(1999)
3.5
Andrea LeVasseur
Promoted with the tagline "The Movie Vince McMahon Doesn't Want You to See!," the documentary Beyond the Mat was challenged by the WWF mogul to halt its advertising campaign on television. It's not that the film views wrestling in any kind of negative light, it just brings some compassionate human interest to the brutal sport. It doesn't even attempt to question the deep-seated homoeroticism of the spectacle, but maybe that's another subject. Writer/director/interviewer Barry Blaustein clearly has respect and admiration for the individual wrestlers who participate, yet he sounds kind of embarrassed to admit his fascination with the sport. Although it covers a wide variety of wrestlers, the film's emotional focal point is Mick "Mankind" Foley. His human tragedy involves a conflict between a rising superstardom and a sincere commitment to his family. Even though the fights are obviously staged, his adoring wife and kids are still traumatized by the severe beating in the ring, which Foley is then made to watch on videotape. Blaustein is clearly interested in the sadness behind the lifestyle, with much time devoted to the wistful wannabes risking major injuries with hopes of one day making it big. The aging, drug-addicted Jake "The Snake" Roberts appears as a washed-up has-been, a warning sign signaling the results of constant body damage. Though not incredibly ambitious, Beyond the Mat does manage to get at the heart of the motivations behind this unique cultural phenomenon.
Beyond the Mat on AllMovie
Beyond the Mat (1999)
