THE WRESTLER
US, 2008, 105 minutes, Colour.
Mickey Rourke, Marisa Tomei, Evan Rachel Wood.
Directed by Darren Aronofski.
Wrestling may not be your favourite sport - on the other hand it could be - and those not enamoured of the theatrical moves and thumping, grinding and tossing may find the first part of this film too much. This is especially so when the camera does not draw back from close-ups of the action and the repercussions of pain in the performances (including a staple gun). That having been said, it can be added that The Wrestler is a very well-made film with a message about life, talents, wasting one's talents and affecting other people's lives for the worse.
Mickey Rourke used to be a dashing presence on screen in the 1980s. He definitely looks the worse for wear now. Which fits his character as Randy, 'The Ram' Robinson (actually Robin Ramzinxki), a one-time wrestling champion and audience favourite who relished his career and big victory in 1989 (seen in posters and photos during the credits). The Ram is now definitely even the worst for wear, cuts and bruises all over his body, a hearing aid, glasses and performances at also-ran bouts for small crowds. Yet, he keeps in shape, puts his body through punishing events (with the help of some steroids) and has not lost any enthusiasm for his sport. Wrestling is his talent and life and he has given up everything else (including a daughter, Evan Rachel Wood) to stay in the game. He now finds himself lonely, living in a trailer, occasional drugs and semi-anonymous sex and seeking the friendship of a stripper (Marisa Tomei).
When he collapses and has to have a bypass, he has to make deeper choices. He visits his daughter and, despite her initial hostility, he makes a breakthrough and then irresponsibly throws it away. He proposes to the stripper but she has a young son and wants to draw a line between her clients and her friends.
This is not to say that The Ram is a gloomy character. On the contrary, he gets on well with fellow-wrestlers, a community in themselves who appeciate each other and the particular moves that they put on show. When he gets a job in a supermarket deli, he is quite genial with the customers - until he is too annoyed to continue.
The decision he has to make is whether he will perform in a 20th anniversary re-match with his old opponent, The Grand Ayatolloh (actually, Bob from Arizona who runs a used car business). This will threaten his health and his life. It does not spoil the film to know that he does decide to fight (what else would the film be?). His vigorous speech to the admiring crowds is a scene that sums up his life and its meaning.
Mickey Rourke is always believable as The Ram and takes us into a world that is unfamiliar and maybe repellant to most of us.
Darren Aronofsky is not a director who can be pinpointed: erudite maths and philosophy in Pi, the world of addicts both young and old in Requiem for a Dream and romantic science-fiction and time-travel in The Fountain. The Wrestler, therefore, is quite different.
1.The audience response to a film about wrestling and wrestlers? Liking or disliking wrestling? The vivid wrestling sequences and their impact? Yet the portrait of an ordinary man, his life and choices?
2.The world of wrestling, the credits sequence and the voice-over, the posters and photos about Ram? His reputation? The 80s, achievement, the fight with the Ayatollah? The twenty years passing? His various bouts, the crowds, his skills, the fraternity of the wrestlers? Another world?
3.New Jersey, the trailer park, the world for Randy, the clubs and the strippers, clothes shops, Stephanie’s home and the streets, the boardwalk and the old casino, the wrestling arenas and backstage? Atmosphere and feel? The musical score, the range of songs – and Bruce Springsteen’s final Wrestler song?
4.Mickey Rourke’s portrait of Randy? His age, battered, his hearing aid, glasses? The various bouts and his participation? The doctor warning him? The pain, the extraordinary wounds, the devices for bashing, hitting? Going to the supermarket to buy dishes and tops of pots for use? Drinking, not being allowed into his trailer till he paid his money, the difficulties with money, going to the club, ordering Cassidy’s clients out, talking with her, the sex, the attraction between them? His wanting some future with her instead of being alone? The various visits to her? The crowds, the bouts, the discussions with the opponents and the various moves. The man with the staple gun? The wounds, taking out the staples, his vomiting, collapsing, hospital, the bypass? His being forbidden to wrestle? Going home, jogging, collapsing? His wounds? His drug deals for the bouncer, getting drugs for himself? Going to Pam, talking things over, her suggestion that he visit Stephanie? Stephanie, her roommate, their hostility? Going with Pam to buy the present, the green jacket with ‘S’ on it, the coat? Her happiness with the coat? Walking with him, the memories, along the boardwalk, the ballroom, their dancing together? Planning to meet again, his failure, turning up late, the flatmate and her hostility? Stephanie’s anger and wanting to close him out forever? Pam and her life, telling Randy about her son, her visit and her harshness towards him? Yet coming to the bout but not looking at it? Randy and the bodybuilding drugs, his partying, the brutal sex, taking the cocaine? Unreliable? The pattern of his life, abandoning his daughter and no contact? His decision to retire? Working at supermarket, getting the job in the delicatessen, his friendliness towards the customers, genial, the woman who wanted more than less? His growing exasperation? The man who recognised him? Cutting himself on the slicer, walking out, smashing the goods? Agreeing to the bout with the Ayatollah? The discussions with him, Pam’s arrival, the crowd and their support, his speech to the crowd about their support, the details of the fight, his keeping going, the preparation for the Ram Jam, his poised on the ropes, the film ending – but his death dive?
5.Cassidy, at the strip club, her clients, sexual relationships, talk? Her helping Randy with visiting his daughter, coming to the shop to help buy the clothes, her preference for the name Pam? Talking about her son, the gift of the toy for him, his playing with it? Her home sequences? Her son? Her rudeness to Randy, her later apology, talking about drawing the line? The full-on striptease, her decision to leave in mid-dance, going to the fight, talking with Randy, not able to face the wrestling?
6.Stephanie, her father abandoning her, no mention of her mother? Her life, competence, studying, his wondering about her sexual orientation? The gifts, her going for the walk, her memories and lack of memories, her disappointment at being stood up, throwing him out?
7.The wrestlers, the variety of personalities, show business, their friendships, ability to talk to each other, the different styles, moves? The brutality and the pain, yet stylised? Randy’s wounds, the staples, the risk to health?
8.The crowds, their chants, the bloodlust, the support of their favourites? The irony of the Ayatollah and his flag, the excessive patriotism in supporting Randy?
9.A portrait of a man, on the periphery of life yet a success in his field? Not a loser or a has-been? The waste in his life, the gifts, the achievement? The combination of life wish and death wish?
