Photographer William Klein Talks Paris, New York And Muhammad Ali

William Klein is a legend in photography. The American-French photographer and filmmaker is known for his Vogue fashion photography, his street photographs of New York in the 1950s and for capturing some of the most iconic moments of Parisian high society, including styled shots of Coco Chanel’s garments through the 1960s.

With the recent premiere of Regina King's film One Night In Miami at the 77th Venice Film Festival—a film which candidly follows the life of Muhammad Ali on the night he won the boxing world championship—it makes sense that the 58th New York Film Festival featured Klein’s historic film, Muhammad Ali, the Greatest, which he directed in 1969.

This film, which looks into the life and career of Ali from 1964 to 1974, features raw footage, black and white photos by Klein and interviews and a cast that includes Ali, writer Norman Mailer, actor Stepin Fetchit, and more. The film was selected for NYFF’s Revivals category, with Paris New York Films and ARTE Distribution.

Klein, who is now 92-years-old, speaks about the portait he created of Ali’s sprawling career, his take on photography and how he wound up living in Paris.

In the 1960s, what made you want to do a film about Muhammad Ali?

William Klein: I met him in Kinshasa, when it was called Zaire, now called Congo. I thought he was going to be a champ. He became a champ. In my film, he talks about the night he beat Sonny Liston in the boxing world championship. He said: “It feels so good to be able to be bad. Tonight, I was bad.” I was interested in him from then on, the beginning.

What was his impact on society, at the time, and today?

The beginning, he was considered crazy. Nobody took him seriously. The people who financed him from Kentucky, big time finance men, knew about Ali and thought he had a career. They bought the rights to Ali like they would a champion horse. They were bidding on Ali, who was named Cassius Clay, at that time. I don’t know what he has as an impact today. He died a few years ago but I don’t know if people are talking about him anymore. He had the courage to refuse to be drafted in the army. He didn’t want to have anything to do with the war in Vietnam, which isn’t so easily what a boxer can do.

What can you say about his friendship with Malcolm X?

Ali was someone who everyone thought was a winner, the black Muslims have adopted Ali, more or less. He became a Muslim. The leader Elijah Muhammad chose Malcolm X to be the political and religious guide of Ali. Malcolm X was a great man, actually. He was a member of the black Muslims, but after a trip to Africa, he realized those in America had nothing to do with the rest of the world, they were isolated. He was ready to denounce the way Elijah Mohammad was leading the black Muslims in America.

Many photos and raw footage (without narration) show what the electricity in the air was like at this time. What was it like to be behind the lens for this?

I felt it was exciting to be close to Cassius Clay. The first film I did was called “Cassius The Great.” What did it feel like? He was a hero in Kentucky, everyone knew him. The businessmen who financed him were really big wheels. I was conscious of the impact he had on the world of boxing. Nobody saw a boxer like him before.

What do you remember about the Second World War?

I was drafted in the army. I was sent to Europe, I was very happy to go to Europe rather than fight in Japan. The idea of attacking Japan was something I was afraid of. I was a soldier. I always dreamed of going to Europe. I was sent to France, it was my dream to go to Paris. Thanks to the army, I was in France.

Do you prefer Paris over New York, and if so, why?

Paris was the center of world culture for generations, many years. I was very much interested in French painting and art, to be able to discover this in my way, when I was a soldier, was a dream.

What goes through your mind when you are taking photos?

It’s something that people ask me, but when you’re taking a photograph, the thousands of things that go through your head, what you remember, discover, is great. I had an exhibition in Madrid and it was big with many photos. I was asked the same question. All the photos are my memory. When I take a photo, they come up to my head and I think of them. They influence the way I take a photograph.

What advice do you have for photographers today?

I don’t know what’s happening today, that much. What would I recommend to photographers? I did my first book on New York. I chose the photos, layout and graphics. I always thought it was ridiculous when photographers left it to the book editors to decide. Have an overview of your photos that you’ve taken, generally, and know where you stand. This is something I’m very convinced should be done.