Wrestler, The – 2-Disc SE
Randy “The Ram” Robinson used to be one of the big shots in professional wrestling during the 1980s. Twenty years later he still wrestles but in small halls now and his life outside the ring is a total mess. His relationship with his daughter is almost non-existant and to get by he works at a local grocery shop.
When he gets the offer to do a rematch against The Ayatollah it looks like his professional wrestling career might get a reboot but when he gets a heart attack right after a wrestling game his doctor forbigs him to wrestly ever again. Randy now has to decide whether he wants to spend his life outside the ring or whether his love for the sport is enough to risk his life for…
Sound and Vision:
Instead of the Blu-ray we got the DVD version this time but we do have to say the image quality is pretty decent. The images are pretty stylized which heightens the feeling of realism the director intended to show by the documentary style of the movie and except for some grain there are no artefacts to be found. Also the contrast, level of black and shadow detail are pretty good and we can easily say that although we’ve seen better this is a decent DVD transfer.
The sound comes with a DTS and a Dolby track. The quality of these is very good and there’s plenty of use of the surround speakers for effects and music to create additional atmosphere. Good stuff.
Extras:
– Within the Ring
– Interview with Darren Aronofsky & Mickey Rourke
– Interview with Mickey Rourke
– Liner Notes
– Photo Gallery
– Trailers
An interesting Making Of and the two interview features make that you get plenty of information about the movie. Very interesting to check out!
Conclusion:
The Wrestler sounds a bit like “Rocky goes Wrestling” when you first read the back cover but it’s a much more dramatic movie about people their thoughts. Rourke perfectly portrays the washed-down wrestler Randy “The Ram” Robinson in his quest to find meaning in his life and is nicely supported in this by Marisa Tomei and Evan Rachel Wood.
Don’t expect a flashy wrestling movie showing the glamour and glitter of professional wrestling but we get a compelling drama that shows the backside of this world of image and prestige. A deep drama that makes for a great movie. Excellent!
8.0