Content Advisory: Rape and Sexual Assault, Child abuse/pedophilia, Substance abuse or alcoholism
The story of Olympic boxer Claressa Shields is told in The First Inside. As a kid, Claressa Shields (Ryan Destiny) snuck into the gym of volunteer boxing coach Jason Crutchfield (Brian Tyree Henry) eager to learn how to box. Jason takes Claressa under his wing and five years later, she is on her way to the 2012 Olympic Games in London. However, Shields learns she still has a tough hill to climb even after Olympic glory.
The Fire Inside Synopsis
The Fire Inside is the directorial debut from Oscar-nominated cinematographer Rachel Morrison (Mudbound, Black Panther), based on a script written by Oscar-winner Barry Jenkins (Moonlight, If Beale Street Could Talk). The film tells the true story of Claressa Shields, who begins training to become a boxer, partially to escape her troubled home life, with an alcoholic mother and imprisoned father. Claressa barely qualifies for the United States Olympic boxing team and ends up winning gold. However, as being a black female boxer is not that marketable for sponsors, Claressa has to struggle with the fact that winning gold does not greatly affect her quality of life.
My Thoughts on The Fire Inside
One aspect of The Fire Inside that I can applaud is that Barry Jenkins’ script for the film goes against the typical inspirational sports drama, but placing Caressa Shields’ Olympic Gold Medal win in the middle of the film and showing how it was not quite a happy ending. The Fire Inside is probably going be compared to previous female boxer dramas, such as Girlfight and Million Dollar Baby, both of which are arguably better films. However, The Fire Inside is a solid sports drama that tackles themes of sexism and inequality in the female boxing world.