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| The Wrestler . DVD |
By Ross EverettDarren Aronofsky directs 'The Wrestler'
, and serves up one of the best films in recent years against the rough and tumble backdrop of professional wrestling. The film is meticulous in its realistic portrayal of the sports entertainment subculture.
Pro wrestling has been a popular part of American entertainment culture for nearly a century, but until now has been depicted very poorly in the movies. 1962' 'Requiem for a Heavyweight' may be the best wrestling movie ever made until now almost by default. Requiem starred Anthony Quinn as an aging boxer who is at the end of his career and running out of options. He turns to pro wrestling out of financial necessity, and this career move is intended to symbolize his hitting rock bottom.
While Requiem is certainly a great film with some excellent performances by Quinn and Jackie Gleason it is at its core a boxing film. Pro wrestling is portrayed as the nadir of an over the hill pugilists decline, which has historical precedent (Joe Louis most notably) but does nothing to explain the phenomenon itself. Pro wrestling has endured as a popular attraction for over a century, and until now no one has bothered to do the work in order to get this right.
Pro wrestling has been featured in a lot of other movies"though never well. There have been a few documentaries of merit (Beyond the Mat), some low budget films more interesting for their classic footage than anything else (I Like To Hurt People) and countless bad movies.
In the starring role of Randy The Ram Robinson, Rourke turns in a performance that critics have compared to Marlon Brando in On the Waterfront, Paul Newman in The Hustler, and Robert DeNiro in Raging Bull. For a wrestling fan, its even more impressive due to his in-ring work. With the exception of a couple of extremely high risk spots, Rourke did all of his own wrestling and took all of the bumps himself. Its unfortunate that the Oscar voters couldnt see past their disdain for the subject matter to give Rourke the Best Actor award he so obviously deserved.
Aronofsky had a difficult task in creating an honest portrayal of professional wrestling. Perhaps the most amazing thing about The Wrestler is how well it succeeds on both levels, which likely accounts for the effusive praise it has garnered from film geeks who wouldnt know a headlock from a padlock as well as pro wrestling enthusiasts.
Thats what makes Rourkes performance so amazing and The Wrestler such a great film"it simultaneously depicts pro wrestling at its best and worst and gets them both right. It accurately depicts the brutal downside of a sometime unforgiving profession, but also demonstrates the seductive appeal that keeps both the 'workers' and fans captivated. Aronofsky and Rourke manage to convey the lure and revulsion that is unique to pro wrestling and simultaneously extrapolate them to much larger truths about human existence.
, and serves up one of the best films in recent years against the rough and tumble backdrop of professional wrestling. The film is meticulous in its realistic portrayal of the sports entertainment subculture.Pro wrestling has been a popular part of American entertainment culture for nearly a century, but until now has been depicted very poorly in the movies. 1962' 'Requiem for a Heavyweight' may be the best wrestling movie ever made until now almost by default. Requiem starred Anthony Quinn as an aging boxer who is at the end of his career and running out of options. He turns to pro wrestling out of financial necessity, and this career move is intended to symbolize his hitting rock bottom.
While Requiem is certainly a great film with some excellent performances by Quinn and Jackie Gleason it is at its core a boxing film. Pro wrestling is portrayed as the nadir of an over the hill pugilists decline, which has historical precedent (Joe Louis most notably) but does nothing to explain the phenomenon itself. Pro wrestling has endured as a popular attraction for over a century, and until now no one has bothered to do the work in order to get this right.
Pro wrestling has been featured in a lot of other movies"though never well. There have been a few documentaries of merit (Beyond the Mat), some low budget films more interesting for their classic footage than anything else (I Like To Hurt People) and countless bad movies.
In the starring role of Randy The Ram Robinson, Rourke turns in a performance that critics have compared to Marlon Brando in On the Waterfront, Paul Newman in The Hustler, and Robert DeNiro in Raging Bull. For a wrestling fan, its even more impressive due to his in-ring work. With the exception of a couple of extremely high risk spots, Rourke did all of his own wrestling and took all of the bumps himself. Its unfortunate that the Oscar voters couldnt see past their disdain for the subject matter to give Rourke the Best Actor award he so obviously deserved.
Aronofsky had a difficult task in creating an honest portrayal of professional wrestling. Perhaps the most amazing thing about The Wrestler is how well it succeeds on both levels, which likely accounts for the effusive praise it has garnered from film geeks who wouldnt know a headlock from a padlock as well as pro wrestling enthusiasts.
Thats what makes Rourkes performance so amazing and The Wrestler such a great film"it simultaneously depicts pro wrestling at its best and worst and gets them both right. It accurately depicts the brutal downside of a sometime unforgiving profession, but also demonstrates the seductive appeal that keeps both the 'workers' and fans captivated. Aronofsky and Rourke manage to convey the lure and revulsion that is unique to pro wrestling and simultaneously extrapolate them to much larger truths about human existence.
About the Author:
Ross Everett is a respected freelance writer specializing in travel, casino gambling and sports handicapping. He is a consulting handicapper for Anatta Sports where he is responsible for providing daily free sports picks. In his spare time he enjoys fine dining, flower arranging and deep sea diving. He lives in Southern Nevada with four dogs and a pet coyote.
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