This is an uncharacteristically early time for me to post the day's entry, but I will soon be off to a pub in town and do not want to leave today's bit of writing to wait until I get back home. Who knows, the text produced might be slightly different after my body has been nurtured with a bit of apple tasting liquid intoxicants, but I don't want to take the risk of forgetting to write at all and instead falling asleep right after I get back into my room.
As I said I would, last night I finished my evening by watching Darren Aronofsky's 2008 released drama The Wrestler [currently 158 on the list]. I can see how the film might be considered as a companion piece to the director's new thriller Black Swan - or maybe just the other way around since the latter is the newer film. Then again, one needs to take into consideration that Aronofsky was slowly developing the ballet film for the past ten years or so which probably makes Black Swan the older idea...
In any case, although the films differ greatly in most ways and the main characters' troubles are different, the stories of the Nina and Randy parallel each other. Both the cracking ballet dancer and the ageing professional wrestler are dedicated to their art and strive to doing the best they possibly can on their stages. They both have to sacrifice parts of their lives to excell which takes a toll on them and often makes their lives harder. However, considering the characters' psychological and emltional state, Randy seems much more stable than Nina. He has made mistakes but he realises them. His body does not work as well anymore as it did 20 years earlier and he is ready to accept that - if only he had something else he could rely on besides wrestling.
The feeling and the style of The Wrestler are completely different from Black Swan. While in the new ballet film it is clear that everything on screen has been thought through right down to the smallest detail and the whole film is very artistic, the style of The Wrestler makes the film in many ways seem more like a documentary than a dramatic feature film. The fairly long tracking shots filmed with steadycams following Mickey Rourke's character from place to place suit the story and the setting brilliantly. The film looks rough and that makes the story more believable.
It is a very good film and I especially like the ending which is left open enough for the audience to question what actually happens to Randy. I'm not yet sure what my conclusion will eventually end up being since my logical and emotional sides are still at odds with each other about that. I suppose my optimistic nature will in the end make me lean toward the conclusion my emotional side wants me to accept.
Yep, that's it for tonight. Now I need to dash so I wont be too late.
PS. Oh yeah, lit review not really progressing today. However, I got a bit further with the article research for REEL Time, so at least some progress with the weekend plan.
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