Review of Foxcatcher (2014) by Riddhiman2003 — 20 Sep 2021

Under the helm of the visionary director- Bennett Miller, Foxcatcher serves as a classic storytelling masterpiece as it scrutinizes the human psyche’s craving for success and the unbearable burden of anxiety that comes with it. This electrically captivating drama nets the audience’s minds from the first scene and puts our hearts on a chokehold until the very last. The story reaches its climax when we least expect it to, leaving us emotionally shaken from the cathartic release of the pounding thematic conflict. Pertaining to the story, E. Max Frye and Dan Futterman have crafted a near perfect screenplay, tracing the downfall of all the central characters of the film- a rare creative choice in cinema. The year is 1987, three years after 1984 Olympics which won Mark Schultz (Channing Tatum) the gold in wrestling. But after being overshadowed nearly forever by the success of his elder brother- Dave Schultz (Mark Ruffalo), Mark craves for recognition from the society- having been previously ‘unrecognized’. He somehow makes ends meet and lives all alone.

Du Pont (Steve Carrel), an aristocratic multi millionaire whose sole dream is to draw glory to his training company- ‘Foxcatcher’, persuades Mark to join in as an official trainer for an elite squad of the US national wrestling team. Widely celebrated as a comedy icon, Steve Carrel’s nerve racking performance as this dark role establishes his creative identity as a finesse versatile actor in Hollywood. So does Mark Ruffalo and Channing Tatum. They both delve into their varied character moments in the script and flesh out philosophical conflict through authentic and powerful emotions that resonate with the audience.

Mark’s hunger for fame and respect, not the love for the sport, motivates him to leave his brother behind and join Foxcatcher.

But Du Pont often desperately seeks temporary refuge behind his own wealthy aristocratic façade as a means of escapism from his failures at establishing himself as a respectable figure in the eyes of others around, especially his mother (Vanessa Redgrave). This mannerism plunges him into a downward spiral of desire to succeed. His mother stomps down on his swirling ego by declaring that she does not want her son to get “low” and labels wrestling as a “low sport”. Consequently, being a fan of it, Du Pont feels passionately stirred at being insulted at. But being blinded by his own unhealthy obsession for power, he fails to recognize the truth in her wisdom- the fact that he has actually gotten way too low in the pursuit of glory. Du Pont’s character casts a lasting impression on our minds, owing to the precarious grin donned by Carrel during the awkward moments of the film. His grin comes off as a careful composite patchwork of anxiety, annoyance and arrogance.

The premise of this film is built upon the physically aggressive sport of wrestling, which is a precise metaphor to the psychological tussle in the minds of both Mark and Du Pont- as the two men grapple for glory.

Their common goal of fame in life ties them together in a friendship that yields advantageous to both their desires. However, as the days fly by, their individual struggles to establish societal dominance tear their duo apart very soon, throwing Mark into a dark lonely corner of his own mind. This leads to the arrival of Dave on the farm as the new trainer. Being a former Olympic gold medalist, Dave’s coaching skills are unrivalled by Du Pont’s, who in fact is just a sport fan. Feeling outgunned by Dave’s expertise, Du Pont actively pursues his goal of proclaiming himself as the head coach for the entire Foxcatcher team. He senses a pressing and urgent need to be hailed as a father figure to them. Dave’s presence on the wrestling squad also serves as the perfect emotional backbone for a struggling and unstable Mark to lean on. But his new popularity amongst the other trainees silently infuriates Du Pont- compelling him do the unthinkable in the film’s jaw dropping climax.

The vivid imagery and visual storytelling implemented in this film clearly establishes it as one of Miller’s best works till date.