The Von Erichs.
Some would call them the most cursed family in pro wrestling. Zac Efron even says so in this movie, alleging via narration a generational fear. Efron plays Kevin Von Erich, the 2nd eldest of retired wrestler turned ruthless promoter Fritz Von Erich (Holt McCallany). Fritz was a notable villain in his own day, but as a promoter he struck gold by centering the Dallas-based World Class Championship Wrestling on his young herculean sons. Whereas Fritz excelled at getting crowds to boo him, his sons are heroes in 1980s Texas wrestling folklore, a group of blonde-haired white meat babyfaces who capitalized on the internalized tribalism that makes up much of the psychology of pro wrestling. Foreign bad guy conveniently from a country the United States has previously gone to war with? That’s just the setup for a Hulk Hogan like patriot to swoop in and save the day. Arrogant world champion wants to show up in town, denigrate the state of Texas, and embarrass the local stars? Enter the Von Erichs, ready to send the smug champ packing with an ass whooping, all in the name of the great state of Texas.
The Iron Claw is a Sean Durkin joint, which stands as one of the most engrossing depictions of pro wrestling ever put to film. That starts with the choreography itself, much of which is owed to the help and instruction of actual wrestlers. The opening scene could be interpreted as a homage to Raging Bull (1981), and sets the tone for having the action depicted in an intimate manner. We’re barely occupying the space and perspective of the live crowd; Durkin wants us in the ring. The execution of the match work is superb, blending the smoke and mirrors of wrestling with the smoke and mirrors of Hollywood. There are punches and kicks here that give the illusion that they’re connecting, and there are other instances where those same punches look clearly staged – just like watching an actual wrestling match. But Durkin doesn’t feel the need to call attention to these moments, you get the idea clearly in the visual storytelling.
When the film introduces Kerry Von Erich’s (Jeremy Allen White) entrance music, RUSH’s Tom Sawyer (1981), it happens over a quick montage, painting the picture without a line of dialogue. That’s emblematic, for better and for worse, of how lean the movie is. You could make a limited television series about the history of the Von Erich family; their rise to stardom amidst pro wrestling’s combustible territory period, as well as the incomprehensible dark chapters that would come to embody their legacy. At 132 minutes, The Iron Claw is pressed for time, having to conservatively pick and choose which aspects of the saga to focus on; the movie doesn’t even portay all of the Von Erich brothers. A truncated method that puts Kevin (Efron) front and center, the audience surrogate that will endure the bulk of this tragedy.
The conflict is an ever evolving battle between Kevin and Daddy Fritz. Efron portrays Kevin as a bit of a ditz, so focused on wrestling that his naivete shows itself whenever he brushes up with the real world. Meanwhile, McCallany turns in the movie’s best performance, living up to the scrupulous bastard that makes up the myth of Fritz Von Erich – there’s not a likable bone in his entire body. Never THE star in his own day, Fritz desperately wants one of his sons to win the National Wrestling Alliance’s Heavyweight Championship, a move that would pull World Class to the center of attention in the bustling 80’s wrestling boom. The challenge is finding the right brother to assume the throne. Kevin seemingly has everything you need: the hulking physique along with great athleticism in the ring.
But to be a superstar in wrestling, it’s about more than just the matches; you have to talk the people into the building in the first place. That’s where younger brother David (Harris Dickinson) comes in, providing the charisma and gift of gab needed to become a burgeoning star, at times outshining the more reserved Kevin. Dickinson is great here, providing the best performance out of the siblings, while feeling like a natural as an orator tasked with igniting the crowd’s fervor. By the end of his (several) promos, it’s David that you want going after the gold belt. What we see in motion is the makings of an abusive relationship as Fritz has pushed his children to see wrestling as their only choice of profession, and the power imbalance he occupies as promoter means he can dictate their fate. But life has a habit of showing it doesn’t care about your plans, no matter how scripted or predetermined.
In many ways, Durkin’s film is the anti-biography movie. It’s not satisfied with just playing feel-good hits in an attempt to ape the famous moments the audience will recognize. In fact, Durkin’s camera steps away from the Von Erichs’ mainstream exposure, choosing to show the wrestling from a distance on a tiny screen when younger brother Kerry enters the World Wrestling Federation. While this is probably done to avoid any copyright troubles with the WWE, it still serves an artistic purpose – this isn’t about the happy moments where a famous subject triumphs and becomes an icon. The Iron Claw is about the stubbornness of life, both from the humans who occupy it and a universe that’s liable to smack you in the face amidst best laid plans.
While the movie’s depictions of pro wrestling is well-produced, it (like all biopics) only resembles a portion of the truth. For starters, the movie only briefly references the siblings’ drug use, both of the anabolic and recreational variety. Perhaps the filmmakers didn’t want to show the brazen recklessness of what are supposed to be the good guys. Or perhaps whatever limited influence the actual wrestling industry had on the production was used to curate that aspect of the story, sparing the industry’s image? As a result, 95% of the blame for the family’s many mishaps is placed onto Fritz, a terrible father who puts his outsized expectations for his sons ahead of their well-being, a character flaw that’s first introduced when he ranks the children based on how much he likes them to their face.
The movie’s depictions of the performers run the gamut from well conceptualized to awkwardly placed. David Von Erich’s portrayal remains the standout, but I can’t help but lightly question the use of Efron and White. Efron plays Kevin, but he’s freakishly built like the real-life Kerry, with the aggressive tan to boot. Meanwhile, Jeremy Allen White’s build much more closely resembles the leaner Kevin. I wonder how this movie would play if those two switched roles, but I’d have to guess that Efron was deadset on the Kevin part as it’s the lead of the movie. Not that he’s bad in the part – even if he plays Kevin as damn near catatonic and airheaded with an occasional 1000-yard stare. But Efron’s portrayal gets you on his side, drawing sympathy for a man whose destiny is not in his control.
However, the portrayals I do find a bit off, and even downright hilarious, are the depictions of famed wrestling heels Harley Race & Ric Flair (Kevin Anton, Aaron Dean Eisenberg). Anton doesn’t capture Race’s tough guy menace, somewhat floundering in the role, and I have no idea what Eisenberg is doing. At times, I don’t know if he’s doing an impression of Flair or Walton Goggins. I mean, the enthusiasm is there, but he doesn’t look, move, nor sound anything like the man. I guess we can give a B- for effort and unintentional comedy.
The Iron Claw released during the feel-good Christmas holiday season, almost as a practical joke. This isn’t for the faint of heart, but it’s still a family film. A dark and twisted version. But enough about how tragically everything went down. The Von Erich family name could use a bit of peace. Some of the warmer moments of the movie I’ll remember is Kevin stealing bacon from his brother Mike (Stanley Simons), while Doris Von Erich (Maura Tierney) looks pleased to be surrounded by her boys. A lively wedding where everyone shows off their dance moves that are halfway to Napoleon Dynamite levels of awkwardness, but in the best way. A broken Doris lacking the strength to cook dinner, a juxtaposition of that breakfast scene. Later, the movie gets surreal & ethereal, showcasing a reunion we unfortunately can’t possibly know ever happened. It’s not perfect, there’s some truth and some lies, but it remains entertaining and beautifully shot. The actual Iron Claw, the fan-favorite move Fritz passes down to his kids, feels more real than anything else shown in this industry where you can never fully believe what you see or hear. As evidenced by the fact that – Von Erich isn’t even their real last names.
