Review by Evan Weber
“I chased her into the women’s bathroom, lifted her up on the corner of the sink, and performed fellatio on her.”
Sincerely deranged comments like this shape Tyson (James Toback), a Mike Tyson documentary narrated by Tyson himself. The entire film consists of Iron Mike’s commentary, which is at once childish, pensive, self-aware, and fearful, spliced with vintage fight footage and scenes of Tyson contemplating various thoughts on the beach (which is pretty hilarious when detached from sincerity of the film).
If you think Mike Tyson is a thoughtless animal out for blood, than this film won’t exactly change your perception. It will, however, force you to understand the reasons why Mike doesn’t quite understand or regret many of the more harmful things he’s done or said.
As you can imagine, Mike Tyson didn’t grow up living in a cul-de-sac in the suburbs. Tyson spent his youth in some of the harshest projects in Brooklyn, NY, and learned early on that fighting was a way out. Tyson talks about a childhood where he was often in the hospital, sick with lung problems. On top of his illness, Mike was a small, fat kid who older thugs often stole from and beat up.
Everything changed when one of the older thugs killed one of Mike’s pet pigeons. Mike was distraught; he beat the older man severely. From that point on, Mike knew fighting would protect him.
Mike was done being a coward. He was, and still is “…afraid of being that way again.” Tyson invites the viewer to re-visit the Mike Tyson story through the man’s eyes, and what you see is a life guided by fear.
This documentary is excellent. See it, especially if Mike Tyson disgusts you. He’ll surprise you. A little.
