Beyond The Mat
D: Barry W. Blaustein (1999); with Terry Funk, Jake Roberts, Mick Foley, Vince McMahon. Wrestling seems more popular than ever these days. With the commercial appeal of the WWF, phony slugfests and gladiator battles draw big ratings and high attendance numbers. Oddly enough, its entire fan base knows it’s phony and wouldn’t have it any other way. Director Blaustein admits his fascination for wrestling and gives a brief history for non-fans. He documents the business from several angles. At the start, he visits a school where guys pay to learn how to take falls and develop characters. He then examines the corporate giant, World Wrestling Federation, and its head honcho Vince McMahon. But the three veterans he pays the most attention to dominate the film. He bypasses obvious staples of the wrestling world (Ric Flair, Hulk Hogan) and spends a lot of time with Texas legend Terry Funk, pain monger Mick Foley (aka Mankind) and fallen star Jake “the Snake” Roberts. Each man’s story is rich with drama, pain, and suffering. Funk is an aging grappler who loves the intensity. He’s taken barbed wire through his skin and been burned by flames just to put on a good show. Foley has taken even harder bruises, and has two young children who are scared witless when they see him perform. Roberts, on the other hand, has dealt himself an even worse blow. His dependence on crack and inability to communicate with his own family makes him the most tragic of these performers. Blaustein handles each profile with care and even finds time to interview other interesting characters, including ex-gang banger New Jack. The scene in which New Jack auditions for two L.A. casting agents is hilarious. As a whole, the film tends to meander but isn’t too difficult to follow. Hard-core wrestling nuts will love it, but non-fans might be a little confused. Regardless, the subject matter is so bizarre that even wrestling-haters will find themselves drawn in to the plights of the industry’s giants.This article appears in November 17 • 2000.