Out now on DVD, The Wrestler follows many contemporary indie films in going for naturalism. This is seen in many of the backstage locker room conversations, with minimal dialogue, contrasting with the bloody intense action that Randy’s just endured in the ring. A washed up wrestler from the eighties, ‘The Ram’ has to trawl around local shows, often increasingly bloody, but for diminishing financial returns. In addition to this Mickey Rourke’s character has to work for a smart ass boss in order to pay the rent on his trailer park home. Ultimately, Robinson’s health fails him and he faces a life without wrestling, his only relationship with a stripper played by Marisa Tomei, and his estranged daughter.
The film contains amazing performances from these two leads. Rourke plays the Giant with a gentle heart, who increasingly does himself physical damage, yet refuses to use his physical strength against his landlord or boss, who take advantage of him. Equally, Rourke’s character is unable to deal with the progression of time, and lives in the 1980’s, whether it be a love of 80’s cheesy rock music, or a retro video game based upon his high profile fight against The Ayatollah. These touches really lift the film, especially for those who were fans of wrestling in its heyday, with its history of foreign political enemies, The Ayatollah recalling The Iron Sheik, or Nikolai Volkoff. Equally, we see later that the Ayatollah is actually an American used car salesman.
The relationship with the stripper really works, as she does not need saving and has a clear code and rules that allow her to separate her professional and private life as a mum. This contrasts with ‘The Ram’ living in the past. Despite criticism from many reviewers that the relationship with the daughter is an after thought or too clichéd, again this works given the deeper truth that Rourke’s real relationship exists with the fans and his fame, something he cannot overcome. Also, given the troubadour nature of the profession of wrestling his dysfunctional familial relationship rings true to fans.
This focuses heavily on the male experience, without being ‘a man’s film.’ Presumably because men have greater representation in the production of films, reviewers still often focus heavily on whether a film contains well written female characters. However, this ignores how often male characters are clichéd or stereotypes (lads, gangsters, cockney wide boys). Yet this film contains a brilliantly written male character. It is excellent because it focuses on the male ability for self pity, which maybe the lead character doesn’t express too greatly, but nonetheless everyone who is familiar with the phenomenon of the mid life crisis and middle aged men looking back on their life with regret will recognise. In fact despite not being a fan of 80’s rock music, no one can be unmoved when Rourke bursts out to his fans to the strains of Guns N Roses.
Ultimately, this film works so well because it unashamedly shows a man unable to cope with the modern world, and faltering trying to repair relationships, yet ultimately decries what the wider world has done to him, or his inability to live the life of a normal member of society. This love of the male camaraderie over wider society has been attempted and failed by a series of hooligan movies because they resort to defending their repellent behaviour. Instead, when Randy ‘The Ram’ Robinson realizes his home exists in the world of wrestling we cheer him on.
A great film.
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