Attention: This film response is an optional one. If you choose to do this response, the file name should be "LastName.FirstName.OFR.The.Wrestler.S20" NOT "FR5"--if you have any Film Response grades that are "Falls Short," this is a chance to raise one of them. However, this Optional Response cannot replace an "Incomplete" grade. Also, please read the instructions for film responses again, very carefully, so that you can be sure to meet all requirements.
The suffering of the characters in this film can be excruciating to watch. There isn't so much physical suffering as we see in Hunger, perhaps (there is the staple gun incident), but the emotional toll on Pam and Robin (or should we call them Cassidy and Randy?) of their choices and circumstances is massive and beyond question. I think Aronofsky communicates this emotional agony in a remarkable way--he transfers the shame and embarrassment of the characters into our viewing experience.
I wonder if embarrassment really can be a universal feeling when watching a movie like this one. We see Randy (or is it Robin?) holding onto the past in all sorts of silly ways. "Wanna play Nintendo?" is one. His belief that 80's rock ballads set the standard for musical excellence shows his limited point of view. He is disconnected from the reality of the present, from how to interact with customers at the deli counter to how to be a father to his daughter. He seems most at home when performing in the ring or watching Pam (or is it Cassidy?) perform a private dance for him.
At the same time, he does begin to confront a possible reality that might save him from the fantasy that has slowly worn him down. I am thinking here of the moment when he shoves money into Pam's hands and says, "Pretend you like me." She is rightly offended by this attack, but his insight is spot on, not about her but about himself. He knows he's spent his life paying for love, either with cash or with his body (his soul, too?). His disgust is self-directed and leads, tragically, to his forgetting dinner with his daughter.
Now here is your prompt: First, based on our sympathy for Robin (Randy) and Pam (Cassidy), does the outcome of the film lead to catharsis (check the glossary) or a sense of hope for the viewer? Second, does this film question the worth of love that is earned through performance, and of love that is performed? How is it that a film (scripted and performed) can help us see the line (or overlap) between performance and authenticity? Remember, please write two equal-length paragraphs, for a total of at least 300 words in Google Drive.
