Thriller In Manila

If you prefer films to the fight game, you'll probably only know Joe Frasier from his cameo in the original Rocky and his guest appearances on 'The Simpsons'. If on the other hand, you're a student of the sweet science, you'll be quick to recognise 'Smokin' Joe' as one of the stars of heavyweight boxing's golden age. Right up there with Muhammad Ali, Ken Norton and George Foreman, Frazier became world champion in 1970 before going on to beat the erstwhile Cassius Clay in the so-called "Fight Of The Century".

However, it was for his role in another bout that Frazier would secure his place in the sporting annals. The "Thriller In Manila" was as brutal a boxing match as has ever been fought. While the oppressive Filipino weather and the early hour - bell time was 10.45am - would compound the sapping nature of the contest, it was Frazier's courage, stamina and fortitude that made this not only the greatest of in-ring wars but a battle Ali would describe as the closest he'd ever been to dying.

But there was more to the fight than two great athletes being taken to the limit. As John Dower points up in his excellent documentary, the Thriller In Manila exposed a thoroughly unpleasant side to Muhammad Ali's character. Long respected for his personal integrity, the way Ali carried himself during the build up to the fight was at odds with the sensitive, intelligent man who'd chosen not to go to Vietnam. From regularly referring to Frazier as an 'Uncle Tom' to sparring with a man in a gorilla suit, Ali bated his opponent in a way that was a hair's breadth from bigotry. That it was in fact 'The Louisville Lip' who had white ancestry was neither here nor there. As far as Ali was concerned, Joe Frazier was an inferior and as such was a deserving target for his scorn.

With Thriller In Manila clearly in the Frazier corner, you might already have guessed that Ali doesn't contribute to the documentary. However, his biographer Thomas Hauser is on hand to outline his disgraceful pre-match behaviour. And since film has already provided much from the perspective of Muhammad Ali, it's as refreshing to hear the other side of the story as it is to see another aspect of his nature exposed.

Those speaking up for Joe include his son and manager Marvis, and former champ Larry Holmes who's long criticized Ali's saintly reputation. And then there's the great man himself, still working out daily in his Philadelphia gym and looking to pass on his wisdom to a new generation of fighters. With a wall-flat nose and slightly fuzzy speech, it's clear boxing's taken a lot out of Frasier, although as he distastefully claims, not as much as he took out of Muhammad Ali. That Smokin' Joe seems happy to lay claim to Ali's ill health makes him a hard man to empathise with. But just as his opinion might seem justified in the eyes of some, the fact Dower sees fit to include it means Thriller In Manila is one boxing documentary where the honesty is as brutal as the in-ring action.

Dower's third documentary feature after Britpop doc Live Forever and Once In A Lifetime: The Extraordinary Story Of The New York Cosmos, Thriller In Manila is the work of a rapidly evolving talent. Just compare the interviews of today's Dower with the meek manner in which he once questioned Damon Albarn and Noel Gallagher - the shy guy of 2002 has given way to someone willing to verbally spar with the formidable Larry Holmes. With his films now gaining official recognition (Thriller In Manila was nominated at Sundance), this is one documentarian whose career is as worthy of attention as his work.