Author Topic: The Wrestler  (Read 21984 times)

FroHam X

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Re: The Wrestler
« Reply #10 on: January 19, 2009, 01:08:54 AM »
Agreeing with frosty.

How embarrassing.

I'm not that bad. Am I?
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duder

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Re: The Wrestler
« Reply #11 on: January 19, 2009, 06:17:35 AM »
I was disappointed by the lack of back-story in this film. All you English Lit majors (I am also one) out there might tell me that more back-story = more boring. But I didn't have enough info to be fully invested in the story. Where is Stephanie's mom? Why did The Ram "fall from grace"? Was he simply too beaten up to continue wrestling during the 90s, or was there some kind of downfall?

The film lacked sufficient action for me. While its stylistic sparsity was refreshing, it fell short of being compelling.

Wrong.

Agreeing with frosty.

Seriously.
...

skjerva

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Re: The Wrestler
« Reply #12 on: January 19, 2009, 09:11:13 AM »
seriously?  people feel the need for backstory in this one?  no way. 

(the following is not a defense of not needing backstory :) )

i'm playing with the idea that this is a critique of Reagan-era politics.  Reagan the performer, as conservatives love to claim, pretends to be about the working class stiff.  working class stiffs are pretending that everything is (mostly) okay (just as, by-and-large, they were doing in the 80s).  the working class stiffs, here performing - and performing soul-bearing labor - are not only not getting ahead, but seemingly losing ground - their making believe is killing them.  the 90s, which sucked, in the film represented by the whiney Cobain-type, is an era of sincerity, uncertainty, and being knowingly messed-up. even if the complaints are true, people don't want to hear them, they just want to party and pretend like everything is okay (and make do with what is known)

i don't know, something like that maybe
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Bill Thompson

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Re: The Wrestler
« Reply #13 on: January 19, 2009, 09:34:39 AM »
It's a critique of the wrestling business, that is all.

skjerva

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Re: The Wrestler
« Reply #14 on: January 19, 2009, 09:50:51 AM »
ha  :)
But I wish the public could, in the midst of its pleasures, see how blatantly it is being spoon-fed, and ask for slightly better dreams. 
                        - Iris Barry from "The Public's Pleasure" (1926)

zarodinu

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Re: The Wrestler
« Reply #15 on: January 19, 2009, 10:48:20 AM »
I'm playing with the idea that this is a critique of Reagan-era politics.  Reagan the performer, as conservatives love to claim, pretends to be about the working class stiff.  working class stiffs are pretending that everything is (mostly) okay (just as, by-and-large, they were doing in the 80s).  the working class stiffs, here performing - and performing soul-bearing labor - are not only not getting ahead, but seemingly losing ground - their making believe is killing them.  the 90s, which sucked, in the film represented by the whiney Cobain-type, is an era of sincerity, uncertainty, and being knowingly messed-up. even if the complaints are true, people don't want to hear them, they just want to party and pretend like everything is okay (and make do with what is known)

I'm playing with the idea that the movie is a scathing attack on Bill Clinton.  The Ram is a performer, much like the the career politician and pathological liar Clinton.  His former days of glory (being president) are replaced by aimless wondering around (post-presidency).  The stripper character is Monika Lewinsky to whom he is attracted sexually but who ends up leaving him.  Ram's attempt to patch things up with his daughter is symbolic of Clinton trying to patch up his marriage with Hillary.  Here, the actresses bad acting is a satirical play on Hillary's lack of appeal that cost her the presidency.  The Ram's attempts to recapture glory are symbolic of Clinton trying to return to the white house on the coattails of his wife.

Hmmm, I think this can be expended into a PhD paper.       
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edgar00

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Re: The Wrestler
« Reply #16 on: January 19, 2009, 10:54:09 AM »
I'm playing with the idea that this is a critique of Reagan-era politics.  Reagan the performer, as conservatives love to claim, pretends to be about the working class stiff.  working class stiffs are pretending that everything is (mostly) okay (just as, by-and-large, they were doing in the 80s).  the working class stiffs, here performing - and performing soul-bearing labor - are not only not getting ahead, but seemingly losing ground - their making believe is killing them.  the 90s, which sucked, in the film represented by the whiney Cobain-type, is an era of sincerity, uncertainty, and being knowingly messed-up. even if the complaints are true, people don't want to hear them, they just want to party and pretend like everything is okay (and make do with what is known)

I'm playing with the idea that the movie is a scathing attack on Bill Clinton.  The Ram is a performer, much like the the career politician and pathological liar Clinton.  His former days of glory (being president) are replaced by aimless wondering around (post-presidency).  The stripper character is Monika Lewinsky to whom he is attracted sexually but who ends up leaving him.  Ram's attempt to patch things up with his daughter is symbolic of Clinton trying to patch up his marriage with Hillary.  Here, the actresses bad acting is a satirical play on Hillary's lack of appeal that cost her the presidency.  The Ram's attempts to recapture glory are symbolic of Clinton trying to return to the white house on the coattails of his wife.

Hmmm, I think this can be expended into a PhD paper.       

I feel ashamed I hadn't thought about it earlier.
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philip918

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Re: The Wrestler
« Reply #17 on: January 19, 2009, 11:05:51 AM »
I'm playing with the idea that this is a critique of Reagan-era politics.  Reagan the performer, as conservatives love to claim, pretends to be about the working class stiff.  working class stiffs are pretending that everything is (mostly) okay (just as, by-and-large, they were doing in the 80s).  the working class stiffs, here performing - and performing soul-bearing labor - are not only not getting ahead, but seemingly losing ground - their making believe is killing them.  the 90s, which sucked, in the film represented by the whiney Cobain-type, is an era of sincerity, uncertainty, and being knowingly messed-up. even if the complaints are true, people don't want to hear them, they just want to party and pretend like everything is okay (and make do with what is known)

I'm playing with the idea that the movie is a scathing attack on Bill Clinton.  The Ram is a performer, much like the the career politician and pathological liar Clinton.  His former days of glory (being president) are replaced by aimless wondering around (post-presidency).  The stripper character is Monika Lewinsky to whom he is attracted sexually but who ends up leaving him.  Ram's attempt to patch things up with his daughter is symbolic of Clinton trying to patch up his marriage with Hillary.  Here, the actresses bad acting is a satirical play on Hillary's lack of appeal that cost her the presidency.  The Ram's attempts to recapture glory are symbolic of Clinton trying to return to the white house on the coattails of his wife.

Hmmm, I think this can be expended into a PhD paper.       

I feel ashamed I hadn't thought about it earlier.

I think you can certainly draw some parallels to 80s through contemporary American politics - I mean, his nemesis is the Ayatollah for crying out loud.  The Bill Clinton idea is just plain silly, sorry.

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Re: The Wrestler
« Reply #18 on: January 19, 2009, 11:14:27 AM »
I'm playing with the idea that this is a critique of Reagan-era politics.  Reagan the performer, as conservatives love to claim, pretends to be about the working class stiff.  working class stiffs are pretending that everything is (mostly) okay (just as, by-and-large, they were doing in the 80s).  the working class stiffs, here performing - and performing soul-bearing labor - are not only not getting ahead, but seemingly losing ground - their making believe is killing them.  the 90s, which sucked, in the film represented by the whiney Cobain-type, is an era of sincerity, uncertainty, and being knowingly messed-up. even if the complaints are true, people don't want to hear them, they just want to party and pretend like everything is okay (and make do with what is known)

I'm playing with the idea that the movie is a scathing attack on Bill Clinton.  The Ram is a performer, much like the the career politician and pathological liar Clinton.  His former days of glory (being president) are replaced by aimless wondering around (post-presidency).  The stripper character is Monika Lewinsky to whom he is attracted sexually but who ends up leaving him.  Ram's attempt to patch things up with his daughter is symbolic of Clinton trying to patch up his marriage with Hillary.  Here, the actresses bad acting is a satirical play on Hillary's lack of appeal that cost her the presidency.  The Ram's attempts to recapture glory are symbolic of Clinton trying to return to the white house on the coattails of his wife.

Hmmm, I think this can be expended into a PhD paper.       

I feel ashamed I hadn't thought about it earlier.

I think you can certainly draw some parallels to 80s through contemporary American politics - I mean, his nemesis is the Ayatollah for crying out loud.  The Bill Clinton idea is just plain silly, sorry.

Thought that was the intent?

Also the Ayatollah is a reference to real life wrestler The Iron Sheik - see Bigger, Stronger, Faster* for that story.

kizik

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Re: The Wrestler
« Reply #19 on: January 19, 2009, 03:47:08 PM »
I was disappointed by the lack of back-story in this film. All you English Lit majors (I am also one) out there might tell me that more back-story = more boring. But I didn't have enough info to be fully invested in the story. Where is Stephanie's mom? Why did The Ram "fall from grace"? Was he simply too beaten up to continue wrestling during the 90s, or was there some kind of downfall?

The film lacked sufficient action for me. While its stylistic sparsity was refreshing, it fell short of being compelling.

Wrong.

I read and commented on your review of Button. The least you can do is elaborate on why you disagree with me without being rude.