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Double Vision blends documentary and drama to explore the world of boxing, centring on the gym run by George Bowes in Hartlepool. The film follows Ron (Sammy Johnson), an ex-boxer reflecting on his past, and Ray (Ray Stubbs), a television researcher with little interest in the sport. As Ray investigates boxing for a documentary, his detachment contrasts with the deep personal connections within the gym, where young fighters train with discipline and determination against the backdrop of economic decline.
George Bowes, a former professional boxer and face worker at Blackhall Colliery, brings authenticity to the film, grounding it in the realities of working-class life. The gym is more than a training space—it is a place of resilience and aspiration, where boxing offers both physical discipline and a sense of purpose. The film’s structure, which uses the researcher’s perspective to frame the narrative, mirrors the approach Amber would later refine in T. Dan Smith (1987), allowing for a layered exploration of its subject.
Like much of Amber’s work, Double Vision is about more than sport. It captures the struggles of a community facing economic uncertainty, where the discipline of boxing stands in stark contrast to the instability of life outside the gym. The film reflects Amber’s commitment to social realism, offering a nuanced portrait of masculinity, survival, and ambition in a region shaped by industrial decline.
