A Review of The Iron Claw by Nick Olszyk
Distribution Service: Theatrical
MPAA Rating, R
USCCB Rating, Not rated at the time of this review
Reel Rating, Three Reels
According
to Kevin Von Erich (Zac Efron), his family is cursed, but the reasons – at first
– are unclear. Certainly, his father Fritz (Holt McCallany) would agree that his
chance to be the wrestling heavyweight champion of the world was stolen from him;
thus, his sons must succeed in his place. This dance between destiny and choice,
family and individuality will eventually lead to both tragedy and triumph. The
Iron Claw is a beautiful – if often slow and sad – reminder that the
violence in the ring is but a shadow of the pain of living.
From
the time of their conception, the Von Erich brothers were fated to become
wrestlers. Their father frequently reminds them that their “ranking in the
family” depends on their performance. Kevin initially embraces this destiny wholeheartedly,
becoming a prominent member of the wrestling scene in the late 1970s. He is so
laser focused on this task, that he develops no social skills. When his future
wife Pam (Lily James) asks for his autograph after a match, she must remind him
to ask for her phone number. Gradually, other members of the family jump into
the ring, though more unwillingly. His older brother David also tries his hand
at wrestling and looks posed to surpass Kevin and become heavyweight champion.
Unfortunately, his drug abuse catches up with him, and he dies in a Japanese
hotel room alone from a ruptured intestine at only 25. Another brother Kerry was
a world record discus thrower, but the 1980 Olympic boycott shattered these
dreams. While also temporarily successful in the ring, a motorcycle accident
leads to his losing a leg and eventually suicide. As the family moves from tragedy
to tragedy, Kevin begins to wonder when he will be next.
The
Iron Claw is unusual in its deliberate, slow pace. There are extended
sequences of near silence as the brothers work on the family ranch, train by
themselves, and have dinner conversations. Thus, when the audience is in the
ring, we feel jolted out of reality. It is quick, violent, and unnatural. Zac
Efron gives the best performance of his career not as a teen heartthrob but an
introverted hulk suffering from years of paternal domination. He rarely speaks
more than one sentence at a time, but when he does, it matters. Thus, the “action”
is internal, and more is revealed through looks, glances, and what isn’t said
rather than what is spoken.
It
certainly appears there is a curse in this family. By the end of the film,
Kevin will be the only brother left alive, and even that is in doubt. Yet when
one looks closer, every death is the direct result of sinful choices. It is not
the curse of fate but Adam and Eve. It’s true that the von Erich family
experiences involuntary misfortune, but it is their response to suffering that
matters. Kevin is the only one with a wife and children. Faced with his own
demons, he chooses to love them and survives, even if that means giving up the
ring and his father’s approval.
Growing
up in a soft-liberal Catholic family, professional wrestling was viewed as
crude and fake. As I have grown older, my appreciation of the sport has
increased. Yes, the matches are scripted, but the punches, slams, and stunt
work are brutally real and require the highest level of athletic prowess. The storytelling
is not only sophisticated but reaches deep down into the most profound archetypes
of the human soul. It is spiritual warfare beautifully told.
In
the end, Kevin leaves the profession and even embraces the lifestyle of a stay-at-home
dad…for a time. Later in life, his own sons will enter the ring, not out of a
sense of obligation but out of love for the sport. The enemy was not wrestling
but cruelty. As of the present, he has been married over forty years, has five
children, and thirteen grandchildren. In Deuteronomy 30, God poses “the blessing
and the curse” to the Israelites not as a fixed fate but a choice. “Choose
life,” the Lord instructs, “that thou and thy seed may live.” Kevin made the
right choice.
Comments
Post a Comment