Sports films are a genre of film that I enjoy a strange amount considering I’m not a sports kind of guy. (I suppose by that logic, I should enjoy Sitting Down Films and Staying in Bed Films). But I’ve yet to be let down by a Wrestling Movie.
WWE Studios, a subsidiary of the Wrestling Conglomorate have produced hugely popular genre films like The Scorpian King (Russell 2002) and The Marine (Bonito 2006) that have played a significant role in the Wrestler to Actor Pipeline. They’ve also produced more thoughtful, under the radar films like That’s What I Am (Pavone 2011).
I saw Fighting with my Family (Merchant 2019) several times in cinema, An excellent film that while tackling some tough issues, was fun, heartwarming and provided a love letter to Wrestling, the lives its changed and the fans that have enjoyed it over the years.
However, It would be safe to say that Sean Durkin, director of 2011’s deeply unsettling thriller film Martha Marcy May Marlene would probably not be taking such a rose tinted approach to the wrestling industry. However despite it’s being a complete opposite to my much loved Fighting with my Family. It has resonated with me more than nearly any other film this year!
The Iron Claw is an absolute must see, that hooked me from the trailer. It’s a beautiful and powerful film that has taken a cast of loved actors and pushed them to their absolute best performances yet. The team recreated a period of time with such accuracy and style while also hosting a story and a cast of characters that are completely timeless. It is an absolute must see and I strongly recommend carving out some time to watch it.
THAT SAID! This is not an easy watch. Telling the true and tragic story of the Von Erich brothers, one of the most iconic wrestling families and the many tragedies that they suffered. After a very tense 2 and a half hours, I had to go for a very long walk, in some not very good weather to process everything I had experienced.
The Film Builds You Up!
The trailer is vague about the film’s plot. I hadn’t heard of the wrestling family before and didn’t know of the Von Erich Curse that would keep reering its ugly head. But the first half is not an unpleasant watch, we’re introduced to the Von Erich parents and their five sons (There were six but Chris is not included in the movie). It paints a picture of brothers who work hard, enjoy wrestling and love each other without condition. We’re introduced to some of the early tragedies that befell them, with the childhood death of the oldest that haunts them, the withdrawal of the USA from the 1980 Olympics which ruined Kerry’s and other olympian’s chances of competing, as well as the aggressive parenting style of Fritz Von Erich, that pushes his children and attempts to compete them against each other. But in spite of what they’re facing, we enjoy a lot of seemingly quite idealised living, especially through the brothers, who enjoy every second together, whether wrestling, relaxing on the river or sneaking out of the house to go to Mike’s Gig. The happiness culminating in the wedding of Kevin and Pam.
The Film Breaks You Down!
The second half of the film is not like the first! The shadows of tragedy that glimmer in the first half soon take over and dominate the audience’s experience. The tragedies the family face are more challenging than most could imagine, and we’re not given one minute to rest. As the brothers suffer death, traumatic injury and psychological turmoil, no more time is given over to the nice moments between brothers, but more so to the abusive behaviour of their father and the damage it’s doing to Kevin Von Erich’s spirit.
The aggressive dealing of each blow, creates incredibly tense moments that would render an audience member unfamiliar with the story unable to breath. Efron so superbly demonstrates Kevin’s turmoil as unable to deal with the loss of his brothers, he loses connection with his wife and child, and becomes increasingly rage fuelled. During his fight with Ric Flair, I genuinely believed that the next tragedy would be a rage induced murder in the ring. When he finally snaps at his father, who he (probably rightfully) blames for his last brother’s death, I genuinely believed that after the hour of trauma we had been privy to, that the audience would now watch an act of patricide, crushing any hope of a happy ending!
My favourite scene in the film takes place just after the suicide of Kerry, seemingly taking place on the other side of the veil, a now injury free Kerry walks from the childhood home in which he died, travels by boat on the river where he had spent his few happy times and is reunited with his brothers in heaven. However even that is suggested to take place only in the mind of the now alone Kevin.
Somehow there is a happy ending.
Somehow despite all the tragedy that the audience suffers through, they are given a hopeful ending. Kevin finds hope in his wife, who he is able to reconnect with and relearn the emotions that he’s seemingly lost, as he sells the Wrestling Company that had dominated his life and brought so much pain and cuts ties with his father (as does his mother). Seemingly bringing an end, at least to new additional pain.
But the real salvation actually comes from his children. In a beautiful scene that brings a close to all the hardships he has faced.
The film has made clear that most of the tragedy the family has faced can be traced back to the aggression and abuse of the their domineering father. But as Zac Efron breaks down in front of his two young sons, he is seemingly for the first time not punished for how he’s feeling, but instead offered love and understanding from two boys who he cares deeply about. For the first time he’s able to open up about what’s upsetting him, while his children might not be professional therapists, they tell him all he needs to know “It’s okay to cry” and “We’ll be your brothers”. He thanks them genuinely and they all get up to play football as the film closes.
The film manages to create a happy ending with a small but powerful scene. The family curse that had nothing to do with Wresting or the Von Erich name and everything to do with a mistreated family, has finally been broken.
T H E N A I V E F I L M M A K E R 