is it possible for a documentary film maker to be undeserving of their subject? Barry Blaustein's "beyond the mat" sure makes a compelling argument for this. in the film he seeks to flesh out the depiction of professional wrestlers to show that they are like everyone else. the only problem is that they aren't like everyone else. blaustein seems uninterested or maybe unable to truly get a grasp on even a hint of motivation behind the larger than life figures he encounters. the closest he comes to this is through "jake the snake" who has a penchent for a kind of self pitying rambling that is revealing, but which the film maker seems unsure what to do with. in a scene where jake has smoked crack after reuniting with his daughter blaustein seems hell bent to ruin all of the inherent drama with cheesy law and order music and trippy editing, but still somehow the vulnerability shines through. the whole film seems like a continual series of missed opportunities. never does what is shown in the film benefit from being in this context and so ultimately the best thing you can say about the director was that he was there and had a camera. certainly the "then X called me and we hung out" structuring adds nothing but a sense of monotony and overall lack of purpose. stories are set up as if they will matter and then forgotten just as quickly. again, these people and these situations are powerful and there is no doubt an amazing film could have and maybe still could be made in this world, but this is not it.
-Johnathon
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