Tyson was finally released onto the big screen and opened in Portland this past week. Director, James Toback, Mike Tyson's best friend since the boxer was 19 years old, constructed a remarkably thoughtful and moving documentary that shows a vulnerable side of the world's infamous youngest heavyweight boxing champion. During an interview, Toback explained that he intentionally orchestrated a kind-of psychoanalytic staging where he placed himself behind Tyson, and then just let him talk. Toback acknowledged that he underwent a psychoanalysis with a famous Polish analyst when he was in his twenties.
The documentary is an 88 minute portrait of a pensive and articulate Tyson describing his life and sharing psychological insights and internal feeling states that apparently surfaced when he finally decided to seek treatment for chemical dependency. In fact, Toback shot the film while Tyson was in rehab, which he believed facilitated a more self-reflective side of the ex-boxer. You may find yourself wondering whether Tyson shot up with sodium pentothal prior to filming. Particularly poignant in Tyson's monologue was his discussion of fear, aggression, and his feelings about his mentor and trainer, Constantine "Cus" D'Amato. At age 13, Tyson was arrested for stealing and was sent to a juvenile delinquent prison. He described himself as an asmatic fat kid who was a victim of school yard bullies in the slums of Brooklyn where he grew up, not an especially likely candidate to become the heavyweight champion of the world. When as a child, he was released from reform school, Tyson was sent to live with D'Amato, who fathered him and taught him about the psychology of boxing as well as how to fight. Tyson had difficulties sharing his feelings about the late D'Amato as he was often overwhelmed with sadness and grief as he tried to describe how powerfully his life changed as a result of the relationship. It is apparent that D'Amato worked very hard to help Tyson to value himself.
Toback shared that when Tyson first watched the documentary, he likened the film to a Greek Tragedy with himself as the subject. He lost his title, his fortune, and his soul on more than one occasion. In the telling of his life story, Tyson talks at length about his battle with his internal demons, his inferiority complex, and his self-destructive behaviors. His unlikely rise to power as the youngest world heavyweight champion was destroyed when he was accused and convicted for a rape. During his description of his nineteen months in prison it is apparent that the experience was quite traumatic and horrific. He was a markedly different person after his release and was unable to trust anyone. It may be that the only person Tyson ever trusted was D'Amato. Tyson regained the heavyweight championship only to lose his title again and be banned from boxing for a year for biting off a chunk of his opponent Evander Holyfield's ear, who he claimed was head-butting him. His life began spiraling out of control and he lost himself once again to women and drugs. His boxing career ended in 2005 when he admitted that his heart was no longer in the sport; all of the fight had gone out of him.
Tyson is a very well-crafted documentary that intersperses old footage of critical moments in Mike Tyson's boxing career and home movies with the monologue of a humbler and wiser Tyson. If you don't catch this film during its short run at the Fox Tower in Portland, watch for its release on DVD. Don't miss it!
Here are links to a couple of trailers for the film:
http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi2842690329/
http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi1874002457/
