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The Wrestler: A champion film
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"The Wrestler"
Who knew the safest place in the world could be within a wrestling ring?
For Randy “The Ram” Robinson (Mickey Rourke) it is. Once the greatest wrestler in the league, we meet Randy after his glory days have passed, but he still continues to wrestle. He continues because, as he says, “I know what I'm doing. The only place I get hurt is out there. The world don't give a s--t about me.” For Randy, the real world is the scary place.
The world director Darren Aronofsky created in “The Wrestler” is genuine, honest and spellbinding. This film—while simple in execution and scope—is both humble and majestic, real and fantastical.
Randy is aged beyond his prime when we meet him, wearing a hearing aid and dragging along at a slow pace. But he still spray tans and dyes his hair blond to keep up his appearances for his weekend job—fighting in the ring. But that’s all Randy’s got—other than an unrequited love for a stripper (Marisa Tomei) and an estranged daughter (Evan Rachel Wood) who hates him for disappearing.
When Randy’s life starts looking up, he decides it’s time to retire from wrestling, but like an abusive relationship, he returns to the sport after other parts of his life go wrong.
The supporting characters go in and out of the story, never really staying long enough for us to learn about their own stories. However, that’s OK because Randy’s story and character are immense enough to keep our attention forever. Randy is flawed, but also funny, sweet and tenacious.
Wrestling is of course exposed for the fake it really is. We get to see Randy and his fellow players choreograph their moves for the show. But just because it’s fake, doesn’t make it any easier to watch when Randy’s back in staple-gunned or his shoulder slammed by a metal chair.
Mickey Rourke succeeds at his role as Randy in both the physical and the emotional. He seems worn-down by life, beat up by both his opponents and the general cruelties of life in general. His acting is mesmerizing and honest.
Wrestling has always been a way to make yourself bigger than life. Randy is “The Ram,” not an average human being with personal issues who feels lonely most of the time. Maybe we can all see a piece of ourselves in Randy—a desire to be great, and a need to feel wanted.
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