Film Review and Discussion – The Wrestler (2008)
Rourke Delivers an Outstanding, Inspired Performance
Feb 1, 2009
Professional wrestling is a sport and form of entertainment that typically draws much derision from the critics and academic elite for being “low-brow” or pedestrian – an assessment that is somewhat elitist and aloof given the dedication of the performers and fans alike to such a storied past-time. Wrestling has built legends, household names, and a very lucrative and influential entertainment business that is still a major cultural cornerstone of the developed world to this day. Children across the world know who Hulk Hogan, Stone Cold Steve Austin, and The Rock are – and they love them dearly. Mickey Rourke's character, Randy “The Ram” Robinson, was one such legend and this film candidly examines his fading career, health, and social life.
Burnt Out Legends, Dark Underbelly of the Business
The Wrestler pulls no punches when it comes to an examination of the independent wrestling circuit, showing with great honesty the backstage politics, techniques, and discussions that inhabit the somewhat carnivale experience of the professional wrestling business. The Ram is shown to take various steroids as well as other hormones, pharmaceuticals, and painkillers on a regular, abusive basis.
The film also showcases the damage that is done to a wrestler's health and body over a long career of physical abuse – Rourke's character wheezes with exertion outside of the ring, has a pronounced and permanent limp, and indulges in alcohol and cocaine abuse. His social life consists of a strained and somewhat awkward relationship with exotic dancer Cassidy (Marisa Tomei) who The Ram tries to settle down with after a brush with death endangers his career and the last remaining dredges of his livelihood.
As we see throughout the film, The Ram lives in poverty, is socially isolated, and clings to his in-ring image and mystique as the last remaining point of pride in a very troubled personal life. While brief points of comedy light up the film in certain scenes and allow the audience to feel even greater empathy for Randy, this film is clearly a character study and a dark one at that.
Breaking of Kayfabe, Traditional Film Elements
One of the most interesting aspects of the film is it's bleak honesty with the viewer, both in relation to the shooting star of fame as well as the scripted parts of the professional wrestling world. In wrestling lingo, kayfabe refers to the portayal of events in the ring as “real”, as opposed to staged, scripted, or in other words, “worked”. Several scenes show the wrestlers discussing the narrative of the upcoming match, moves that will be performed, crowd interactions – actors in a gladiatorial and plebeian modern theatre. This aspect, combined with the rather dark and negative portrayal of independent and hardcore wrestling matches and circuits make for a very unorthodox film experience, more like a documentary than a piece of entertainment.
Rough sex, nudity, brutal violence and drugs are all a part of this film and of The Ram's world – The Wrestler is most definitely a thought-provoking film with a great deal to say about the lives of those who inhabit our societies' social margins. While it certainly does not speak for the personal lives of all professional wrestlers, in the big leagues or wrestling independently in hockey rinks and bingo halls – it cannot be said that it is not a plausible visual and emotional narrative. Mickey Rourke's performance is easily his best since Sin City; it would not be much of a stretch to suggest it was the best performance of his career.
With such emotionally involving and visually nuanced direction from Darren Aronofsky and a 1980's heavy metal soundtrack featuring Quiet Riot's “Metal Health”, Accept, Cinderella, Ratt and others, The Wrestler is an exemplary piece of film-making and the definition of a well-produced character study.
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