The Wrestler has been heralded as Mickey Rourke’s big comeback film, it was called the film of 2008, and many viewers and critics alike were surprised that it didn’t receive any Oscars, or even more than the two nominations it was given, but now that the hype has died down, and the DVD and Blu-ray have been released, it’s the perfect time to revisit Darren Aronofsky’s Golden Globe winning epic.
As the title suggests, the films plot revolves around a professional wrestler, Randy ‘The Ram’ Robinson (Mickey Rourke), who was a wrestling superstar in the 80’s but has completely run out of luck and has gone from headlining major shows at Madison Square Garden to performing in independent shows at local halls, for a handful of cash that doesn’t even cover the rent on his trailer-park home.
Randy works at a local supermarket to supplement his income just enough so that he can continue wrestling, and despite detesting the menial job, and the way he is treated by the store manager, he sticks at it because he is desperate for the money. Yet a good deal of the money he earns, goes on medical bills (as he needs treatment after every match), drink and dances at his local strip club, and steroids so that he can maintain his bulky physique and keep wrestling.
Randy dreams of a return to his heyday, and early on in the film a possible opportunity to achieve that goal is presented via the form of a potential wrestling match with ‘The Ayatollah’ which first occurred twenty years before, and was regarded as Randy’s greatest ever match, and career high point. However in a more minor weekend match Randy is severely hurt after pushing himself too far; in a match that involves staple guns, glass panes, steel chairs, barbed wire and even a crowd member’s prosthetic leg; and after 14 minutes of torture and a crowd pleasing victory, Randy’s body finally gives in and he suffers a near fatal heart attack.
Doctors then inform Randy that he should stop wrestling, and that any exercise he conducts should be kept to a minimum, but as there is next to nothing in Randy’s life that gives him pleasure, he is left with possibly the most difficult decision he will face; to try and adjust to a life without wrestling, stuck in a dead end job with a horrible boss, or attempt to return to wrestling greatness, but risk another fatal heart attack.
It’s hardly surprising that Randy craves the limelight, as the only people that treat him with any respect are younger wrestlers, very young children that live in his trailer park, and a stripper named Cassidy (Marisa Tomei) who insists that he is just another customer, and yet despite the fact that these people treat him the best, they all seem to idolize and admire, yet simultaneously pity him.
Randy’s efforts to stay away from the squared-circle lead him to chase a relationship with Cassidy, and reform the one he lost years ago with estranged daughter Stephanie (Evan Rachel Wood), and all of these efforts lead to some truly emotional and heartfelt moments that perfectly showcase the acting talents of all three main stars. Evan Rachel Wood (of ‘Thirteen’ fame) is completely believable as the daughter that Randy has failed time and again, perfectly blending strength, weakness and the desire to cut all ties with her father, despite obviously loving him; she and Rourke have an excellent chemistry, that really makes it seem like these two characters have had a past together and, despite all outward appearances, do care for one another.
Marisa Tomei as Cassidy/Pam, the stripper, also plays her part extremely well (as evident by the Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress) as the everyday lady/stripper who, not unlike Randy, is constantly staggering on the line between fantasy and reality. Marisa acts superbly, seeming in a constant state of confusion, inner turmoil and bewilderment as she is unaware of the direction she should be taking (just like Randy) as her aging body is failing her (once again like Randy) and she knows she cannot continue in the line of work she is in. Her character obviously cares for Randy, and there are some very intimate moments between the two, although she is constantly on guard and doesn’t want to mix work with real-life.
Most importantly, Mickey Rourke, plays titular character Randy ‘The Ram’ Robinson, and the whole film is basically one depressing event after another for him; his career fails (although we never see exactly how), he is flat broke, he has lost ties with everyone he loves, and finally, after one particularly gruelling hardcore match, his heart gives in and he is forced away from the one thing in life that gives him pleasure, wrestling. There’s no questioning the fact that Mickey’s performance here was utterly brilliant, and well deserving of not just the Oscar nomination for Best Actor (which he received), but also the win (which sadly he did not); he literally becomes Randy, in every scene he is in, the ballsy F-you attitude, the seedy nightclubs and the huge amount of emotional heartbreak he suffers can all be seen, and sincerely felt through Mickey’s enigmatic performance.
Mickey Rourke has always been a great actor, standing out in just about every film he has appeared in, yet The Wrestler wouldn’t have been too much of a stretch for him as almost all of the trials and tribulations experienced by Randy, Mickey has also experienced; he was snubbed by the very industry he loved (wrestling/Hollywood), largely forgotten by people that claimed to be fans of his, broken and beaten with a failing body (also reflects Mickey’s boxing career), experienced failing relationships and the loss of people close to him, and both men also worked menial jobs in anticipation of their one big comeback. Randy was so much like Mickey that Mickey actually rewrote huge chunks of dialogue, and personally wrote Randy’s heart-warming speech near the end of the film about himself!
The resemblance between the two is striking, and used to full effect, and the entire film is littered with metaphors and similes that perfectly mirror what is happening to Randy; the case of the aging stripper being a perfect example. The stage and fantasy aspect is also mirrored, with a camera shot of Randy entering the wrestling arena being recreated for Cassidy entering the strippers’ stage, and Randy later entering the Deli-counter. Music also plays a large part in the metaphor, as music from Randy’s heyday (the 80’s) is always presented as being good, whilst modern music (heard in the seedy strip club) is generally presented as being bad, or even foreboding. The 80’s songs also perfectly reflect Randy, as they are very good, catchy, songs that have probably been forgotten by most people.
The attention to detail, shown in the use of metaphors and songs, also plays out perfectly with another metaphor, where Randy and a young kid play a N.E.S. (Nintendo) wrestling game (a playable game actually created from scratch for the film), and discuss the much more modern Call of Duty franchise, which Randy knows nothing about, highlighting the fact that he is clearly stuck in the past.
There are surprisingly few wrestling matches in a film about a professional wrestler (with Randy only participating in three), however no more are really needed, as this is more of a drama than a sports epic, and instead of relying on glitzy matches the Wrestler prefers to tell an emotional story about a troubled wrestler, that’s willing to do just about anything to reclaim his former glory. The acting is superb, the dialogue is spot-on and while overall this is a fairly depressing ride, it’s one with a huge amount of emotional impact, and one that comes highly recommended.
Picture:
As with most Blu-rays nowadays, the Wrestler comes via a full 1080p transfer that actually holds up pretty well. Due to the films limited budget, and director Darren Aronofsky’s shooting style, the Wrestler was filmed entirely with handheld cameras, in a documentary style, and the 1080p transfer obviously heightens the level of grain on what would have already been a fairly grainy picture. Having said that, while detail may not be pristine, it is still very clear, with all the tears, scars, and drops of blood on Randy’s body being clearly evident, and there is no problem making out any important part of the picture. The film uses a fairly muted colour palette, which accurately reflects the tone of the movie, and successfully makes backdrops appear bleak yet real, and skin-tones naturalistic. Despite the grain, black levels remain consistently deep, which is an obvious plus in a film which contains a surprising number of low-lit scenes, including night driving and strip-club interiors.
Audio:
The Wrestler contains one of the finest DTS-HD-MA soundtracks to date, ambient noises such as seagulls and traffic heighten the experience and realism of the quiet scenes, whilst the booming music, pumping bass and ever present screams of cheers erupting from the crowd after every thumping body blow, completely surround and immerse the viewer in the arena, an experience which is further helped by the use of handheld cameras. The arena effect is also present in the strip-club scenes, which provide a good deal of surround sound, and immerse the viewer in the location.
Despite the thumping music and crowd cheers, the soundfield never grows too large, and thankfully the volume doesn’t need adjusting at any point during viewing, as dialogue is perfectly represented (even resonating from the rear channels when appropriate), and easily understood.
Musically the Wrestler has a very good soundtrack, from the moody modern hip-hop beats of the strip club, to the ever popular 80’s hard rock of the Wrestling arena, there’s something to impress everyone, and Clint Mansell’s minimalistic score (recorded by Guns N’ Roses own Slash) is well represented and accurately captures the tone of the film.
Overall this is a thoroughly impressive soundtrack that has the ability to easily immerse viewers in Randy’s world, and unlike most, actually enhances not only the experience, but the story as well.
Extras:
Extras for the Wrestler are fairly limited, and come in the form of a making of documentary titled “Within the Ring”, which runs for just under 45 minutes, a 16 minute interview with Mickey Rourke, and the obligatory trailer.
Within the Ring is an interesting feature that sees director, writer, producers, professional wrestlers/extras, and Evan Rachel Wood discussing almost every aspect of the filmmaking process, from devising the story, to choosing locations, and the ever important filming process and what it was like working with Mickey Rourke (although it’s clear that there were tensions on set that aren’t discussed here). There are several clips of unused matches, talk of on set improvisation and the perspective of some real wrestlers that were used in the film.
Mickey Rourke’s interview is the standard close-up shot of him talking to the camera, but fascinating nonetheless as Mickey is as compelling as ever, and extremely open about his experiences, sharing plenty of stories and anecdotes. It’s especially interesting to hear Mickey compare himself to Randy, how he looked down on wrestling before the film, how the filmmakers couldn’t raise any money on his name, and how Darren Aronofsky went as far as to make him believe that his dog had died in order to get a truly sad performance from him.
Whilst the trailer is HD, the other features are in standard definition, with 2 channel sound that on the Within the Ring feature is difficult to hear and requires constant volume adjustment. Having said that all of the features are worth watching as they are very interesting, yet it’s surprising that not one solitary clip of Marisa Tomei discussing her role and the filming process, or the sit downs with professional wrestlers, such as DDP and Rowdy Rody Piper, discussing the film, which were showcased on the Wrestler’s official website, were included.
The Bottom Line:
This is clearly the film that is propelling Mickey Rourke back into the mainstream (although considering his talent he should never been away), and rightfully so, as this is a truly emotional journey that will leave any viewer emotionally strained and with a newfound respect for the sport, as it clearly showcases the lengths that these sportsmen go to in order to please the crowd, and highlights just how dangerous and ‘real’ wrestling is. It’s an extremely clever film that is multi-layered and littered with ingenious metaphors and perfect dialogue that makes the world seem all the more real, it manages to tackle big issues such as steroid abuse without making them too big a deal, and show some excellent displays of wrestling.
While the story maybe a tad depressing, it’s extremely engaging, honest, and true to life. The acting of all major characters is superb, with Mickey’s performance being as close to perfect as possible, the effects are brilliant and while picture quality isn’t prefect, the documentary look and immersive soundfield help to enhance an already great film. The Wrestler is unquestionably one of the best films of 2008, and it’s interesting to see a film that is essentially a Metaphor for Mickey Rourke’s struggle in returning to fame, it’s a shame that some of the interview footage from Marisa Tomei and professional wrestlers wasn’t included in the extras, but all-in-all the Wrestler is an astonishing piece of filmmaking, and one that is well worth picking up.
