I Am Ali attempts to give a new perspective on one of the twentieth century’s most fascinating, controversial, and inspirational figures, Muhammad Ali. Ali is already the subject of documentaries and Michael Mann’s biopic; this new film uses interviews with friends and family, archival footage, somewhat incongruous modern B-roll footage, and most interestingly, previously unreleased audiotapes of Ali in intimate moments with his family, especially his then-young children.

I Am Ali’s greatest accomplishment is to capture the many facets of Ali, who entered the spotlight as a boxer, and became, in his famous words, “the greatest,” definitely of his generation and probably of all time, despite losing four prime years in the middle of his career. But while Ali was first and foremost an incredible athlete, he completely transcended that role to become so much more to American culture. Civil rights icon, political lightning rod, war protestor, poet of braggadocio, and most surprisingly, a highly spiritual figure – Ali was all of these things and more, and the film shows all of these sides to Ali’s character while also keeping track of the boxing career that formed the backbone of his public life.

The title is somewhat puzzling, giving the impression of a personal statement or a self-definition. In truth, Ali only speaks in decades-old tapes and footage; all the modern commentary is from other people. This is for obvious reasons – in a tragic turn of fate, Ali, a man endowed with limitless physical and verbal gifts, developed Parkinson’s, a disease that would hobble those very traits. However, you wouldn’t know this from watching the film, which seems to explicitly avoid stating this fact, aside from two oblique mentions by family members. It’s the filmmaker’s prerogative to focus on the man he was rather than the older man diminished by disease, but it’s simply strange that it doesn’t receive at least an acknowledgment; as it is, the subject hovers over the film like an unspoken ghost.

But not showing Ali today has its advantages, allowing him to become larger than life in the viewer’s mind as they hear testimonials from the many people whose lives he touched. In hearing story after story, one gets the sense that Ali had an aura about him, conveying a sense of greatness just through his presence. Hearing from his family is especially moving. While he seems to have been a poor husband due to infidelity, as a father he was loving to a fault, gentle and indulging, and the conversations between him and his young daughters are a treat to listen to. Another powerful scene shows the making of the famous Esquire cover story, “The Passion of Muhammad Ali,” which perfectly captured Ali’s almost saintly aura, a sense of righteous suffering and eventual triumph.

I Am Ali makes some small missteps in its presentation, but by featuring new material on an innately compelling subject, it is necessary viewing for fans of Ali, or for anyone curious about a man of strength and love who fought for his beliefs with unwavering conviction.