THE FIRE INSIDE – Review by Loren King
Bryan Tyree Henry makes everything he is in better. He is the expansive soul of The Fire Inside, the feature directorial debut of notable cinematographer Rachel Morrison, who shot Mudbound and Black Panther. Her film, written by Barry Jenkins, is the true story of American boxing champion Claressa “T-Rex” Shields (played by Jazmin Headley as a girl and Ryan Destiny as a teen and adult) that will be a revelation for anyone who doesn’t follow the sport. Morrison captures the decay and poverty in Flint, Michigan, home to Henry’s boxer-turned-coach Jason Crutchfield and the surly, determined kid who shows up at his grungy gym.
Crutchfield recognizes heart and he breaks his “no girls” rule to train Claressa all the way to the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. The Fire Inside follows the sports movie formula. but with a major difference: the hero’s journey is complicated by race, class and gender. Claressa must overcome a home life with its damaging cycle of abuse, poverty, teen pregnancy and low expectations. Even after her triumph at the Olympics, endorsements that would bring financial stability are scarce, owing to bias against female boxers particularly those who make no apologies for being tough or “unladylike” which has a piercing echo to current attitudes toward many WNBA players.
The rapport between Henry’s caring coach and Destiny’s battling athlete is depicted with such empathy and realism that it doesn’t matter if you’ve seen movies like this before. There has never been a boxer with a story like Shields’ and The Fire Inside tells it in a way that feels unvarnished and bruised but no less inspiring.
