“Still jumping off the top rope”.
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Welcome to the final re-release from my opus love-in blog article of utter devotion for the films of Brooklyn born filmmaker Darren Aronofsky.
Pi — Incredible debut film.
Requiem for a Dream — The high watermark yet to be breached.
The Fountain — Superb.
The Wrestler — See below!
Black Swan — I hold a deep reverence for this amazing film.
Noah — Now the least favourite of his career to date.
Mother! — BAT SHIT CRAZY!
The Whale is eagerly awaited for a UK release date here on 3rd February 2023 with Brendan Fraser’s headline performance already nominated for an Oscar this year, with the film garnering three nominations overall.
Darren Aronofsky and 6 films for your consideration.
Pi, Requiem for a Dream, The Fountain, The Wrestler, Black Swan and Noah. All lovingly appreciated and spoiler free.medium.com
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“Still jumping off the top rope”.
Aronofsky’s fourth film, written by Robert D Siegel, was his most critically acclaimed before Black Swan, with two rightly acclaimed and Oscar nominated performances from his leads. However, and going against perceived wisdom, this is for me the weakest of his six films to date and the least stylised with his own directorial imprint. That’s not to say it’s a bad film just the least Aronofsky styled film to date.
The film follows a standard linear timeline following glossy opening credits recounting the glory days of wrestling in the 1980’s, of headlining Madison Square Garden to huge adoring crowds and a sport reaching it’s zenith in popularity. “20 Years Later” we find “Randy ‘The Ram’ Robinson” (Mickey Rourke) for the first time. Hunched over in pain in a small dressing room we never see his face, just his broken or at near breaking point body. We still don’t see his face or a clear view of The Ram (he insists upon being called Ram or Randy and always a nod toward his professional persona) as he signs autographs for ardent fans awaiting his departure. But the scene around him encapsulates his professional life, a small municipal gymnasium doubling for a wrestling arena, a few sparse chairs being tidied away diligently by effusive organisers and fans, and an old wrestling superstar walking gingerly away, wheeling his small luggage behind him.
The opening Act in this standard three Act piece of 109 minutes layers Randy’s current life together in small, discreet segments and it’s here where Mickey Rourke triumphs. Despite all of life’s downturns he retains the spirit of a professional wrestler and against continuing odds continues to perform for his people and for his hardy fans. His life and of course his obsessions centre on wrestling despite both his life and the sport he so loves being in decline. The 1980’s height of selling out Madison Square Garden and his continual wrestling battles that have gone down in wrestling folklore are now well behind him but Act One depicts a professional still training, still retaining the buzz and excitement of performing and a genuine camaraderie with his fellow wrestlers.
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What’s immediately evident is a virtuoso performance from Mickey Rourke brilliantly bringing to life a jaded professional sportsman obsessing to the very end in a sport that envelops him. The training, the illegal use of steroids to “juice” himself and enable him to bulk up and retain a body that despite the sport’s “entertainment” factor is still a gruelling slog night after night. His preparation is meticulous and obsessive in every regard, from the training to the body preparation pre fight, the taping of hands, legs and arms to the agreeing of “spots” or agreed moves with his fellow wrestlers to ensure the entertainment of the fight is the greatest possible for both themselves and their legion of devoted fans. Randy is clearly only really alive when actually living in the past, a bygone era of popularity and adulation that he conversely no longer seeks. Now it’s his obsession with continuing with his life’s passion and the thrill of performing for his fans.
Still within Act One but away from wrestling, Randy’s life is depicted constantly through Rourke’s eyes and mannerisms and a Steadicam from the Director that follows his every move and nuance. Living on a trailer park and a virtual down and out with no money and little life outside of wrestling, he is surrounded by posters and memories of the past whilst living a present that is far removed from these halcyon days. Lonely and very much a loner, he comes alive around the sport he loves but away from wrestling he is a 40 something aged human being, frail even, as is depicted through his wearing of a hearing aid and glasses but more so in a body that he struggles to maintain. The highlight of Rourke’s performance is the stoicism he enthuses into the character, that despite the highs and lows of his career he is still a determined, yet obsessive, sportsman, proud of his achievements and the enduring love he creates around him when he wrestles.
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The common theme of obsession in Aronofsky’s films is heightened further here with obsessions being replaced with further obsessions and motivational factors. A regular at a strip club, Randy is infatuated with “Cassidy” (Marisa Tomei) and refuses to see the blurred lines between friend, client and stripper. His love and infatuation border on obsession but he refuses to accept their dalliance must remain a purely professional one. Similarly, an estranged relationship with his daughter “Stephanie” (Evan Rachel Wood) overtakes his other obsessions, a pressing need to recapture time spent apart and perhaps a metaphor to his career inside and outside of the wrestling ring too. Both marquee roles for Evan Rachel Wood and Marisa Tomei are brilliantly realised in support of Rourke’s virtuoso performance, with Tomei rightly acclaimed and nominated for a Best Supporting Actress Oscar in 2009. In supporting and cameo roles there are a huge cast of professional wrestling stars but away from the wrestling “Adam” is brilliantly and subtly portrayed by John D’Leo, “Lenny” is Mark Margolis fourth of five collaborations with the Director and both of Aronofsky’s parents cameo again!
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With two deserved Oscar nominations for Mickey Rourke and Marisa Tomei and a highly engaging film, this still remains the least of my favoured Aronofsky films. To criticise a film for being too linear would be absurd, however my personal preference is for more of the jolting, awkward and obscure camera angles and shots from his previous films. That said, the constantly moving camera that follows Randy away from the ring through to the excellently captured wrestling scenes are a joy. New collaborations on Cinematography (Maryse Alberti) and Editing (Andrew Weisblum) are evident but it’s the continuing collaboration with Clint Mansell on Musical Score that triumphs again, often with only a simple solo guitar in the background the film is also brilliantly sound tracked by Guns n Roses, Slaughter, Cinderella and Rat Attack amongst many, many others.
The film also closes with Bruce Springsteen’s eponymous and haunting song “The Wrestler” which fits the tone of the film perfectly.
Thanks for reading. Just for larks as always, and always a human reaction rather than spoilers galore. My three most recently published film articles are linked below or there’s well over 200 blog articles (with 400+ individual film reviews) within my archives from which to choose:
“Manchester by the Sea” (2016)
Kenneth Lonergan’s Oscar winning heartbreaker.medium.com
“Crimson Tide” (1995)
The Best of Tony Scott — Vol 3.medium.com
“Argo” (2012)
“It’s like talking to those 2 old fucks on The Muppets!”.medium.com