A Boxer's Fight Outside of the Ring
Tyrene Manson emerges victorious from the opening round of the Golden Gloves, then describes how her ex-boyfriend once beat her up the day before an important match. We learn that not only does she support herself, but she is also the guardian of two cousins and must care for her uncle Randy, a drug addict slowly dying of AIDS. Another tyro pugilist, Noel Santiago, describes his own fatherless childhood and his mother's drug addiction which caused her to leave the house for days at a time when he was a small child. And George Walton, who comes from a family of 15 children, finds success as a boxer but quickly becomes frustrated with the exploitative side of professional sports.

Under the tutelage of coach Harry Keitt in his Bedford-Stuyvesant, NYC boxing gym, these nascent prize fighters experience the highs and lows of competition. Harry, who once was the sparring partner of Muhammad Ali, trains the neophytes with the gentle but stern hand of a caring father. As the stories unfold, one can't help but get caught up in the adrenaline rush as each boxer enters the ring. Noel beams and proclaims, "Now I know how it feels to be a winner," after a preliminary round of the Golden Gloves. However, his hopes crumble when he loses his second round, the disappointment evident in his sullen face and defeated posture. Tyrene forfeits the chance to fight in a tournament when it coincides with a bigger battle in her life — not in the ring, but in a courtroom. Her uncle is caught selling crack and there is a raid on her house. When the police find evidence of the drug in her bedroom, Tyrene is arrested for possession. Backed into a corner, Tyrene can only look on skeptically as her bumbling court-appointed attorney spews cliché-ridden support: "The truth will set you free. The jury will do the right thing." George is the one to encounter professional success — but at the hands of unctuous manager Mickey Marcello he finds his career not going the way he planned it.

Insightful Audio Commentary Highlights DVD Extras
Extras include cast and filmmaker biographies, the film's trailer, commentary with directors Nanette Burstein and Brett Morgen and composer Theodore Shapiro, and a brief epilogue. The biographies and trailer are the standard fare. Listening to the commentary is somewhat akin to listening to three excited grad students talk about their theses. Burstein (who also produced and edited the film) explains how she got the idea for the documentary after training with Harry herself and getting to know the young boxers. Morgen makes the point that the film is not about boxing, but rather about the human spirit. The boxing is merely a metaphor for the youngsters' struggles and the search for their identities.

Burstein and Morgen discuss their background in dramatic fiction film and how that influenced On the Ropes — they used outdoor shots of homes and buildings to give a narrative feel and they utilized sound effects for more convincing point-of-view shots. The two are candid when they talk about the issue inherent in the making of documentaries in how involved filmmakers should become in the events they document. In their own case, when Tyrene's lawyer gives her questionable counsel, Burstein and Morgen stop the cameras to offer her their own advice.

The directors also add some intriguing trivia: George's manager, Mickey Marcello was once a singer for the 1970s Long Island band the Good Rats; and a fictionalized version of On the Ropes may be in the works.

On the Ropes in presented in a full-frame 1.33:1 aspect ratio with Dolby Digital 2.0 sound. No subtitles or language tracks are available. Both picture and sound are sharp, a testimonial to the talents of the filmmakers who worked wonders with a small budget.