“La Guerra Civil” is a solid debut work from Eva Longoria as she shows us the impact that the De La Hoya v. Chavez bout for “Ultimate Glory” in 1996 caused in both the boxing world and Mexican culture. Its approach is quite formulaic to the average sports documentary, but it has the necessary punch to be engaging.
Boxing as a Grand, Dynamic Sport
In the 2000s and early 2010s, boxing was still a grand sport; it was a huge event when a big fight was happening. Everyone gathered around to see the bouts. It’s true that once you see a great fight, you’re in a way addicted to the sport; each time around you seek more and more fights until you’re hooked for life. Unfortunately, I think boxing has been slowly dying down, not because of the fighters, but the techniques being used (and the fights generating more attention are the YouTuber drama fake combats). Each country has had its array of champions, but a small section of them was actually considered beasts. In between the reigns of Tyson and Mayweather, there was Julio Cesar Chavez.
Chavez, named the world’s best pound-for-pound boxer from 1990 to 1993 by The Ring magazine, was a hero for the Mexican community. He was the people’s champ from the ’80s to the early 2000s. Dominating fight after fight, one after the other, never skipping a beat (never losing a fight as well). That’s until newcomer/Olympic gold medalist Oscar De La Hoya came ringing into the boxing world, taking it by storm. As the documentary states, not only was he great in the ring, but was very young, quick, and handsome. Money was being thrown at the time since he was “the big-ticket” back in the day. Like Chavez, both had a reign for themselves as they were undefeated for quite a long time.
Not Just a Fight; but a Clash of Cultures and Communities
A fight between the raging bull Chavez versus the young gun De La Hoya for the lightweight championship was being planned in 1996, and it caused turmoils not only in the boxing world, albeit in the Mexican community. Chavez was born in Ciudad Obregón and, as I mentioned earlier, was the people’s champ; meanwhile, De La Hoya was born in East Los Angeles.
Oscar de la Hoya and Julio Cesar Chavez appear in “La Guerra Civil.” (Photo courtesy of Sundance Institute).
That’s what Eva Longoria wants to focus on: the impact both on and off the ring that his rivalry had on Mexican culture. The fight for “Ultimate Glory” it was called, and it pitted the fighters and their respective communities one against the other, hence the title “La Guerra Civil” (aka. “The Civil War”). I didn’t know much about the background behind the fight and its aftermath, so it’s interesting to see how boxing led to clashes within factions, families, and involvements with the cartel.
‘La Guerra Civil’s’ Issues Overshadowed by its Strengths
Some issues I have regarding showcasing the project have to do with its pacing and approach. On most occasions, it feels like it’s going too fast, unlike regular bouts taking things one punch at a time. In terms of the approach, it’s formulaic and straightforward compared to other sports documentaries. However, to make up for those minor problems, Longoria makes sure that the interviews with the fighters, sports analysts, and celebrities are entertaining and of worth. Both Chavez and De La Hoya open up about their struggles pre-and post-bout, like substance abuse, making them look even more alike than they thought they were.
“La Guerra Civil” is a strong debut from Longoria; and although there are some problems in terms of presentation, I was entertained and captivated throughout.
This review was written from day 3 of Sundance Film Festival’s 2022 programming.
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