A powerful and inspiring documentary about boxing as a sport and a metaphor for life.
Learning the Ropes is a documentary about Bethnal Green’s Repton Boxing Club, one of the most famous amateur boxing clubs in the world. It has produced countless champions, whose photos line the walls. The documentary is directed by Ryan Pickard, who began boxing age 7 at Repton and went on to be a highly successful amateur boxer. He describes the documentary as ‘a poem to the ones I loved,’ and this sense of pride and commitment to the club that shaped him permeates every aspect of the narrative.
The documentary focuses on the club’s legend, Tony Burns MBE, a coach who nurtured multiple young talents. At the point of filming, he had Alzheimer’s (he died in 2021.) Nonetheless, his spirit shines through in small moments, particularly in the reminiscences of students of the club.
The film starts and ends with a tracking shot, the camera gently meandering through the streets, parks and alleys of Bethnal Green. We are guided to the red brick front of the club and welcomed through the doors to meet Tony. Over the haunting sound of a solo viola, he walks through the building to the training ring, where so many greats have sparred. We meet the ‘old crowd’ first, men who are in their later years, who still share a strong sense of camaraderie. One of Pickard’s main concerns in the film is to show the way his beloved club created not just fellow boxers, but real, deep family. The documentary demonstrates the opportunity boxing provides to those overlooked by society, giving generations of young working-class men, and now women, the chance to create a life that takes them beyond the constraints of circumstances.
It probes at class, identity and community with a beautifully light touch, floating like a butterfly with humorous commentary before stinging like a bee with a moment of emotional impact. One moment that had the whole audience belly laughing was when one of the Nursery students says ‘Repton is old and traditional and smells of it!’ The documentary follows the whole range of generations at the club, from children aged seven up to the old timers. It conveys the strong bonds and community created by a shared passion, which are ever rarer in the modern world.
As a documentary focused on Repton but with Tony Burns as the lynchpin, a lack is felt in the gaps in Burns’ own background, which is slightly skated over, leaving questions as to how this formidable character emerged. However, the film conveys a deep love for boxing and its power as a metaphor for a life of courage and the strength to always get up, no matter how many times you are knocked down.
Learning the Ropes was the opening film for The Cinematic Life of Boxing season at BFI Southbank, ending 30th April. Tickets here.