The Wrestler
April 21, 2009
Before I get onto the film itself, I want to talk a little about the cinema atmosphere. I went to one of the Director’s Chair screenings that Odeon do on a Tuesday night to see this film, as it’s rare that they’ll show anything outside of the major blockbusters or the latest American drivel. They’ve got to make money, but it’d be nice if there were other oppertunities to watch arthouse, independant and world cinema other than late on a Tuesday, as though the cover of darkness excuses them hosting us. Anyway, I think all screening should be like this, there were loads of people there who all genuinely love films, so there was no rustling of sweet wrappers, “silent” (not silent) texters and talkers. The talking was saved for afterwards, just as it should be.
The film itself was absolutely brilliant. Emotionally charged, personally engaging and beautifully put together, it was a pleasure to watch. The Wrestler is every bit as good as people have been making it out to be, and is worthy of its awards. Darren Aronofsky described it as a “simple little film” which, in a sense, it is. There is no camera trickery and the characters are built out of easily identifiable pieces, but it is the way in which these pieces fit together which makes the film as good as it is.
Mickey Rourke’s character is intentionally left faceless at the beginning of the film; snatched glimpses of his back are all we have. This lends the character a sense of being more about his wrestling gear and persona than his actual personality, which ends up being played on much later in the film. Much of the film is washed in a sort of golden sepia tone, colours are mute and drab, with the exception of the wrestling costumes and blood. Visually, we are being led to accept that tis drabness reflects how he views the world outside of the ring.
Emotionally, the film plays on certain conventions – the father maing ammends with his alienated daughter and the lonely man pining for his strip-club working soul-mate – but each is built up and broken down in the film. The Ram’s family is his audience, those who remember and truly love him regardless of age or what he has done in the past; those who love him for the instant of the fight. When the audience expects something to work out for him outside of the ring, he ruins it for himself, or is spurned by those around him. These instances build towards the films perhaps tragic end.
The Ram is told he will die if he continues to wrestle, but it all that he knows. His fellow wrestlers respect him, his audience adores him and his family abhors him – it’s not a hard choice for him to make. The final scene, where his love interest finally comes to her sense, proves that it is all too little too late as he walks into the ring to face his old adversary. Even this wrestler tries to end the match early as The Ram seems to be struggling, but The Ram has one final move to perform for his audience. The film cleverly cuts to black and rolls the titles as he flies through the air, presumably to death, glory or both.
9/10
