I'm going to go straight in off the bat, and just call out the film for leaving out one of the brothers. Now, it wouldn't be so bad if it wasn't hailed as "the devastating true story of the Von Erich Family," family being the keyword here, or if he at least got an end credits mention, but nope, there was nothing. To me that feels like an almighty low-blow, and I can't help but be saddened by the thought that every casual moviegoer who doesn't know of the story, will never know who Chris is/was unless they search deeper after viewing the film.
To an extent, I can understand what the director said about it being "one more tragedy the film couldn't handle," but then again, I can't, and not only that, I just can't accept it. It's not about it being too depressing, it's the "tragic true story" of the "Von Erich Family."
Technically, none of the brothers were fully fleshed out individuals, except from maybe Kevin, as it's told mainly from his point of view, but overall this film is collectively about family ties, the bond between the brothers, and the inordinate amount of pressure they all faced from their father - which was probably the biggest contributing factor to every death.
So, I don't see how Chris couldn't have been included in this story, it would of probably added another 30 minutes to the runtime, and it would have fit just as easily as Mike's, or even David's. The film acts like Chris never even existed, and that just doesn't sit well with me. The poor lad was the youngest of them all when he took his own life. Just 21, shot himself in the head, and he did that in-between Mike and Kerry's suicides. He was a pivotal reason as to why Kerry eventually decided to "walk with his brothers."
There is so much to each of their stories, that was left out, and as I said, I completely understand the fact this is more about the Von Erich Family... but how can you say that when it's not the whole family.
I beg any of you who isn't familiar with the story, to read up on them all, because if Durkin was right about anything, it's how unbelievably tragic the entire story of that family is.
Kevin - 66 Years Old | Alive & Well
David - 25 Years Old | DOD: 10/02/1984 | Ruptured Kidney
Kerry - 33 Years Old | DOD: 18/02/1993 | Suicide
Mike - 23 Years Old | DOD: 12/04/1987 | Suicide
Chris - 21 Years Old | DOD: 12/09/1991 | Suicide
They even lost who would have been the oldest brother, Jackie, when he was just 6. David also lost a son to SIDS. Kerry had two children. Fritz, the father, died of brain and lung cancer and 68.
Kerry, Mike & Chris, were all very depressed before their deaths, and a large part of that depression stemmed from the trauma inflicted upon them by their father. Not only were these kids raised in a harshly competitive, hyper-masculine, patriarchal, loveless environment, they weren't equipped to handle the wide array of emotions they would eventually feel, because they were taught emotion is shameful, and a weakness to the primal male form. The only love they had was between each other, because their father wasn't one for that type of soft shit. He wasn't dad, he was sir, he was coach, he was their boss, their bully. He imbued in them a terrifying fear of feelings, and achieving anything less than what their father deemed worthy, and that's perhaps the most devastating part of it all. To see these masculine men, so out of touch with themselves, so obsessed with success there's no space for anything else... devastating.
The first half of the film grounds you in the centre of the wrestling centric family, allowing viewers to immerse themselves in the sport, whilst familiarising themselves with the people at the core of the story. It works well. If I'm honest, it all works well, even despite the fact the second half of the film plays through the tragedies in fast forward. "The Iron Claw" covers about 50% of the entire family story, and about 15% of each individual person, but it does enough to make an impact. I would however, preferred this as a miniseries, with an episode focused on each of the sons, and three episodes revolving around them altogether. This is a story that needs more time and depth, and it's depressing no matter which way you paint it, so you may as well do it right. While I would have been happy watching a brutally tragic 4 plus hour film, I understand why that may not have played well with the vast majority of moviegoers.
Credit where credits due, Sean Durkin worked wonders with the story he tells, which leaves me no doubt in my mind, that he could have made the film whole, and it would have been even better. His empathetic, yet realistic and raw approach to the material shines through, and his focus on the dueling realities between the wrestling world and the lives the boys lived at home, was a touching yet haunting analogy. The metaphor that sees these professional wrestlers, wrestling with their lives, and falling into submission. The rise and fall of 80% of the family. It's all beautifully devastating.
When it comes to evoking a sense of time and place, "The Iron Claw" burns bright. The sets, the fashion, the wigs, hairdos, the dialogue, everything lends itself to creating a vivid portrayal of the world in which these real people lived. The casting is perfection across the board, except maybe the donut who played Ric Flair. Each actor fits into the shoes of their role with ease. Well, at least it looks that way. I'm sure it wasn't easy, and I don't want to undersell it as such. Dickinson is sensational. Jeremy turns in a truly soul destroying, emotionally complex performance, which is personally my favourite of them all. I always knew Zac had this in his locker, he really sank into the role, physically, emotionally, you name it, he went there. This is a performance I think will live with him forever. After seeing him here, I don't think I can ever settle for anything less. Without a doubt one of the best performances of 2023.
Wrestling scenes look like something straight out of the WWE, and that's largely down to the fact the actors actually committed to doing their own wrestling stunts - for the most part, and Durkin's choice to opt for filming full matches instead of short scenes really pays off. Less scrappy cuts, fluent fight scenes, beautiful camerawork. Each wrestling scene successfully transports you to the olden days of wrestling, where venues were smaller, crowds were more "masculine" than they ever have been. You can practically taste the sweat in the air.
Like a clothesline to the neck, Sean Durkin rocks your centre with a profoundly sad, combustible sports drama that grapples with generational trauma, family ties, brotherly bonds, the illusions of success, chasing glory, and an intense character study of the male psyche. What "The Iron Claw" may lack in terms of historical bullet points, it compensates with its raw emotional power and thematic depth.
7.5/10
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