American Experience - The Fight (2004)

Synopsis: After his 1936 defeat at the hands of German champion Max Schmeling, American heavyweight Joe Louis was destined for a rematch at New York's Yankee Stadium on June 22, 1938. But this was to be no... After his 1936 defeat at the hands of German champion Max Schmeling, American heavyweight Joe Louis was destined for a rematch at New York's Yankee Stadium on June 22, 1938. But this was to be no ordinary battle: as the storm clouds of World War II began gathering over Europe, the boxing match took on hugely symbolic importance as a harbinger of the impending global conflict. And just like Jesse Owens before him, the African-American Louis shouldered the task of representing both his country and his race against the the Nazi ideology embodied by the Aryan Schmeling (although rather unjustly, as the German boxer risked his life hiding Jewish children during the war). PBS' AMERICAN EXPERIENCE chronicles this epic showdown and its emotional impact on both black and Jewish audiences in its thrilling documentary THE FIGHT. [More]

Director: Barak Goodman

Director: Barak Goodman