Darren Aronofsky's latest film, "The Wrestler," has fearlessly dared to explore a realm of storytelling that no other director has in the history of cinema: the professional wrestling industry.
"No one's ever done a wrestling picture before," Aronofsky said during an interview with The Eagle. "There's drama there that no one has ever touched. I think that most people think it's a joke and then write it off because it's fake, but if you're 250 pounds - or any weight for that matter - jumping off the top rope, you're gonna feel it the next day."
Aronofsky is back on his game and at the top of his career with "The Wrestler," a searing portrait of a has-been 1980s professional wrestler named Randy "The Ram" Robinson (Mickey Rourke) who works the independent wrestling circuit desperately trying to get back into the ring for a final showdown with a past rival.
"We did a lot of road tripping to independent events and through that we met a lot of wrestlers and we talked to them," Aronofsky said. "Hardcore wrestlers, like the violent guys, old school wrestlers. We got their individual stories and slowly but surely a story started to emerge. Back in the day, these older guys would do 350 days on the road. They would drive shitty cars and live in motel rooms together because their transportation and accommodating were never covered. That's why most of their lives were in shambles. By the time their career ended, they had nothing left."
Aronofsky cast Oscar-winner Marisa Tomei opposite Rourke as Cassidy, a single-parent stripper and the only person Randy has left to talk to. Tomei, who first attained fame through her comedic performances, has begun to take on more dramatic roles, which she cited as far more challenging than comedy, in Todd Field's family tragedy "In the Bedroom" and Sidney Lumet's heist drama "Before the Devil Knows Your Dead." Tomei prepared for the role by working with a friend who taught pole dancing and stripping classes, as well as with real-life strippers themselves.
"The real strippers are the people who you want to go to when you wanna know how it looks," Tomei said during an interview with The Eagle. "They'll give you props when it's good. The girls who make the most money are the ones who are the best conversationalists. I had to learn the pole moves and learn a different kind of carriage - sticking your breasts out really high and all the time. It's really uncomfortable, but that's how it is!"
In the film, Tomei's character juggles the responsibilities of motherhood, appeasing clients at the strip club and emotionally supporting Randy.
"I don't think she feels any control in her life - her emotions, her destiny," Tomei said. "In her repeated mantra of 'I'm a Mom, and I'm gonna do this and make money for my son,' she's reminding herself of her responsibilities. I think it's in her - I think she's a naturally OK Mom, but I don't think she always has been. I think that she feels out of control most of the time and that she only really feels in control when she dances."
"The Wrestler" has been riding a wave of Oscar-buzz after winning the coveted Gold Lion Award from the Venice Film Festival and garnering standing ovations at the Toronto International Film Festival.
"It's great that people are reacting the way they are, but ultimately the film is about a guy who wants to be loved," Aronofsky said. "At first he's loved by his fans, then when that's not a possibility anymore, he tries to find love through these two women, but it becomes a matter of asking a little too much a little too late. Then he goes back to his guaranteed place where he can get love. If you translate wrestling into whatever your art or creative pursuits may be, it's universal. The reason you can connect with this 50-year-old wrestler and go on his trip and take a journey with such diverse characters is the magic of cinema. The reason why we can connect is because, you know, he's going through ... real stuff."
"The Wrestler" will release in D.C. theaters Dec. 31.
You can reach this staff writer at dsheldon@theeagleonline.com.
