On the Ropes

Play trailer

On the Ropes

1999

1h 34m

Documentary

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

93%

Tomatometer

14 Reviews

72%

Popcornmeter

500+ Ratings

This documentary by Nanette Burstein and Brett Morgen follows the lives of three Brooklyn, N.Y., boxers and their trainer. George Walton is a veteran fighter whose early career was derailed by bad management. Seeking another shot at glory, he trains with Harry Keitt, an older ex-boxer who has dealt with his share of hard knocks. Keitt also works with Tyrene Manson, a tough female fighter from a troubled home, and Noel Santiago, a former gang member, who has skill but lacks motivation.

Michael Sragow

The New Yorker

The filmmakers convey Harry and his fighters' victories and defeats with a soul-rocking combination of intimacy and intricacy.

Aug 14, 2017

Full Review

Roger Ebert

Chicago Sun-Times

On the Ropes is a sports documentary as gripping, in a different way, as Hoop Dreams.

Rated: 4/4

Jan 1, 2000

Full Review

Film Threat

Rated: 3.5/5

Dec 6, 2005

Full Review

Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

Rated: 3/5

Jun 26, 2005

Full Review

Luke Y. Thompson

New Times

The American dream has not been so effectively fought for onscreen in a long, long time.

Rated: 5/5

Jan 16, 2003

Full Review

Film Threat

Rated: 3.5/5

Dec 8, 2002

Full Review

Read all reviews

Audience Member

This was a real crap documentary. poor production value. Uninspiring and just down right depressing.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

02/25/23

Full Review

Audience Member

a boxing documentary that fails at being interesting.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

02/12/23

Full Review

Audience Member

The challenging and difficult lives of the boxers are moving, but the movie is a bit weak on overarching themes or motifs. As such, it falls into the pitfall of may low-budget documentaries: an interesting subject is told so starkly that it loses almost all sense of being interesting.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

02/22/23

Full Review

Audience Member

I drank three or four beers while watching this and didn't even have a buzz by the end, it was that sobering. No one dies or anything. It's not like that. It's just that director Nanette Burstein, as she would eventually do with The Kid Stays in the Picture and most recently American Teen, paints such a stark picture of her subject matter. In this case, that means the three down-on-their-luck boxers who are busting their butts at the New-Bed-Stuy Boxing gym in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn. As fascinating as those three were, the trainer Harry Keitt has perhaps the most gut-wrenching backstory and the most inspiring present-day story. Man, the stuff that guy's been through. If you think you have it rough and need a little perspective, check this out. Or watch it if you just want to see what great documentary filmmaking is about. Nanette Burstein is among the best in the biz.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/14/23

Full Review

Audience Member

an inspiring and sometimes heartbreaking documentary.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/19/23

Full Review

Audience Member

not as good as i wanted it to be but still good

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/14/23

Full Review

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

POST RATING

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

Nanette Burstein

Director

Brett Morgen

Director

Martin Goldman

Self

Harry Keitt

Self

Randy Little

Self

Tyrene Manson

Self

Party Monster

60%

82%

Party Monster

Watchlist

The Girl Next Door

91%

56%

The Girl Next Door

Watchlist

Mr. Death: The Rise and Fall of Fred A. Leuchter, Jr.

100%

87%

Mr. Death: The Rise and Fall of Fred A. Leuchter, Jr.

Watchlist

Legacy

80%

67%

Legacy

Watchlist

American Movie

94%

90%

American Movie

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

View more photos

Synopsis

This documentary by Nanette Burstein and Brett Morgen follows the lives of three Brooklyn, N.Y., boxers and their trainer. George Walton is a veteran fighter whose early career was derailed by bad management. Seeking another shot at glory, he trains with Harry Keitt, an older ex-boxer who has dealt with his share of hard knocks. Keitt also works with Tyrene Manson, a tough female fighter from a troubled home, and Noel Santiago, a former gang member, who has skill but lacks motivation.

Director: Nanette Burstein, Brett Morgen
Producer: Brett Morgen, Nanette Burstein
Distributor: Winstar Cinema
Production Co: Highway Films, The Learning Channel
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 24, 1999, Wide
Box Office (Gross USA): $47.2K
Runtime: 1h 34m
Sound Mix: Surround, Dolby

Most Popular at Home Now