In addition to being about a family of wrestlers, “The Iron Claw” may unintentionally reflect the attitude that people who aren’t interested wrestling have toward the sport. That is to say, one can appreciate the dedication, showmanship, and athleticism on exhibit without being overly moved by it; unfortunately, this is the strongest response this “Claw” can elicit.
The bizarre tale of the Von Erichs, a family of wrestling brothers who took up the sport from their father Fritz (portrayed by Holt McCallany), is told in this film, which is based on true events. The brothers experienced a string of unfortunate events that led to rumors of a family “curse,” a notion that the oldest brother, Kevin (Zac Efron), also accepted.
Similar to his co-stars, Jeremy Allen White (“The Bear”) and Harris Dickinson (“Triangle of Sadness”), Efron has toned his body to resemble a wrestler, with his abs appearing to be between an eight- and a 12-pack.
Underneath the bulging muscles and incredibly ugly 1970s and 1980s hairdo, his taciturn persona—who, like the other siblings, is dominated by his arrogant pop—offers little to cling to. The young woman Kevin later meets and marries, Pam (Lily James), offers him the best chance of an emotional bond when she approaches him after a game and asks him out—a hint of his lack of initiative and generally a sign of the subdued drama to come.
However, Fritz is the true mastermind behind the feud; he is still fixated with pro wrestling politics and feels that he was wrongfully denied the world title he so well deserves.
Consequently, he is fervently driven by his sons’ desire to achieve greatness and pass it on to the family, receiving no resistance from his spouse, Maura Tierney. He especially treats his youngest son, Stanley Simons, hard, as he is a sensitive individual who values music over physical punishment.
Even though it’s an ensemble work, Efron practically stands out as the most vulnerable member of the group because of his fragility, which is easy to miss given the attention that has been and probably always will be focused on his massive body.
But the essence of wrestling itself, insofar as the result is “prearranged,” as Pam puts it when she questions Kevin about the workings of the system, blunts the overall story. While writer-director Sean Durkin painstakingly captures the physicality of those matches—some against well-known wrestlers of the era, such as Ric Flair—it’s difficult to build much tension or suspense when, in contrast to sports films, the fighters are enacting a violent but highly choreographed dance in which the outcome is predetermined.
The wrestling grip that Fritz learned and taught his children is the inspiration for the title of the film; it is said to cause such excruciating pain that the opponent is forced to give up.
December 13 early-access screenings of “The Iron Claw” will precede its December 22 general release in US theaters. The rating is R.
