Jonny Ruff | Heavy Weight / 2016

ring of terror

by Douglas Messerli

 

Chuku Modu and Jace Moody (screenplay), Jonny Ruff (director) Heavy Weight / 2016 [13 minutes]

 

British director Jonny Ruff’s Heavy Weight is a new contender in the long line of gay boxing movies which can be said to lead back to the early days of talkies from City Lights (1931), Iron Man (1931), Winner Take All (1932), The Sport Parade (1932), Dragnet Girl (1933), Rip Roarin' Buckaroo (1936), L’Air de Paris (1954), and Rocco and His Brothers (1960) among others—as well as those that came after such as the filmed Metropolitan Opera production of Champion in 2023.

 

   Paris (Chuki Modu) is clearly the major fixture at the small boxing club where he works out. But one day, quite surprisingly, a newcomer arrives, Connor (Jace Moody), who changes everything. On his very first spar with Paris, it appears that Connor is lighter on his feet and has a deeper punch. It’s also clear that Paris immediately resents it and is furious about the situation.

     Even warm-up exercises such jumping rope become a contest. Although Paris is already bitter, the two do soon actually meet up after Paris calls him a “Paki” and Connor suggests that “it’s too bad that your legs don’t run as fast as your mouth.”

     The fight manager Gerry (Dean Christie) realizes he’s got something new and good in the place, commenting on Connor’s workout: “Now that is how you punch a bag.”

     The two get on even better after everyone’s left the gym. Connor wonders if Paris could be any fighter he wanted to be, whom might he choose. Paris rather predictably choses Ali, while Connor argues, just as predictably for the Irish. As Connor continues, quite engagingly, to talk nonsense, Paris challenges him to a mock fist fight (without the boxing gloves). They play around in the ring in gentle sparring slaps until as they come into a clinch for a moment, Connor kisses Paris, who immediately pushes him off with a “What the fuck?”

     As Paris storms off Connor cannot quite explain what has come over him. This is, after all, a boxing ring where male on male love is even more unthinkable than in a soccer locker or a football huddle. The ring is square of traditional machoism so intense that it can result in death.

     The next day in a sparring match, indeed, Paris keeps hitting the new boy so hard that the manager has to break them up, asking “You tryin’ to kill to kill him or what?”

    Back in the locker room, Paris is pacing as the now-bloodied Connor arrives. As Connor attempts to move closer to his challenger—clearly recognizing what Paris’ anger is all about—the other keeps pushing him off as Connor continues to aggress, finally pulling Paris by his T-shirt straps toward as the two not only kiss, but hug in near desperation, holding on for dear life as the film goes black.

 

Los Angeles, May 11, 2024

Reprinted from My Queer Cinema blog (May 2024).