The movie is very pure inside

Rating: 10/10 (9 February 2009)

I believe if I were about the same age with The Ram I would probably love this movie even more. And the fact is I am much younger than him yet I can hardly love this movie better. It's not just the acting of Mickey that makes me relate to The Ram; it's the script that added to it.
The end is absolutely unique among the genre. These years a lot of films centered on a sports team or individual struggling to make their way back to top or underdogs winning respect by beating the best... have been wanting to be different by having a surprising end, such as Million Dollar Baby. They know if the hero wins at last, as usual, the audience will be bored. So they tried to make some change. But no matter how the change happens, the hero wins in his way, and the movie is still made to motivate people. The wrestler, on surface a movie to motivate people to never give up on themselves even if you are too old or too ill, but deeply, it's very sad; it is a movie about self-redemption through self-destruction.
The Ram is literally a man with nothing to lose. He struggles to find his normal life back(if he ever had one), but in his attempt he finds no one needs him, and he, in despair, turns to wrestling again, because there are the people who need him. He doesn't go back pick up wrestling again because he wanna have the showdown with his old rival; he goes back, because there is no other way to go. If he could lead a normal life he wouldn't have chosen to go back for he knows very well that he may die if he wrestles again.
So here is what he says: I just want to say to you all tonight I'm very grateful to be here. A lot of people told me that I'd never wrestle again and that's all I do. You know, if you live hard and play hard and you burn the candle at both ends, you pay the price for it. You know in this life you can loose everything you love, everything that loves you. Now I don't hear as good as I used to and I forget stuff and I ain't as pretty as I used to be but god damn it I'm still standing here and I'm The Ram. As times goes by, as times goes by, they say "he's washed up", "he's finished" , "he's a loser", "he's all through". You know what? The only one that's going to tell me when I'm through doing my thing is you people here.
And he knows this is self-destruction...... and self-redemption.