Wrap Up: 'The Wrestler'

Without a doubt, the club's first meeting was a blast, thanks so much to all who attended! We laid the groundwork for future meetings and had a great discussion of The Wrestler over a few beers at the Library. In these 'Wrap-Ups' I'll post some notes about the general topics of conversation, talk about logistics for the next meeting, and maybe throw out some ideas for further discussion. So, with that in mind, here's the rundown from last night's meeting.

Clerical Stuff

• Decided to meet bi-weekly. The next meeting will be on Tuesday, January 20th around 8pm. Save the date!
  
• Agreed to decide which movie to watch one week before the next meeting. Please post your picks for our next movie in the comments by next Tuesday, January 13th.
• Decided in favor of having a volunteer to lead discussion at each meeting. The next discussion leader has yet to be decided. Anyone interested?
• Decided to change the name of the club. Please brainstorm and bring your ideas to the next meeting!

Discussion (I will try my best not to spoil anything, but no guarantees)

• After agreeing that we all generally liked 'The Wrestler', the subject of the movie's ending was the first that we discussed. Some people found it to be a fitting conclusion, given that it glorifies Randy's passion as a wrestler and abstains from showing the potentially disturbing results of his actions. (Vague enough for you?) Others did not.
• We shared our thoughts regarding the often gratuitous violence and nudity in the movie. We asked how these elements contributed to its overall tone, how (if at all) they contributed to our understanding of Randy and Pam (Cassidy), and if they were overly sensationalized. We decided that they suited the movie's gritty subject matter and drove home the reality of the heavy toll that wrestling and dancing have taken on their aging bodies.
• Tom made a great point about the parallels between Randy and Pam, arguing that they both made a living by selling their flesh and struggled to come to terms with their age and the binding relationships in their lives.
• We talked about The Wrestler  in comparison with Aronofsky's other works, particularly with regard to its almost documentary style. We agreed that the gritty, behind-the-scenes feel achieved by the camerawork in this movie was more appropriate than the generally composed and smooth camera work of the director's earlier work.
• We also discussed the themes of Aronofsky's work that appeared in the movie, particularly his preoccupation with mortality, the need for personal affirmation, and elements of American mythology--in this case, professional wrestling. We wondered how this movie might be received by real fans of the sport, and discussed the insights it offers into the lives of pro wrestlers.

I think we all had a lot of fun talking about the movie. I certainly came away from the conversation with a better understanding of the movie than I had before, which in my mind is the greatest thing about this club. Everybody made great points and contributed so much to the conversation, so thanks again for coming! To those of you who couldn't make it, I hope we'll see you on the 20th!

As a last bonus, here's a link to the song that plays over the closing credits, a beautiful little tune written for the movie by the Boss himself. Enjoy!

Bruce Springsteen - The Wrestler