Don’t read this if you haven’t watched ‘The Wrestler’.
With a tinge of Hollywood Formula, the main character finds himself and resigns to who he is. What a friggin’ luxury. It kills him, but it seems like something you almost want to take on. When a million other films and PSM’s are screaming in your ear for the last 33 years to better you or if the church is shaming you for not trying to be better. The Wrestler leaves you feeling pissed that your life can’t wind up a film, that if you did resign to who you are you could be dragged out of the showbiz gutter and be given the role that redeems your career because of WHO you are.
I realize this is art, and I confess I have a hard time separating life from art because I spent most of my life trying to relate to Alex P. Keaton, Mike Seaver, Alf, and George Oscar Bluth than I did to living characters around me. In fact, I spent more time trying to mimc others in hopes of redeeming myself.
Rourke’s performance was inspiring, the film had a feel of reality that was easy to connect to. I loved this film.
In the end, this selfish bastard wonders where and how there is room for all of us to be ourselves without being a member of the assholes of society. And if that is who you are, is there really freedom in just being that guy? I doubt it, but I wish there was for my own sake.
Great movie. 
6 Comments
there is a lot more to this movie than just this, feel free to elaborate on your view’s of this great piece of art.
interesting. i just watched this tonight and i saw it more as an allegory on the failure of the american empire..similar in a lot of ways to “there will be blood”. i thought it was a tragedy. your take though would seem to contradict this, no?
it certainly would. Especially seeing that it is proposed as a triumphant end, he gives himself up for the people who have never let him down. It’s the personal relationships and being just a dad that he finds failure and pain.
wow. i completely disagree.
I saw this movie. I agree with Matt in disagreeing with you. But I still think you’re great.
I think I connected with the character and therefore just made it personal rather than looking at it as a metaphor of something greater. I think this problem will continue.
However, I completely saw ‘There Will Be Blood’ as a picture of early America and its foundations found in religion and business/oil. It’s probably good I didn’t connect.
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