Welcome to the latest Roundtable discussion here at iFight365.com where this week, we’re asking the question: Will the movie, “The Wrestler”, by Darren Aronofsky, have a positive or negative effect on the wrestling industry?

Dan Short: “The Wrestler” has been getting a lot of positive buzz since winning the Leone d’Oro, or Golden Lion Grand Prize, at the Venice Film Festival. It was the closing night film of the New York Film Festival. It had a showing during the American Film Institute’s film festival, AFI FEST, as a centerpiece gala at the famed Grauman’s Chinese Theatre.

There is even a lot of talk that Mickey Rourke is in line for an Oscar nomination for his performance as Randy “The Ram” Robinson. With the rave reviews it continues to receive seemingly on a weekly basis, it’s only natural that opinions about the wrestling business will certainly get some attention.

In the greater scheme of things, I honestly don’t think the film will have any major effect on the industry, positive or negative. Having watched the way the film industry markets and projects sports both modern and traditional, the results are generally short-term. Let’s face it, they create a fad and move on to the next eye-catching subject. What makes the effect from “The Wrestler” even less impactful is the film’s independent and art-house nature. Those kinds of films are generally targeted toward film buffs, not mainstream audiences. While the Oscar buzz could push the film to a wider, more mainstream run in theaters in January and February, it still won’t make that much of a difference in creating any sort of effect on the industry in a public sense.

It’s very possible that some folks will become a little more sympathetic toward professional wrestlers after watching this film. From what I’ve heard, writer Robert Siegel and director Darren Aronofsky were quite respectful to the life and struggles of one whose chosen profession is wrestling. Coupled with what has been praised as a powerful performance by Mickey Rourke, the belief is that people will see wrestlers in a different light. Discovering that glitz and glamour do not await those wanting to enter the business and seeing just how overwhelmingly difficult it is to continuing living the life of a professional wrestler. Things that only those who have lived in the business really grasp and know.

Phil Lowe: I honestly don’t think it’ll do much either way. If it gets any attention here in the UK I think its more likely to be negative, but only in the “ha, ha, ha its all fake” sense than anything more serious.

In the States, it may have some positive effect on the wrestling business, but I certainly don’t see it doing anything that will cause business for WWE or TNA to increase. A few indy promotions may draw a couple of extra casual fans for a show and ROH may get a rub from their involvement with the film, but that will be about it. I’m looking forward to seeing it.

Michael Campbell: First up, I cannot wait to see this film – it looks fantastic. And by all accounts, judging from what I’ve seen and heard, it appears that it will cater perfectly to those of us who follow the business.

When it comes to figures, I don’t see it turning any tides, or affecting McMahon’s wallet. However, it could end up being both damaging and helpful effects in terms of perception. Thanks to the blood-letting scenes, and the gritty, sleazy tone that it’s suggested “the Wrestler” will exude, sensitive parents who catch the movie may well overreact, and wrongly suggest Wrestling is unsuitable viewing material for their kids. How many, “average folk” catch the film though, thanks to It’s likely marginal distribution, is certainly in doubt.

Alternatively, if the character that Mickey Rourke portrays in the film, is indeed a sympathetic, absorbing figure, it will certainly cause those who do catch the picture, to rethink their attitude towards those who work within the realm of Pro-Wrestling. In this respect, Aronofsky’s work does hold the potential to be an important moment in history- because it could have an impact, long-term on Perception, more so from the Media than the public. This in itself could be a major positive, because the Media is so vital in keeping the business insulated and regarded as “lower class”, and any change in how they can affect the public’s increasing hostility (and downright snobbery) towards wrestling would be swell.

Mind you, it would be nice if Mickey Rourke did public appearances where he didn’t appear to be a wasted, drugged-up, sleaze ball having a mid-life crisis.

James Mustoe: This film should definitely show wrestling in a different light from the low brow entertainment that it is usually (and often it actually ‘is’ anyway) portrayed as by the mainstream media.

From what I know of Aronofsky’s film, it portrays O’Rourke’s character as a washed-up star struggling to survive on meagre pickings on the small-scale independent circuit. Therefore if the film actually fulfils its critical potential (remember Aronofsky’s other heavily touted film, ‘The Fountain’, which was also thought of as brilliant by many critics, but was watched by barely anyone), we could see the wrestling business go from being seen as a brash and shallow form of entertainment to something taken far more seriously but also ultimately more negatively as a whole when the long term consequences of what the wrestlers do in their careers is actually portrayed on the big screen.

So if the film does reach a wide audience then, it would have an impact on the wrestling business, but on whether or not it’s a good one depends on what sort of fan you are – the grimey underside of wrestling that seems to being shown here could very well turn off many casual or aspiring fans. However the impact of the more true-to-life story shown here could also be the proverbial shot in the arm that finally shows the world the wrestling business that most of the hardcore contingency know and try to love.

Mark Bright: I have heard some talk that this movie will lead to another boom period. Ridiculous. What, is The Necro Butcher going to be the next big mainstream star? Up there with The Rock and Hulk Hogan and Stone Cold is he? I think not. So let’s get that out of the way to begin with.

Now, as to whether it will be positive or negative, that really depends on the content of the movie and it’s success/critical acclaim. The film festival season treated The Wrestler very well and there is even talk that Mickey Rourke may enjoy a career renaisance and even challenge Heath Ledger for the Best Actor Oscar. That suggests his performance is pretty remarkable as Ledger’s performance as The Joker in The Dark Knight was one that will be talked about for the next 50 years or more, it was that good.

However, while that suggests positive press for Rourke, some of the things I have heard have kind of painted wrestling in a negative light. Necro being involved instantly screams garbage matches. I like Necro but movie goers might be leaving this film thinking the stuff he does is all that wrestling is and that makes it look barbaric, especially if as reported they are highlighting things such as blading.

I know from talking to non-fans who have the “its all fake blood anyway” reaction, that when you explain that they’re actually cutting their foreheads with razorblades, the reaction is always “well thats fucking barbaric, who would do that to themselves?”. It makes wrestlers seem almost subhuman and the people who watch it to be animals.

Obviously I’m saying this without watching the film and from what I’ve heard the underdog story of the guy who is down and out redeeming himself will be what is focused on, and if the top wrestling companies are smart that’s an angle they would latch onto and be pushing coming out of this, and WWE, TNA and ROH all have people they could do that angle with successfully. Of course WWE had Ric Flair and started hinting at doing that angle and fucked it up pretty spectacularly until a week before the big match where Flair and Shawn Michaels were able to rescue it by cutting fantastic money-drawing promos, but if WWE had got behind the idea to begin with it could’ve meant much more.

The movie itself will not necesarily have a positive or negative effect on the business, but how wrestling companies either take advantage of or completely ignore the movie will decide what the effects are.