4. The Boxer
In the 1997 film
The Boxer, Day-Lewis played Danny Flynn, a (you guessed it) boxer and former IRA Provo fresh out of jail after a 14-year stint. He sets up a Belfast non-sectarian boxing gym for young boys a controversial move which sees Flynn attract the attention of the IRA. This tension, alongside a potential romance with a now-married former flame (played by Emily Watson) drives the narrative on. Though boxing is pretty crucial to Day-Lewis character, it must be noted that this isnt a sports film. Theres no Rocky-esque montages here, no championship belt to fight for, no classical-hero arc. The films gaze, while interested in Flynns boxing plight, is more focused on the IRAs influence on a community of which the characters are a part. Though the pugilistic scenes are relevant, theyre almost incidental to the over-arching story. However, because his characters a boxer, Day-Lewis resolved to be a boxer too. He crudely tattooed his hands (permanently) in a manner similar to a real fighter and resolved to train for two sessions a day, seven days a week, for three years, for this reasonably minor film. I dont think I need to tell you how hard it is to be a boxer. Needless to say, its sodding difficult. The fitness sessions alone are enough to make a regular athlete weep, and thats before you get started on ringcraft, or how to throw and take a punch. So if anyone ever tells you its easy to take up the sweet science, just laugh and move on. However, through sheer force of will and rigorous practice, Day-Lewis became excellent at boxing, to the stage where his coach and former world champion Barry McGuigan (a man who knows his boxing onions) thought he couldve easily turned professional. Within a space of three years, even training as he did, thats pretty incredible. When one puts it into the context of the role, it looks even more impressive. Simply put, Danny Flynn is not some sort of boxing hero as far as Im aware, hes not even a real person. As such, you could probably argue that the need for a three-year intensive training programme was a case of overkill. After all, the only people to ever really rival Day-Lewis preparation for a boxing part were Will Smith in
Ali and Robert De Niro in
Raging Bull, and they were playing real-life legends and as such demanded some sort of physical authenticity. The fact Flynn doesnt exist, and that the boxing itself isnt the most important part of the film would ostensibly give Day-Lewis license to be a bit less uncompromising. Take up some fight training, sure, but dont actually
become a boxer. But as Im sure Ive already established by now, Day-Lewis simply doesnt compromise in his quests for authenticity. Despite being given a variety of excuses not to, he became that boxer on camera and off, and for this three years of work he received a golden globe nomination. But he didnt actually win the thing, which somehow made his preparation though still incredibly impressive seem all the more bonkers.