The WrestlerWhat happens to our heroes as the years roll on? Directed by Darren Aronofsky, The Wrestler tells the story of erstwhile professional wrestling superstar, Randy "The Ram" Robinson (Mickey Rourke), coping with life after the limelight has faded, leaving only his passion for the ring and his most dedicated fans behind. Suffering a near-fatal heart attack after a grueling performance, Randy--whose real name is Robin Ramzinski--takes the news like a death sentence. At the suggestion of a stripper named "Cassidy" (Marisa Tomei)--whose real name is Pam, and for whom Randy carries a torch--he tries to mend his shattered relationship with his estranged daughter, Stephanie (Evan Rachel Wood), while facing a future of anonymity.
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The Wrestler shares similarities with Aronofsky's next film, Black Swan; both explore the physical theatricality of stagecraft and performance as a means of self-expression. The film is shot in a cinéma vérité style that fits with the intensive character study of Randy, and its verisimilitude and subject matter is a direct nod to the pro-wrestling documentary, Beyond the Mat. The level of brutality in the ring and the focus on a self-destructive protagonist also recalls Martin Scorsese's Raging Bull. The Wrestler opens with a montage of a wall decorated with the clippings and fliers from Randy's glory days, including his iconic throwdown with his stage nemesis, "The Ayatollah" (Ernest Miller). Fast forward twenty years, and "The Ram" is recovering from a match held in an elementary school, making peanuts for a poor turnout. Randy keeps showing up to performances--less for the money, and more because of his passion for wrestling. When Randy prepares for his matches backstage with the other pro wrestlers, they go over their "work", discussing play-by-play actions to "bring the heat", i.e. keep the audience entertained. Despite the wrestlers being athletes, they approach their craft from the mindset of a stage performer. These behind-the-scenes moments add an extra dimension to the matches, speaking to Randy's desire to entertain the audiences that have stood by him these past two decades. One of Randy's stage tricks involves concealing a razor blade in the taping around his arms so that he can cut his forehead and make a blow he took appear more grievous. Randy literally pours his blood and sweat on the canvas for his fans, making the performance more visceral (and thus entertaining); it also draws more crowds and subsequently more money for him to live on. The fights in The Wrestler are frequently shot from within the ring, and are performed with unyielding intensity by Rourke and various actual pro wrestlers, performing as themselves. This overarching realism plays off of the popular conceit that professional wrestling isn't "real", and that the injuries and plot are artificial; despite scripted work designed to deliver uniform entertainment, the intense fights feel very raw.
The prevailing question about Randy is whether he pushes himself to perform because he is obsessed with the love of his fans or if he's terrified of letting go of his past. Randy relishes Eighties hard rock; his "theme song" when he enters the ring for his final match is Guns 'n' Roses' "Sweet Child o' Mine", and he listens to Cinderella's "Don't Know What You Got (Till It's Gone)" with an action figure of himself ironically propped up on the dashboard of his van (which is, aptly, a Ram). Randy is treated like a living legend by his colleagues, and they all treat each other with dignity and respect, even if they're bashing each other's faces in while in the ring. Although Randy shows no apprehension before his heart attack at taking abuse in the ring, when is nervous approaching Cassidy at the strip club where she works and he frequents. It's clear that he comes to the club for no one else but her, and even valiantly rushes to her rescue after a party of rude college boys begin degrading Cassidy for being "too old" for them. The relationship between Randy and Cassidy is complex, even though they share a lot in common. Both of them are aware that they are past their prime for their respective occupation; Cassidy has no real love for hers, yet she is unflinching in her erotic performances--she's clearly skilled enough to grab Randy's attention. After Randy has his heart attack, Cassidy is the first person he comes to for guidance--a choice that speaks to how thoroughly alone he is in his life away from wrestling. Randy stocks shelves at a grocery store for his day job, under the petty supervision of a sarcastic weasel of a boss, and its doubtful that Randy has any other family than Stephanie who would have anything to do with him. Cassidy tries to maintain a professional distance with Randy, and has clearly polished this skill to a mirror sheen over the years. She deflects his awkward advances at intimacy, gun-shy at a repeat performance of something that must have happened to her years ago, leaving a single mother. Like Randy, it's ambiguous as to whether Cassidy has real feelings Randy deep down, or whether she is maintaining a facade to keep his business, since business is drying up for her as well. After an unsuccessful night at the club, Randy confesses that his efforts to garner sympathy from Stephanie failed miserably. She pauses briefly after leaving him, and comes back to ask him to meet her at a vintage clothing shop, so she can help him pick out a gift for his daughter. Cassidy's clearly breaking her (and the club's) rules by doing this, even if she does it as "Pam", and the question becomes whether she does it out of pity or genuine concern for his well being.
Randy is adamantly opposed to his birth name--"Robin" isn't exactly a tough guy name, but Randy refuses to accept it even when he is out of costume. This is because calling him "Robin" destroys the fantasy of himself that he has built up over time--"Robin" is just another nobody in his head, and Randy can't cope with that. Randy takes illegal prescription drugs and steroids to keep himself in peak muscle tone, in addition to working out, bleaching his hair, and making trips to the tanning salon. He tips Cassidy well after she gives him a lap dance, even though he can't afford to pay the rent on his crummy trailer. Randy loves the attention he gets from his golden days, not failing to roughhouse with a half-dozen or so kids at the trailer park. Randy is at his most comfortable when he is grandstanding and showing off, in the throes of a performance. The cheers of the pro wrestling crowds runs through his mind, chanting "Ram" over and over, as if to reassure him that everything will be alright, even in moments as humble as when he picks up extra hours on the weekend at his store. Working minimum wage should seem mild compared to getting smashed in the head with a folding chair in front of hundreds of people, but it represents unfamiliar territory for Randy, which scares him. Cassidy comments on the copious scars on his body, comparing his bloodletting and the wounds he's received in the ring to The Passion of the Christ. He points to each scar and recalls the exact event and time when he received it--the wounds from his battles. When Randy awakens after receiving a coronary bypass, the slice across his chest becomes one last scar to join the others. The vivid and faithful recreations of pro wrestling are the most energizing set pieces in The Wrestler, and are contrasted with the softer and more vulnerable scenes, like when Randy tries to rekindle his paternal relationship with Stephanie. One of the most poignant scenes involves him taking her back to the old Atlantic City Boardwalk while they reminisce about how he used to take her here as a child, and he confesses his sorrow at failing her as a father. Stephanie claims that she can barely remember that far back, but Randy declares that he does. This is because a large part of Randy still resides in that part of his life twenty years ago--a time where he was at his happiest.
Recommended for: Fans of a surprisingly heartfelt and tender story of the inevitable defeat that follows clinging to the past with increasing desperation, and the challenges in coping with it. The Wrestler features brave performances by Mickey Rourke and Marisa Tomei, and carries a universal message about love and loneliness that can be appreciated by all audiences, and not just pro-wrestling fans.
The prevailing question about Randy is whether he pushes himself to perform because he is obsessed with the love of his fans or if he's terrified of letting go of his past. Randy relishes Eighties hard rock; his "theme song" when he enters the ring for his final match is Guns 'n' Roses' "Sweet Child o' Mine", and he listens to Cinderella's "Don't Know What You Got (Till It's Gone)" with an action figure of himself ironically propped up on the dashboard of his van (which is, aptly, a Ram). Randy is treated like a living legend by his colleagues, and they all treat each other with dignity and respect, even if they're bashing each other's faces in while in the ring. Although Randy shows no apprehension before his heart attack at taking abuse in the ring, when is nervous approaching Cassidy at the strip club where she works and he frequents. It's clear that he comes to the club for no one else but her, and even valiantly rushes to her rescue after a party of rude college boys begin degrading Cassidy for being "too old" for them. The relationship between Randy and Cassidy is complex, even though they share a lot in common. Both of them are aware that they are past their prime for their respective occupation; Cassidy has no real love for hers, yet she is unflinching in her erotic performances--she's clearly skilled enough to grab Randy's attention. After Randy has his heart attack, Cassidy is the first person he comes to for guidance--a choice that speaks to how thoroughly alone he is in his life away from wrestling. Randy stocks shelves at a grocery store for his day job, under the petty supervision of a sarcastic weasel of a boss, and its doubtful that Randy has any other family than Stephanie who would have anything to do with him. Cassidy tries to maintain a professional distance with Randy, and has clearly polished this skill to a mirror sheen over the years. She deflects his awkward advances at intimacy, gun-shy at a repeat performance of something that must have happened to her years ago, leaving a single mother. Like Randy, it's ambiguous as to whether Cassidy has real feelings Randy deep down, or whether she is maintaining a facade to keep his business, since business is drying up for her as well. After an unsuccessful night at the club, Randy confesses that his efforts to garner sympathy from Stephanie failed miserably. She pauses briefly after leaving him, and comes back to ask him to meet her at a vintage clothing shop, so she can help him pick out a gift for his daughter. Cassidy's clearly breaking her (and the club's) rules by doing this, even if she does it as "Pam", and the question becomes whether she does it out of pity or genuine concern for his well being.
Randy is adamantly opposed to his birth name--"Robin" isn't exactly a tough guy name, but Randy refuses to accept it even when he is out of costume. This is because calling him "Robin" destroys the fantasy of himself that he has built up over time--"Robin" is just another nobody in his head, and Randy can't cope with that. Randy takes illegal prescription drugs and steroids to keep himself in peak muscle tone, in addition to working out, bleaching his hair, and making trips to the tanning salon. He tips Cassidy well after she gives him a lap dance, even though he can't afford to pay the rent on his crummy trailer. Randy loves the attention he gets from his golden days, not failing to roughhouse with a half-dozen or so kids at the trailer park. Randy is at his most comfortable when he is grandstanding and showing off, in the throes of a performance. The cheers of the pro wrestling crowds runs through his mind, chanting "Ram" over and over, as if to reassure him that everything will be alright, even in moments as humble as when he picks up extra hours on the weekend at his store. Working minimum wage should seem mild compared to getting smashed in the head with a folding chair in front of hundreds of people, but it represents unfamiliar territory for Randy, which scares him. Cassidy comments on the copious scars on his body, comparing his bloodletting and the wounds he's received in the ring to The Passion of the Christ. He points to each scar and recalls the exact event and time when he received it--the wounds from his battles. When Randy awakens after receiving a coronary bypass, the slice across his chest becomes one last scar to join the others. The vivid and faithful recreations of pro wrestling are the most energizing set pieces in The Wrestler, and are contrasted with the softer and more vulnerable scenes, like when Randy tries to rekindle his paternal relationship with Stephanie. One of the most poignant scenes involves him taking her back to the old Atlantic City Boardwalk while they reminisce about how he used to take her here as a child, and he confesses his sorrow at failing her as a father. Stephanie claims that she can barely remember that far back, but Randy declares that he does. This is because a large part of Randy still resides in that part of his life twenty years ago--a time where he was at his happiest.
Recommended for: Fans of a surprisingly heartfelt and tender story of the inevitable defeat that follows clinging to the past with increasing desperation, and the challenges in coping with it. The Wrestler features brave performances by Mickey Rourke and Marisa Tomei, and carries a universal message about love and loneliness that can be appreciated by all audiences, and not just pro-wrestling fans.