The Wrestler
United States, France
2008
111 Min
Color
2.35:1
English
Synopsis
“I don’t hear as good as I used to, and I forget stuff, and I ain’t as pretty as I used to be, but goddamn it, I’m still standing here. Randy The Ram Robinson is a lonely professional wrestler pushing 50, who can now only look back on a once glorious career. These days, regional exhibition matches have replaced screaming headlines in sports magazines, and when he starts to have health problems, The Ram knows he’s at one of life’s major crossroads. After the opulently mystical The Fountain, Darren Aronofsky opted for a realistic drama that draws on the heritage of 1970s American films, specifically John Huston’s Fat City. The main role is depicted with excellence by Mickey Rourke, who "starred” last fall in one of the most closely watched comebacks of recent years, culminating in a Golden Globe Award and an Academy Award nomination. His own experience in the boxing ring enriched his portrayal of the veteran wrestler, as did Aronofsky’s restrained, authenticity-based directing style. —Karlovy Vary
Director
Darren Aronofsky
Darren Aronofsky was born February 12, 1969, in Brooklyn, New York. Growing up, Darren was always artistic: he loved classic movies and, as a teenager, he even spent time doing graffiti art. After high school, Darren went to Harvard University to study film (both live-action and animation). He won several film awards after completing his senior thesis film, “Supermarket Sweep”, starring Sean Gullette, which went on to becoming a National Student Academy Award finalist. Aronofsky didn’t make a feature film until five years later, in February 1996, where he began creating the concept for Pi (1998). After Darren’s script for Pi (1998) received great reactions from friends, he began production. The film re-teamed Aronofsky with Gullette, who played the lead. This went on to further successes, such as Requiem for a Dream (2000) and, most recently, the American remake of the Japanese film series “Lone Wolf and Cub” (1973). —IMDb
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Displaying 4 of 62 wall posts.
Mathias Palmberg
17Feb12
Predictable and uninspiring. Sure it is well made and hits all the right notes for this type of movie. But that is the problem! Nothing surprises or challenges the viewer on any level which is a shame. Fine performances though.
Brad Fautsch
30Dec11
I actually think this is one of Aronofsky's best films. I just love the blunt realism of this movie. Mickey Rourke and Marisa Tomei gove great performances. Contrasting this film with his other works "The Wrestler" shows that he does not need to rely on strange or "extreme" subject-matter to make an interesting film.
Daniel S.
12Dec11
"I want to die young in order to be a beautiful corpse" is one of the key assertions of some writers of the Romantic literary movement. If Novalis died at the age of 29 and Heinrich Von Kleist at 34, on the contrary Victor Hugo died at the highly respectable age of 83. Some people don't manage to separate their ideal aspirations from real life, some do. Mickey Rourke, in the Wrestler, didn't retire at the peak of his career so he has to suffer now the ever extending gap betwen his glorious past and the man he has become. The awareness of this situation will change him into the Romantic hero he deserved to be. Masterpiece.
Charles Deckert likes this
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Articles
Our roundup of essays and articles on this film.
Technicians and Artists
By Ignatiy Vishnevetsky on December 8, 2010
Darren Aronofsky: a resourceful technician (Pi) of considerable range but little imagination (Requiem for a Dream), after attempting an artwork
Venice and TIFF 2010. Darren Aronofsky's "Black Swan"
By David Hudson on September 1, 2010
The very first rumblings from the Lido are raves. Most of us can't see Mike Goodridge's review for Screen, but Awards Daily can, so here
pages from a cold island: LIFE CLASSES/LIFE MODEL
By Neil Young on April 22, 2009
Bruises from your head to your toeThere are marks all over you There's no place for you to hideSince they painted you black and blueThe Auteurs
TIFF Review: THE WRESTLER
By Twitchfilm.com on May 17, 2011
The prints of Darren Aronofsky’s new film, The Wrestler, have barely dried (or what is the digital equivalent?) and already it has won the top prize at the Venice Film Festival and is on its way, possibly
TIFF Review: THE WRESTLER
By Twitchfilm.net on July 16, 2010
The prints of Darren Aronofsky’s new film, The Wrestler, have barely dried (or what is the digital equivalent?) and already it has won the top prize at the Venice Film Festival and is on its way, possibly
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RAM
By marcdoni on December 5, 2010
“O lutador” é um belíssimo filme. Não vou falar das atuações de Mickey Rourke ou de Marisa Tomei, deslumbrante; pois muitos já falaram a respeito. São outros os motivos que me fazem achar este filme… read review
Mickey Roarke deserved an Oscar
By earman on October 21, 2010
Wrestling is a fantasy sport primarily enjoyed by the working class to release their pent up anger and provide them with a living breathing hero. The Wrestler provides an entertainment by using his… read review
Untitled
By Christopher Smith on November 30, 2009
Director Darren Aronofsky’s much-lauded character study is some solid filmmaking, but doesn’t quite live up to the hype it generated. Mickey Rourke deserves every bit of praise he received for his… read review
Untitled
By Tony Pauletto on November 14, 2009
The Wrestler is a powerhouse of a film with a rising structure fire. It takes a firm chokehold on any character study of the last decade. Rourke’s fearlessness, combined with Aronofsky’s brutal honesty… read review
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Was "The Wrestler" really a great film or just another Rocky
63 posts by 37 people
5 months ago
the wrestler - springsteen
4 posts by 4 people
over 3 years ago