Filmmaker Sean Durkin was born in Canada. His favorite professional wrestler is Albertan Bret Hart. Like the Von Erich family, whose story he tells in The Iron Claw, the Hart family has been the victim of many tragedies. So why did he choose the Von Erichs as the subject of his film?
“I remember reading an article about the death of Kerry [played by Jeremy Allen White] when I was young. I remember this moment precisely, which affected me deeply. My father’s brother had left us shortly before and I drew a parallel between my family and the Von Erichs. It always remained in my subconscious, says the director in a virtual interview. The world of wrestling is fascinating and this family allowed me to explore themes that I love such as masculinity and the repression of emotions. It’s a Greek tragedy, in a way, in which there is also a notion of curse. »
Sean Durkin does not believe in the curse, but understands that a person can doubt whether they are a victim when misfortune continues to befall them. “It’s very human and natural,” he believes.
In the Von Erichs’ case, it’s easy to understand why some of them thought their name was cursed: Five of the six children died before their parents.
In the 1950s and 1960s, the father, Fritz (Holt McCallany), was a “bad guy” wrestler. It was the legendary Stu Hart, father of Bret and Owen, who introduced him to the discipline while Fritz was trying to pursue a career in the Canadian Football League. His in-ring character was very successful, but he never earned the coveted championship belt. His sons lived with the pressure of fulfilling his unfulfilled dream from childhood.
The title, The Iron Claw, emerged early in Sean Durkin’s creative process. This was the name of the grip that Fritz used to make his opponents give up: he grabbed their skulls with such force that they were forced to give up. “The Iron Claw also represents the grip of that masculinity from another era that crushed these boys. The title also has a mythical element and a touch of horror which allowed me to touch on the genre,” says the man who also wrote the screenplay.
The physique of the actors in The Iron Claw, in particular that of Zac Efron, who plays the elder Kevin, is impressive. Sean Durkin didn’t require his actors to build muscle, but he insisted that they actually wrestle, entire matches.
So Chavo Guerrero Jr., who had a long career in WCW and WWE, was hired as a consultant. The late Eddie Guerrero’s nephew also plays The Sheik in one scene.
When discussing the balance required for the filming of his film, the director evokes the almost impossible balance of the professional wrestler. “They’re constantly on the road and there’s no off-season or break. I think they have more support now, but back then they were going full throttle until they broke. And their mental health was never considered. In fact, any emotion that was not manly enough was repressed. The physical and psychological pressure combined with the emptiness that follows important events and cheers make balance in their lives seem very difficult to achieve. »
While his two previous films, Martha Marcy May Marlene and The Nest, respectively starred Elizabeth Olsen and Carrie Coon, The Iron Claw is at first glance a story about men. Maura Tierney (the mother of the clan) and Lily James (Kevin’s wife) still play crucial roles. Particularly the latter, he believes.
“Pam is, in many ways, the heart of the film. She allows Kevin to know something other than his family. She also teaches her to assert herself, because she is very direct and says what she thinks. His inner strength and confidence free Kevin. »
