Films featuring Boxing

The bout filmed in a single unbroken take across two rounds is the most technically interesting boxing scene of recent years — with no cuts, there is nowhere to hide imprecision.

Women's boxing is shown here as a full sport rather than a curiosity — not a given in 2004. The film also confronts the risk of cervical spine injury directly.

LaMotta trained Robert De Niro himself and judged him capable of a professional bout. The ring scenes are shot subjectively, from inside — which is why they feel unlike a sports broadcast.

The bout is choreographed punch by punch rather than improvised, which is why it reads so clearly. The training scenes popularised running and speed work that boxing gyms genuinely use.

The round-table duel showcases Wing Chun in confined space, where footwork and stability decide. The closing bout against the boxer is a screenwriter's device, not a documented event.