A Great Performance, a Strange World, a Compelling Character Study
Mickey Rourke creates an unforgettable character in The Wrestler (2008), a haunting drama that takes place at the bottom end of the world of professional wrestling, a bizarre form of showbiz combined with athletics. Rourke plays Randy the Ram, who 20 years ago was a top pro, but now only wrestles for meager purses on weekends at shabby venues around Elizabeth, New Jersey. He lives by himself in a trailer, eking out a living working in a supermarket. His personal life is a mess, and in his loneliness, he frequents a strip joint, where he tries to get closer to a topless lap dancer (played memorably by Marisa Tomei).
Rourke won a Golden Globe for his acting in The Wrestler, and both he and Tomei were nominated for Academy Awards. But the movie offers much more than fine performances. Though the setting is drab, the filmmaking is lyrical. While the overall tone is melancholy, the viewer is not left with a feeling of hopelessness. Much of the credit must go to the art house sensibilities of director Darren Aronofsky, and it's no wonder the movie took the top prize at the Venice Film Festival.
As depicted in the film, pro wrestling isn't about winning and losing — it's about putting on a show. The movie shows Randy dying his hair blond, shaving his armpits and going to a tanning salon. Even if his glory years are long gone, he still gives the spectators what they want to see. The wrestlers are agile, strong and tough, but the matches take a heavy toll on their bodies. In one of Randy's matches, he's subjected to broken glass, barbed wire and getting shot with a staple gun.
Behind-the-Scenes Documentary and Bruce Springsteen Music Video
The main DVD bonus material is "Within the Ring," a so-so 43-minute behind-the-scenes documentary about the making of The Wrestler. The only cast member who participates is Evan Rachel Wood, who plays Randy's estranged daughter. But you do get to hear from director Darren Aronofsky and briefly from other key members of the crew. The documentary shows scenes being shot at New Jersey locations, including Jersey City's Acme supermarket, where Randy works and badly cuts his thumb on a meat-slicing machine. Perhaps the most interesting thing in the documentary is to hear real-life wrestlers Necro Butcher, Tommy Rotten and Lex Lethal, all of whom appear in film, talk a little about their chosen profession. Tommy Rotten urges young professional wrestling wannabes to begin by getting training at a good wrestling school.
The only other extra on the DVD is a music video of the Golden Globe-winning song "The Wrestler," written and performed by Bruce Springsteen, which in the film is heard over the closing credits. The music video consists of shots of Springsteen singing his song interspersed with clips from the movie.
DVD Details
Below I have listed all the details for the DVD containing The Wrestler.
Release Date: April 21, 2009
Feature Film Runtime: 1 hour 49 minutes
MPAA Rating: R for Violence, Sexuality/Nudity, Language and Some Drug Use
Widescreen (2.35:1), Color
English 5.1 Dolby Surround
Spanish Dolby Surround
English Captioned for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
Spanish Subtitles
Behind-the-Scenes Documentary: "Within the Ring" (43 min.)
Music Video: "The Wrestler" by Bruce Spingsteen (4 min.)
