With my previous investigation of film authenticity I examined the techniques used in the film Saving Private Ryan. Like most of the films that I will study, the issue of authenticity falls nicely within the boundaries of historical settings. This is simply because a historical film requires a reconstruction of its original settings. However, the term ‘authenticity’ does not just have to be confined to a period piece. Issues of authenticity can also be valued within a contemporary setting. It is with the film The Wrestler (2008, Aronofsky) that I will examine the production techniques used to make a contemporary setting appear authentic.
The Wrestler takes place, as the title suggests, within the world of professional wrestling. With the original development of the film, Director Darren Aronofsky had previously toyed with the idea of setting the film as a period piece. The backdrop would be during the rise of the highly successful WWF (World Wrestling Federation, Now World Wrestling Entertainment) in the late 1980’s. The idea was quickly realised to be unfeasible due the endless “licensing” issues that such a setting would throw up.Therefore the film takes place in the modern day at two genuine independent wrestling promotions, WXW (World Xtreme Wrestling) and CZW (Combat Zone Wrestling) respectively. The final match of the film does take place within a major wrestling organisation, which is that of ROH (Ring of Honor) wrestling.
Part of the research Darren Aronofsky and producer Scott Franklin carried out prior to production commencing was to attend various live wrestling shows. Eventually, the two aforementioned independent wrestling promotions were chosen to be the settings during filming. Before filming Aronofsky shares his apprehension stating that he was “unsure how it would work with the live crowd”. The filming according to Mark Heyman, the co-producer lasted a total of “35 days”. On a tight budget the crew would film the scenes away from the wrestling during the week. That left the weekend for the production team to use the live events to film the wrestling actions scenes.
[3]During the live shows of both WXW and CZW, Aronofsky would capture the footage he desired, whether it was of other matches taking place that evening or footage of the live crowd. What is vital about the setting and it’s authentic feel, is that the crowd are genuine fight attendees and the wrestlers are all professional wrestlers, excluding the main character Randy “The Ram” Robinson (played by Rourke). During the live shows, Rourke and his stunt double Armond ‘Kid USA’ Ciceri, would be brought out to perform his fight scene, incidentally against actual professional wrestlers.
[4]Aronofsky’s previous anxieties about using a live genuine fight crowd would be answered. The answer being that it would work unimaginably well. The fight atmosphere that is thrown up is one of genuine reaction to the action taking place inside the ring. The reason for this success lies with the nature of the show that is put on. It may be unfair to call the crowd a ‘pantomime’ crowd but this is essentially what they are. Regular attendees to this sort of event, the real crowd already understand exactly how to respond to the action and showmanship of the wrestlers, they either get booed or cheered, good vs. evil. Before the final wrestling match Aronofsky can be seen beginning to instruct the crowd on how to react to the action before saying “I know you guys know what to do”. This brilliantly sums up the authenticity that the genuine pro-wrestling fan posses and the masterstroke of Aronofsky to implement that within The Wrestler.
[5]The application of professional wrestlers would throw up similar results to the live crowd aspect of this film. Apart from Rourke’s character, Aronofsky only used Pro-Wrestlers during the fight sequences. The realism that this would portray is another intelligent directorial vision. Professional wrestlers by trade or taught to put on an acting display every week with their chosen stage persona. Whether they want to play the villain or the hero they act out a specific type of character that the crowd responds to. Professional wrestler Mike Miller claims that he “loves to play up to the camera”. Ultimately though, the key factor to Aronofsky’s decision to use real wrestlers lies with the fighting itself. Behind the scenes footage shows Dylan Keith Summers, AKA Necro Butcher with real scars over his body, accumulated during various “Hardcore” style matches. This best illuminates the effort that professional wrestlers put in to their own performances and the real dangers that lie within this act and how the use of anybody but pro-wrestlers would make the film’s authenticity inferior. When it comes to stunt doubles Armond Ciceri’s turn to act out some fight footage, no punches are pulled. There is a scene in the film where Rourke’s character must be thrown through a pane of glass. Utilising the stunt double, Ciceri is thrown into the pane which is smashed with triggered explosions. However, Ciceri is seen moments later genuinely cut and bleeding from wounds off the glass. Therefore the use of natural action couldn’t be more valuable. It is this act that the wrestlers portray in the ring that can almost effortlessly be captured on camera, resulting in a film filled with the natural showmanship that ties within the world of wrestling.
The pre production side to the film also provides an insight into the authenticity with the actual story itself through the words of the film’s screenwriter Rob Siegel. Siegel met and talked to various professional wrestlers and noticed that there were specific similar emerging conflicts. These themes include “estranged daughters and broken relationships” a theme which is apparent in the film. Siegel deduced that many wrestlers would go on to live unstable lives and finally, a key feature in the film, rely heavily upon strip clubs. Although it may seem somewhat of a generalisation of professional wrestlers, Siegel sums this up “things become clichés because they’re actually true”.
A final mention and a good opportunity to explore the level of depth that Aronofsky intended with this project is with the fake/real Nintendo game Wrestle Jam. The game was created from scratch by graphics artist Kristyn Hume and programmer Randall Furino and is a mock up of old fashioned Nintendo wrestling games which features the fictional Randy “The Ram” Robinson [6]. It takes it influences from other 8-bit fighting games like Nintendo's Pro Wrestling and Acclaims, WWF Wrestlemania. A quote from graphic artist Hume shows Aronofsky’s vision, that he wanted a console game were the characters could “interact” [7] . This strive towards authenticty resulted in a genuine working game being created, suitably named : Wrestle Jam.
No bigger sentiment could be paid to this film then the positive response from the world of professional wrestling and former superstars of both WWE and WCW (World Championship Wrestling). Professional wrestler and former WWE heavyweight champion Mick Foley said about the film "Within five [minutes], I had completely forgotten I was looking at Mickey Rourke. That guy on the screen simply was Randy "the Ram" Robinson" [9]. Aronofsky is quoted as saying that former WWE hall famer Roddy Piper “broke down and cried in Mickey's arms, so he was psyched that this story was finally told” [10] . Former and current professional wrestlers have to endure a life of insults directed towards the fake elements to their beloved style of “entertainment”. The irony of this project’s is that, the use of authentic, real action, direct from promotional professional wrestling events, intwined with a believable storyline, made this film a complete critical success.
No comments:
Post a Comment