson” in which the director expounds upon the making of the film and his relationship with the boxer.

The original theatrical trailer, and trailers for other Sony films, make up the rest of the extras. Blu-ray Live features will be accessible on the release date.

The Packaging

The single disc comes in a standard Blu-ray keep case.

The Final Analysis

Tyson is a superbly crafted documentary, though your enthusiasm for it may depend upon your interest in the subject matter. It should be emphasized that it is more a character study than a boxing film. The boxing sequences are vivid and powerful, but they are not the focus of Tyson. For all of the man’s flaws, I could not help but think about how differently his life might have turned out if he had been surrounded by better influences.

Equipment used for this review:

Panasonic DMP-BD50 Blu-ray player

Panasonic Viera TC-P46G15 THX Plasma display, calibrated to THX specifications by Gregg Loewen

Yamaha HTR-5890 THX Surround Receiver

BIC Acoustech speakers

Interconnects: Monster Cable

Release Date: August 18, 2009