The Iron Claw: Review

I don’t know if this is a review, or thoughts on, or inner ramblings, or an obsession, or all the above. But at the time of publication, I’ve seen it twice at the cinema, and I had to write something!

I’m not going to dance around it, just getting straight to the point: I am obsessed with The Iron Claw. The camp and pageantry of wrestling, the late 70s/80s Westernwear, “Tom Sawyer” by Rush, Zac Efron’s Oscar snub, costume designer Jennifer Starzyk’s Oscar snub, Harris Dickinson’s rhinestoned TEXAS pants and being a cheeky little scene stealer, the barrage of tragedies and “you must be my oldest brother.” I can’t stop thinking about it all, but I am absolutely fine with that because it has been a while since I have been this excited about a film.

I don’t know why, or what it says about me, but films that explore the extremes of toxic masculinity captivates me. Goodfellas, Saving Private Ryan, Rocky IV, The Sopranos, The Godfather, I have been obsessed and fascinated by these at various points in my life – men doing manly things and being undone or freeing themselves from their own harsh rules and expectations. And now the roided out, tragedy stricken Von Erich brothers have bowled into my life, oiled up and dressed in velvet and sparkles, battling against the toxic masculinity enforced by their father with the beauty of brotherly love. Or at least trying to…

I didn’t really grow up in a wrestling household, so the world of wrestling, the Von Erich’s and their “curse” were alien to me. But I’m a sucker for a biopic and when I found out that Zac Efron’s character is the only brother still alive today, I knew I had to see it and go in blind. I was ready and willing for a communal cry in a velvety dark room. And that is what I got, I sobbed my way through the last half hour, as well as so much more. I wasn’t quite expecting the humour, warmth and to be blown away by the costumes and performances. Going in blind is the best thing to do with this film, so stop reading here and don’t come back until you’ve seen it. If you have seen it, let’s talk about why its my new film obsession and why it deserves some Goddamn awards.

There isn’t a lot I can say that hasn’t already been said about Zac Efron’s performance and missing Oscar nom, but I must add that the juxtaposition between his bulging body and quiet nature is simply beautiful. He is not as charismatic as David or daddy’s favourite like Kerry, and quite often comes across as a bit of a disappointment to his father who continuously pushes him down the pecking order, yet through the love of his brothers, he carries on. As the second oldest brother, he is the anchor for the others, a role that really should be the parents’, but one he enjoys and takes on seriously nonetheless. Though a man of little words, the pain, confusion, fear and anger that hits with each tragic blow to the family, comes through Efron’s face, physicality and the things he does say. You feel everything he feels, the frustration towards his parent’s lack of care, the rage-fuelled Iron Claw on Ric Flair, which is so uncomfortably long to watch, the pain and anger towards Fritz after Kerry’s death, the pure love and joy in his eyes when he’s with his brothers and when he cries, we all cry. It’s a subtle and stunning performance, and the He-Man haircut really grows on you.

Efron’s performance is obviously the “big one,” but the cast as an ensemble is incredible. Holt McCallany’s Fritz is a domineering, almost-suffocating presence, who makes you want to punch that crew cut off his head each and every time he pushes and dominates a son. Lily James and Jeremy Allen White are strong support as Pam and Kerry, and if it has also been on your mind since the Calvin Klein shoot, you’ll be relieved to know that Jeremy DOES have a bellybutton. Stanley Simons’ performance as baby brother Mike is adorable, full of innocence and complete and utterly heartbreaking. A second viewing of the film will show just how brilliant he is.

But it is Harris Dickinson as David who is the stand-out for me. Full of confidence and exquisite fashion sense, his presence is charismatic and magnetic, he pulls you to his attention in every scene he’s in. His death brings a big shift in tone for the rest of the film, not just because it’s the beginning of the end for most of the brothers, but also because where he was the fun one with the big energy, bravado and showmanship, this is now gone with him. He also has some of the best lines (“this is about filth vs decency, and you KNOW it”) and it’s worth mentioning again, the best wardrobe. Dickinson’s performance is so arresting I think he deserved the dark-horse candidate for best supporting actor this awards season. I also hope he got to keep the Yellow Rose of Texas jacket and matching hotpants because he pulls them off so well.

Someone else who was snubbed in this year’s awards season is costume designer Jennifer Starzyk. As some of you will know, 70s/80s Westernwear is a big part of my fashion wheelhouse, you can read about it here if you like, and watching all the glorious vintage and custom-made pieces, I felt like I had died and gone to heaven. The attention to detail to the time, place and what the real Von Erich’s wore is so gorgeous it’s practically fashion porn. After seeing the film, I had a little look at all the real-life counterparts and could not believe how accurately their wrestling costumes were recreated, and even the clothes they wore out of the ring – is David’s mesh no.47 football shirt a repro or the real thing? Looking through the real-life pictures I could see the hours of research and detailing went into all the costumes to recreate and reflect the main characters, and as someone who not only loves vintage fashion, but who also wanted to be a costume designer, it has filled me with a ridiculous amount of excitement. So much so that I’ve been inspired to wear more fringe and have bought myself a 70s suede fringe jacket. No prizes for guessing who my favourite brother is…

If you have seen the film, I urge you to have a look through Starzyk’s Instagram, @jenstarzyk. There you will truly appreciate the craftmanship, research and attention to detail that has gone into the recreation of the stage outfits. Some of these outfits are only on screen for seconds and yet there is still so much accuracy and beautiful workmanship. The vintage pieces are delicious as well, all the Wranglers, 70s shirts, cropped 80s tees, and I just know whoever found that slutty sleeveless denim shirt that Kerry wears shouted “FUCK YEAH” at the thrift where they found it. I am tempted to write a whole piece on the fashion in the film, so if you’d like that, let me know. Also let me know if you’d like to join me to personally fight whoever makes the Oscar nominee decisions, because there is no way Oppenheimer and its parade of dark suits should be on that list when there’s a film with beefed-up boys clad in velvet, rhinestones, cowboy hats and pink marabou feathers. Where’s their sense of fashion and fun?

However, nothing in this life can be perfect, and there are a few things that I would have liked to have seen or had more of. First, the wigs, you could tell who was and who wasn’t wearing one. This isn’t just an Iron Claw problem though, as lately I have been noticing poor wigs in films, especially ones set in the 60s/70s. Priscilla Presley’s ‘do was criminally deflated in Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis, and while I’ve yet to watch it, Colman Domingo’s Bayard Rustin hair has just screamed WIG in all the stills I’ve seen. I’m not sure why this is happening, but maybe the wig departments deserve a little more funding. While I think Jeremy Allen White was fantastic as a brother, I did feel as though Kerry was perhaps underwritten compared to the others. It was very clear who Kevin, David and Mike were, their strengths, weaknesses, and personalities, but Kerry didn’t feel as clear. Kevin could fly across the ring, David was good on the mic, Mike shouldn’t have been in the ring, but what made Fritz pick Kerry over Kevin? What was Kerry’s “thing”?

It also would have been nice to have just a little bit more time with all the brothers together, the line-dance at the wedding and the “Tom Sawyer” montage are such highlights and full of joy, that I would have liked a little bit more to show just how strong the brothers’ relationship was and to have made the following deaths and tragedies break our hearts even more. Speaking of tragedies, Sean Durstin shouldn’t have chickened out with the sixth Von Erich, Chris’ story. He deserved to have had his story told, and it’s unfair of Durstin to have said his death would have been too much for audiences or to repetitive of a story. As much as the film is entertainment, it’s still somebody’s life and family, and should be as truthful as it can be.

So, there we have it, my initial thoughts and feelings on one of the best new films I have seen in a long time. I think the last time I was this blown away by a new film at the cinema was The Grand Budapest Hotel… As sad as the story is, it has been really nice to find a collective love and appreciation for the film, for its storytelling, acting, the way it was filmed – everything! There’s something so fun about being within the hype of something, even if it means you spend a ridiculous amount on shipping for a zine made by the production company… Finally, please let me know your thoughts and feelings on this incredible film, I need more people to talk about it with!