The Philosophy of Michael Mann

Mann's Biopics and the Methodology of Philosophy

244 MAnn’s bIoPICs And the Methodology of PhIlosoPhy Ali and The Insider David Rodríguez-Ruiz I have to put my family’s welfare on the line here, my friend. And what are you putting up? You’re putting up words! —Jeffrey Wigand in The Insider (1999) The Battle of Ideas in Ali What is it to be a people’s champion? Are there irresolvable conflicts between being a people’s champion and being an individual committed to critical thinking? What is the nature of patriotism, freedom, and brotherhood? In Ali (2001), Michael Mann not only explores these decidedly philosophical questions but also provides a rich context for a discussion about the methodological difficulties involved in trying to answer them. How does one decide, for instance, what true patriotism and freedom are? Conceptions of patriotism and freedom are embedded in our laws and institutions, but that alone is not enough reason for upholding any of those conceptions. Laws and institutions can oftentimes be flawed, and they need to be challenged. The public might also widely share some beliefs about patriotism and freedom at any point in time, but being shared by the majority is not what gives normative value to these beliefs or what makes them true. Individuals might rightly challenge widely shared views. Then again, individuals are fallible, and, from an evaluative standpoint, what should matter are the grounds for our beliefs, not who happens to hold the beliefs in question. So what could be the right grounds for our beliefs about the nature of Mann’s Biopics and the Methodology of Philosophy 245 patriotism, brotherhood, and other concepts that shape the social order? Are there objective grounds when it comes to these issues, or are there no matters of fact about them, only opinions that become part of certain traditions or that are convenient to those who seek to maintain power? Although Ali doesn’t attempt to give direct answers to these questions, the film has the merit of showing (or reminding us) that there is much at stake in answering them. Moreover, the historical examples in Ali illustrate that precisely because the stakes are high and there are no easy recipes for finding the right answers, individuals have the responsibility to adopt a philosophical attitude and think critically. Ali is as much about important battles of ideas during the 1960s and early 1970s as it is about a significant chapter in boxing history. Woven into the main story are direct references to the ideological differences within the civil rights movement, the Muslim church, and different sectors of the American public on issues such as racial integration, the war in Vietnam, and women’s liberation. The first complete lines of dialogue that we hear in the film are from a speech by Malcolm X (Mario Van Peebles) criticizing the approach of other African American leaders and arguing against the idea that one should “turn the other cheek to the brutality of the white man and the system of injustice that is established right here.” A few additional scenes make reference to how Malcolm X not only disagrees with other civil rights leaders and with the interpretation of some Christian principles but also has differences with the leaders of his own congregation on how to conduct the struggle for equality.1 With Muhammad Ali’s (Will Smith) involvement in religious and political issues, we get to see an additional series of ideological clashes and contradictions : Ali disagrees with Malcolm X’s critique of their religious leader, but later he, too, is suspended from the practice of Islam, supposedly for loving the sports world too much, and is denied contact with other Muslims. He disagrees with his first wife (Jada Pinkett Smith) about what her fashion choices represent. In her view, unwillingly dressing according to Muslim precepts would represent submission to the leaders of Ali’s religion, whereas Ali thinks that the way she dresses and straightens her hair represents submission to the prevalent white culture and sends the wrong message that her own ethnicity is less valuable. He argues with his second wife (Nona Gaye) about what it means to have a big boxing event in an African country . He argues with his father (Giancarlo Esposito) about what their family name “Clay” stands for. (In Ali’s view, it represents their ancestors’ slave past, 246 David Rodríguez-Ruiz whereas his father believes that they now...