Review of The Wrestler (2008) by Kyle C — 17 Feb 2012

Director Darren Aranofsky's "The Wrestler" is small in scope, but utterly iconic in depth.

The Wrestler is a triumphantly heartbreaking speech on the intrinsic values of the people we hold dearest in our lives. The hero and the villain of the film is Randy "The Ram" Robinson, who also goes by the regrettably legal moniker Robin Ramzinski. Randy, both in and out of the ring, is hesitant, perhaps remiss, to show any shred of emotional nuance that might render him vulnerable. He still clings to the familiarity of his past, but we can instantly see that he yearns for something more... something else... something. He's seen the top and he's been holding on for dear life ever since. We see him as a washed up, independent circuit wrestler who is a shell of his former self, although Randy would probably disagree with that.

What becomes of Randy rests on the frail relationships he's built. A demeaning boss, a stringent landlord, an increasingly disinterested group of neighborhood kids, a stripper, and his estranged daughter. As his punishing life begins to take its toll, Randy is forced to take account of what he loves.

Priorities, settling, reconciliation, responsibility, trust, and love are just a few of the hurdles that Randy faces through his journey. Although he is resolute and his past suggests a toughness not available to most, Randy finds that true involvement is his toughest opponent yet.

"The Wrestler" takes us through wrenching moments of destitution and neglect that leave us no direction as to whom our pity should be directed, only the distinct knowledge that someone will be adversely changed. It challenges the viewer to grasp for some sense of resolve. It brings us to a jarring conclusion that sometimes life isn't fair. Sometimes life doesn't play along. However, most of the time it is Randy who neglects to play by the rules that dictate happiness, comfort, and purpose.

Those failings create poignant moments of epiphany even as Randy's world is dissolving around him. Those moments give definition to his shortcomings. It is those moments, when he realizes that despite his best efforts at making his worst decisions, he is still allowed to be human. Someone will love him. With his greatest faults behind him, sometimes climbing to the top of the ropes is the only thing that makes sense. It's the only place where his life takes on some form of significance.