Darren Aronofsky is perhaps the epitome of divisive filmmaking. From his antitheist commentaries Noah and Mother! to his latest film, the Brendan Fraser vehicle The Whale, Aronofsky does not make crowd-pleasing movies with mass appeal. And while I don’t love all of his movies, I greatly appreciate his auteur sensibilities for one reason and one reason alone: he gave us The Wrestler.
Released fifteen years ago today, the film stars Mickey Rourke as middle-aged, washed-up professional wrestler Randy “The Ram” Robinson who struggles to relive his glory days in the ring due to his failing health while also attempting to reconnect with his estranged daughter (Evan Rachel Wood) and kindle a romance with local stripper “Cassidy” whose actual name is Pam (Marisa Tomei). Not only is The Wrestler my favorite Aronofsky flick, but it’s easily one of the best sports movies ever made & one of my favorite films of the 21st century. Why? I guess you’ll have to keep reading to find out… 😉 [NOTE: This blog contains spoilers for “The Wrestler.” You have been warned.] The Good For a character-driven drama film, The Wrestler has an exceptional lead cast. Of the three main actors, Wood’s performance is certainly memorable despite her minimal screentime compared to the other two. Having most recently played a fantastical version of Madonna in Eric Appel’s satirical biopic Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, comparing these two roles demonstrates the range she has. Going from exploring the emotionally complex dynamic between a neglectful father & his resentful daughter to embodying the toxic end of a romance between music sensations makes for some solid goalposts for what Wood can do as a performer. And she doesn’t disappoint in this movie. As Randy’s daughter Stephanie who’s written him off due to countless mistakes he’s committed in the past, Wood brings an edge & coldness to the character without falling into the (unfortunately) too-common narrative trap of coming off as wholly unlikeable. By the time we meet her in The Wrestler, we’ve seen enough of Randy’s self-destructive & selfish behavior that accepting him as a failed parent who missed out on much of his daughter’s coming-of-age is pretty believable. Thus, Stephanie is instantly sympathetic in spite of her somewhat aggressive personality. Easily her best scene is when she finally warms up to Randy again as they spend the day together on the boardwalk in New Jersey. We get to see a taste of what a healthy version of their relationship could’ve been and it’s ultimately bittersweet. Unfortunately, Randy (due to problems in another aspect of his life) messes it up again by missing a dinner date. And then Wood brings some of the most authentic grief & rage on display in the entire movie. As she explicitly states, she’s not even mad at her father anymore as she prefers to simply move on with her life without him in it ever again. At a critical point in Randy’s story, one of the only people that could give him solace & comfort in his middle age writes him off completely. Thus, the stage is set for his ultimate downfall (or ascendence, depending on your interpretation of the ending). Yet, I never once felt like Stephanie was too hard on Randy or mercilessly unforgiving. Her responses to his actions were consistently justified & relatable, which is mostly thanks to Wood’s solid performance. The other person to credit for this story, as with how any movie starts, is the screenwriter. Robert Siegel, who directed his own screenplay Big Fan & wrote the Ray Kroc biopic The Founder (both after The Wrestler), laid a great foundation for this film. In his exceptional characterization, Siegel never fails to make the viewer believe in how these people act towards one another nor in the decisions they make. Furthermore, his minimalist dialogue gives the actors what they need to ground the film in a suitable kind of human depth & emotion that keeps the story engagingly nuanced. Simply put, like any film, it goes nowhere without some good writing. And Siegel’s writing for The Wrestler is damn good. The Great While Evan Rachel Wood does a very good job, it’s our two leads that make The Wrestler what it is. And one side of that equation is the vivacious & effortlessly talented Marisa Tomei. An Oscar-winning actress for My Cousin Vinny, she received her third nomination for her role in this film which is more than deserved. Her portrayal of Pam, or “Cassidy” when on the clock at the strip club that Randy frequently patronizes, serves as a lovely foil to Mickey Rourke’s titular character. They are quite similar in that they’re stuck in dead-end jobs that worked for a time but they’ve both hit a point in their lives that they want something more. The difference, however, is that Pam actually commits to getting a worthwhile future (namely for her son) while Randy can’t overcome his flaws to get the same thing with his daughter. Consequently, his journey is tragic because he remains trapped in the same circular motion of trying to recapture his past wrestling fame & damns the fallout for anyone that he cares about (including Pam). Even when Pam comes to the climactic match to profess her love for Randy, he rejects her because the superficial admiration he gets in the ring is more important to him. None of this love story works without Tomei’s graceful, honest, and respectful performance that injects so much humanity into her character. Particularly given the fact that female strippers in movies & television can too often be objectified, stereotyped, and/or bereft of any emotional nuance, her ability to break that mold by fully leaning into Siegel’s writing & her own talents more than proves that she earned her Oscar nomination. Of course, the artistic conductor of this cinematic train is the director who keeps the film on track (😊) with a specific & effective creative vision. In that respect, Darren Aronofsky does some of his best filmmaking to date. He brings Siegel’s grounded character to life with a tactful combination of the talents of his cast & crew. From the intimate cinematography (which I’ll elaborate on later) & immersive location shooting to the efficient editing & delicate guidance of his performers, Aronofsky’s merits as a filmmaker cannot be doubted no matter what you think of his other, more controversial movies. Even if you hate Mother! or Requiem for a Dream, his work on The Wrestler is masterful. And while his talents are on display from start to finish, I found the boldness of his approach to the ending one of the best creative choices of the whole film. It reminded me very much of Damien Chazelle’s Whiplash, my second-favorite movie of all time, because it similarly refuses to provide the audience with moral closure. In other words, Aronofsky never judges Randy’s actions to the point of either wholly agreeing or condemning him. Instead, he lets the viewer decide whether his midlife crisis ultimately culminates in a tragic, existential loneliness or a profoundly empowering commitment to what one loves in life. Of course, the cherry on top of this fantastic ending is the original Bruce Springsteen song that we get during the end credits. Sharing its name with the movie, “The Wrestler” is a hauntingly beautiful elegy that (depending on how you interpret the ending) either laments or celebrates the significance of Randy’s life. By extension, it has something to say about what it truly means to live for what makes you happy in all its complications & crossroads. Undeniably, The Wrestler would not be the movie it is without Aronofsky’s unique & inspired hand on it. While some may think that’s for the worse, I clearly think it’s for the better. The Groundbreaking The obvious standout performance in this movie is Mickey Rourke, which is a bit ironic considering he was supposedly reluctant to accept the part at first. However, The Wrestler simply wouldn’t be what it is with someone else in the lead role (including Nicholas Cage, who was in the running at one point). Not only did Rourke bring his own experience as a professional boxer to portray the character impeccably, but Aronofsky also let him rewrite all of his dialogue to make a dying star of an athlete more realistic. With how much Randy is dragged down by indulgences (from alcohol to cheap, meaningless sex), Rourke brings a grace to this character that not every actor could’ve pulled off so well. The soul of “The Ram” is one inhibited by his own flaws making him go around in a circle of self-destruction. And Rourke’s tough exterior adds a fitting layer of enticing yet raw sentimentality to Randy’s character that ensures he remains the heart & soul of The Wrestler the whole way through. Undoubtedly, he’s one of the (if not THE) best lead character in any of Aronofsky’s films (although Nataline Portman in Black Swan might give him a run for his money). As such, he's one of the groundbreaking elements of the film. The unsung hero of The Wrestler, however, is the cinematography by Maryse Alberti. A French native and New York urbanite, Alberti’s filmography is primarily centered on documentaries & independent narrative flicks. Her “cinéma verité” approach does wonders for this movie. Specifically, her breezy use of closed frames superbly captures Randy’s emotional turmoil feeling boxed into his life whenever outside the ring. Furthermore, her intimate & excessive tracking shots keep the audience constantly engaged in the minutiae of Randy’s day-to-day existence by ensuring that we follow every detail of his steps through life without crossing the line into parody or pretension. As such, Alberti’s work on this movie unquestionably remains one of its most signature & memorable components. Even if you’re not a die-hard cinephile or knowledgeable about Mise-en-scéne, you simply cannot watch The Wrestler & not feel the harsh, gritty, and unforgiveable visual style that would make the film feel incomplete without it. Conclusion Need I say more? The Wrestler is, in my humble opinion, a champion of the sports genre with terrific performances & technically brilliant work going on behind the camera. From top to bottom, it remains an impressive feat of filmmaking and is more than worth 100 minutes of your time if you have yet to ingratiate yourself to its mesmerizing spell of dramatic realism & deft clairvoyance about the ups and downs of the human experience. What do you like or dislike about Darren Aronofsky’s masterful drama The Wrestler? Do you hold it in as high regard as I do? What opinions of mine do you find absolutely ridiculous? Let me know in the comments below. Until next time, this has been… Yours Truly, Amateur Analyst
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Austin McManusI have no academic or professional background in film production or criticism; I simply love watching and talking about movies. Archives
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