In 2018, a historic moment happened at the 90th Academy Awards, with Cinematographer Rachel Morrison being the first woman nominated. Her work in Black Panther garnered critical acclaim, and she has been a filmmaker to watch ever since.
After that, she worked on the Dee Rees film Mudbound and solidified herself as a director of photography who captures the pain and beauty of characters within the frame. Morrison dabbled in directing television episodes of The Morning Show and The Mandalorian but wanted to find the right project for her directorial debut.
Morrison chose a sports biopic with Barry Jenkins as a screenwriter for The Fire Inside. Morrison explored the life of Claressa ’T-Rex’ Shields (Ryan Destiny), an inspiring true story about a female boxer from Flint, Michigan, who worked her way to win Olympic gold. Shields is the first woman in her country’s history to win an Olympic gold medal for the sport.
Any sports drama can play off as generic because of the similar structure of obstacles and overcoming hardships. However, the inspiring performances of a well-written character journey can elevate it to a powerful feature.
Jenkins weaved the family dynamic of Shields’ household perfectly, with simple moments building to larger, more problematic ones from when she was a child to adulthood. It also plays as a coming-of-age film, which helps the growth of Shields as a character and gives Ryan Destiny much more to work with.
Destiny has the breakthrough performance of the year as Clarissa Shields. She plays Shields as reserved but cocky when she needs to be because she knows the power within her. When Destiny is acting alongside Brian Tyree Henry (who plays her trainer and former boxer Jason Crutchfield), there’s this natural chemistry between them.
Morrison gave them the space to live in the moment as these characters. She observed them and a beautiful bond was formed between them. Jenkins incorporated the struggles of women in the boxing world and how Jason Crutchfield helped guide Clarissa to greatness. Not only what it was like to be a woman in the boxing world but also how society perceived a Black woman in that space.
Barry Jenkins’ screenwriting expertise is he doesn’t make stereotypical social issues the focal point of his films but rather integrates them as microaggressions to make them more prominent and impactful. Jenkins and Morrison bring the story of Clarissa Shields to the big screen and make the most inspirational sports drama since Ryan Coogler’s Creed in 2015.
The Fire Inside has Ryan Destiny delivering a ferocious powerhouse performance, and Brian Tyree Henry continues to prove how charming of an actor he is. Morrison directs the boxing scenes with intimate, tight framing to show the fire within Clarissa Shields. Clarissa’s arrogance and confidence outside the ring are unleashed when fighting her opponents. It’s a fierce directorial debut from Rachel Morrison that will help fuel that spark in audiences to keep pursuing their goals.
3.5/5
Review by: Amanda Guarragi
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