Below the Belt is a surprisingly effective sports film that treats female wrestling with the respect it deserves. New to Blu-ray from Kino Lorber.
The Film
I’m not sure what I was expecting but I was not expecting that. Below the Belt is an effective sports movie whose true power comes from the respect it pays to the sport of female wrestling. Add the wonderful cast that writer/director Robert Fowler has put together with a scrappy character over spectacle script by Fowler (adapting Rosalyn Drexler’s biography To Smithereens) and you have a film that’s designed to surprise as it is to provoke the same feelings you got with Rocky.
During a Wrestling Night, concession stand worker Rosa (Regina Baff) is nearly assaulted by a fellow co-worker. Rosa turns the table and literally beats him unconscious. Bobby Fox (John C. Becher) a wrestling manager sees this and sees an opportunity. Rosa begins her journey into the world of female wrestling, a carnival-like tour from city to city to play to the crowds. She begins to learn the ropes and comes under the eye of superstar and bully Terrible Tommy (Jane O’Brien). With constant confrontations, it is only a matter of time until Rosa and Tommy face off in the ring in an “anything goes” event to prove that Rosa has what it takes to be a wrestler.
One would think that the film takes cues from Rocky but in fact, the film was made well before Rocky, in 1974, but wasn’t released until 1980, more than likely because of Rocky and the rise in popularity of professional wrestling. I mention this because the films both have an earthy grounded character-based plot that consistently chooses the drama outside the ring rather than inside. The result is a film that many will want to say is a Rocky clone but it is not. Though they are made from the same type of understanding and the resulting films are both effective looks into working-class athletes and the toll emotional and physical it takes on them.
Below the Belt’s secret weapon is the wealth of wonderful unaffected performances by not just its lead Regina Baff but the entire cast. A mixture of actors and wrestlers, Fowler manages to get grounded earthy performances out of everyone. There’s a lived-in, almost documentary quality to the way the film unfolds with the caravan of female athletes sharing space in a way that feels real and unaffected or mannered. Fowler somehow manages to make this feel like a story and plot leading to the final match. All of it plays out but never feels contrite.
Even the final wrestling match between Tommy and Rosa has a sense of urgency and thrill because you truly do not know who will win. By the end, Fowler has surprised us with a film that is grounded and based on character rather than sports spectacle. The result is a film that should only rise in esteem as more and more people discover it.
The Transfer
The transfer provided to Kino is a varied but overall solid transfer. The biggest issue is the “stock” footage that is used from early wrestling matches. That footage which takes up a fair amount of screen time is as rough as one would expect. Because the footage is already baked in the wear and tear is omnipresent and would have been opening day on the freshest print. This is even more present as the footage they actually shot looks great retaining the sharpness, color, and grounded look of the film. Again, this isn’t Kino’s fault as the transfer outside of the wrestling stock footage looks great.
The Extras
They include the following;
- Audio Commentary by Dave Meltzer, Editor of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter
- Trailer
The all-new Audio Commentary by Dave Meltzer, Editor of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter jumps right into the track discussing the stock footage that begins the match. Meltzer, who also appeared on the amazing doc Mr. McMahon, has vast knowledge of not just Wrestling but the film and the novel is based on. Some of the details include some of the film details were taken from Mildred Burke’s real life (who also appears in the film); the interesting history of Female Wrestling – including its ban in New York, how the ban was lifted, its rise in popularity and those involved with that, some of who appear here; how very different the world of wrestling was; the “scripted” nature of wrestling – going back to the 1880s; a discussion of the history of Mildred Burke’s work in female wrestling; the rise of female wrestling that began Japan during the 70s through the 80s; a history of little people wrestling – and the disrespect within the genre of wrestling and the ending in the late 80s, except in Mexico where it still is thriving; a larger discussion of the various piece of stock footage and who appeared, when it was, the matches context; a larger discussion of the various actors and wrestling personalities that appears; and much more. Meltzer speaks with authority and a deep wealth of knowledge on pro wrestling giving us a truly fascinating commentary track on the production and the overall topic of wrestling.
Rounding out the special features are trailers for Below the Belt (2:50); Body Slam (2:19); Times Square (2:59)
The Final Thought
Kino Lorber continues to curate some of the best genre discoveries, such as Below the Belt. Recommended!!!