'350
Days' covers the brutal travel schedule and 350 days in the life of a pro wrestler.
CREDIT: WWE.COM
by
Alfred Konuwa Contributor
350
Days wastes no time in chronicling the horrors and harsh realities of the pro
wrestling business.
What
is often seen in the public eye as a guilty pleasure, rife with colorful characters
and fake, harmless fun, is depicted as a far more grim, painstaking test of mortality
in a documentary that is part gripping therapy session, part cautionary TED Talk.
The
grave sacrifices required to make it in pro wrestling, most notably during the
territory era of the 70's and 80's, are often undersold as "paying your dues."
But given the steroid and drug abuse that was rampant during that era, many have
gone broke and/or died trying to meet the hefty price tag of a successful pro
wrestling career.
350
Days, set for premieres in both Hollywood and New York on July 12, begins—fittingly—in
black and white with the opening scene displaying the war-torn right hand of pro
wrestling legend Greg "The Hammer" Valentine gently wrapped around the
wheel of a vintage muscle car in transit. For all his struggles, Valentine donned
a ring commemorating his 2016 enshrinement into the Professional Wrestling Hall
of Fame and Museum.
It
was the perfect symbolism of the grueling lifestyle in which pro wrestlers from
WWE, ROH and countless territorial promotions were willing to maintain for the
respect of their hardened peers and the adoration of loyal fans.
"350
days a year as a wrestler on the road is something that never escapes you,"
former WWE Intercontinental champion Tito Santana plainly stated before glossing
over the various birthday parties and anniversaries he missed due to life on the
road.
Producer
Fulvio Cecere (Cinderella Man, Watchmen), who walked into the project not having
grown up a wrestling fan, found an artistic integrity in the oft-underappreciated
genre after interviewing 72 wrestlers and wrestling personalities over the course
of three weeks.
"This
is a true movie. It's told in three acts: their beginning, the success and then
what happened after that. 'Whatever happened?' The drugs. The alcohol. The infidelity,"
said Cecere during a phone interview to discuss a film he feels is the greatest
pro wrestling documentary of all time.
"They're
truly artists. When I was talking to Bret Hart, he would say 'Robert De Niro would
gain 100 pounds to play a character but would he take a steel chair to the head?
Would he blade himself to bleed?' These guys did that, and they did it to please
the audience. They did it because that's their character. That's their art. They
were so fascinating. I'm a huge fan now because they were such interesting people."
Greg
"The Hammer" Valentine jokes around with the crew of '350 Days.'CREDIT:
350 DAYS
Bret
Hart has been both a nostalgic steward of pro wrestling history and a brutally
honest critic of the industry both past and present.
"It
can be really great being a wrestler and it can really suck at the same time,"
said Hart.
Hart
had one of the most poignant quotes in the entire movie when he casually noted:
"sitting in a room with a bunch of wrestlers, doing cocaine—we really
got to know each other."
Much
like the Canadian wrestling legend, 350 Days doesn't hold back and manages to
find a twisted beauty within an industry filled with skeletons, but one that has
seen moderate improvements as it continues to evolve.
All
quotes from Fulvio Cecere were obtained firsthand.
