The Iron Claw Review: Efron And Durkin Elevate Wrestling Family Drama
Whether it's art, theater or sports, professional wrestling has been a mainstay of pop culture entertainment for more than half a century. However, by the late 1970s, the company had become a multimillion-dollar business. Over time, live broadcasts, linear and cable broadcasts, and the transition of famous stars to film and television became commonplace. In the past, regional promotions were common and the titles (the most prestigious and definitive titles for professional wrestlers) were usually regional or state rather than national or international.
As the sport grew in popularity, the Von Erich clan of Texas, stars of Sean Durkin's latest film, Iron Clay, entered the regional competition. The film, named after the wrestling team's signature competition, follows siblings Kevin (Zac Efron), David (Harris Dickinson), Carrie (Jeremy Allen White) and Mike Von Erich (Stanley Simons), who were born together. Metaphorically and elevated to the rank of professional wrestling. The group wins and loses regional titles under the manipulative leadership of their father Fritz (Holt McCallany), a veteran fighter driven by bitterness after failing to win his own world heavyweight title. He ruthlessly trained his children to follow in his footsteps, where his father lost and many others gained.
Unlike standard biopics, Iron Claw follows Kevin, the oldest surviving member of the Von Erich clan. As the second son of a family of boys, Kevin fulfills his duties and responsibilities to his family with the austerity of a monk. In the opening montage, we see him devoting every waking minute to physical improvement: going for a morning run around the family farm, quickly lifting weights, and then practicing his moves in the family's makeshift arena, all under constant supervision. . The critical, critical eye of a father.
In an effort to gain his father's rare and often instant approval, Kevin pushes himself to physical, mental, and emotional extremes. A mistake during a commercial in the ring or outside the ring becomes a moment of guilt. It's not until Kevin meets Pam Adkisson (Lily James), a pushy fan who waits patiently for him to ask her out after a local wrestling match, that Kevin's view of himself and his place in the world world (of wrestling) begins to change. - At first almost. imperceptibly, then much more dramatically.
Written and directed by Durkin ( The Nest , Martha Mercy May Marlene ), Iron Claw offers an uncomfortable, campy, and ultimately sympathetic look at the Von Erich clan. The film tells the story of Fritz's frequent ups and downs due to his failed ambitions, as well as the bond of brotherhood through shared experiences. The triumphs that arise from frequent tragedies are usually short-lived, but they are rarely unwanted and often well-deserved.
The so-called "Von Erich Curse", as described by Kevin in the film's opening moments, becomes a driving force in the second act of Iron Claw , expressing Kevin's fear for himself, his family, and ultimately ultimately, the children he could have. the prize How the von Erichov clan survived catastrophe, numerous tragedies and an indifferent universe borders on the inconceivable. But the family story of Von Erich, his brother-in-law, happened. The survivors somehow manage to escape the shackles of the past represented by Fritz and eventually prosper on their own. This arc alone makes Iron Claw a story worth telling and watching on screens of any size.
Buoyed by a career-best performance from Zac Efron, who physically transformed into the Hulk for the role, and supported by a talented and experienced cast who are in and out of the ring at all times, Iron Claw emerges as an uplifting narrative. . at different levels. Ultimately, Durkin's film contains a thoughtful and provocative critique of late 20th-century patriarchy and winner-take-all capitalism. It is a terrifying and heartbreaking story of a family awash in incredible wealth that would be considered incredible if it were pure fiction instead of the real world.
Iron Claw hits theaters on Friday, December 22, courtesy of A24.
