The Wrestler Review

        I think everyone’s first exposure to wrestling is whenever WWE is on. Mind you, it is a sport but the actual wrestlers with personalities practically represent wrestling as a whole. There are movies where wrestlers are either action stars or comedic ones. With this one, this one is interesting from a sports movie standpoint. And the first Darren Aronofsky movie that I’ve talked about. So let’s get to it. 

1. Washed-Out

        So yeah, this is the first time that I’ve talked about a Darren Aronofsky film. My first exposure of him was during High School of all places. I want to say that the school was having a dance and to kill time for those who didn’t go, my teacher put on Aronofsky’s film debut Pi as the movie to watch. I think it was the first time where I watched a movie be so esoteric in terms of having it be psychologically driven. Someday I’ll rewatch Pi, but the first movie I sat through was his take on the story of Noah from the bible. 

        Anyways, The Wrestler is considered his best work from the perspective that it’s actor was in the same predicament thematically speaking. We follow Randy whose stage name is The Ram. When we see him, he’s getting ready for an amateur match at an elementary gym. What I think is probably a wise choice is that we see audio of his past matches with a wall of posters and magazine articles of who he’s fighting against. 

        We see him do small matches since he’s still a recognizable name from his past. After he suffers a heart attack, he’s informed that he has to retire. The moments when he’s outside the ring is almost tragic and endearing. We learn that he’s not making enough and moonlights in a local supermarket. My favorite aesthetic of when we follow Randy outside the ring is how it’s shot. Most of the time, it’s filmed like it’s a documentary. 

        With the occasional shaky camera like someone is holding and moving a camera instead of it being set. The illusion gives us a sort of pulled curtains approach of seeing Randy being a regular guy who just happens to wrestle. His personal life is interesting since he’s also trying to reestablish a strained relationship with his daughter. What I love is that the movie never goes to show his highs but shows just what he goes through and how he’s trying to adjust. 

        Might as well talk about how wrestling is in the movie. Part of it is grounded where, just like Raging Bull, the action is inside the ring instead of it being shown to the crowd. As well as having shots from outside the ring to the upper decks. The touches where Randy is slowly getting up or is trying to gain his composure. Hearing the wrestlers and even the referee ask The Ram if he’s ok is practically an emphasis on the movie’s end that everyone is generally worried about him. 

        One factor that makes his wrestling more interesting is the use of theatrics. Prior to his match, he puts in a small razor blade underneath the medical tape he uses. I honestly thought that he was going to injure a wrestler to win a match. No, my shortsightedness got the best of me. With all the matches staged, Randy uses the tiny blade to scar himself to make the hits he’s getting feel like its injuring him. 

        Aside from following Randy trying to recapture that stardom, we also follow his friend who’s an adult entertainer. We first see Cassidy getting harassed by her cliental, which prompts Randy to stand up for her. The moments when we see them together is bleak at best. Randy wants a companion, but with Cassidy she can’t date someone since it goes against her profession. I think the use of both characters is to show how far they’ve been at their careers. They’re not where they are and its mostly just how its representative of the inevitable. What I mean is that they’re washouts, the prime of their life is gone. 

        The one moment that practically signify this moment is when Randy’s agent has him do a meet and greet along with other fellow wrestlers. And it’s the most depressing thing to see, since there’s few fans that take a picture and we see just how the other wrestlers are dejected. Along with the merch that they have which included video cassettes. The level of uncomfortableness is deafening since we see Randy looking at the others and just for a moment realize where he’s at. 

2. Legacy

        The film was a critical darling, it appeared in multiple best films list of 2008. More so that both Mickey Rourke and Marissa Tomei were nominated at the Academy Awards. While they didn’t win, it further cemented just how great their performance were. While doing some more research, I was actually intrigued that Rourke got injured while filming. Additionally, how he gained respect to actual wrestlers doing their profession. Believing that it was all pre-choreographed and not taking into consideration that the real wrestlers train and put in so much time into their craft

3. Overall

        The Wrestler is probably the best sports film of the

early 2000s.