After watching five boxing films, one thing I've noticed is how the brotherly family dynamic changes throughout the film. In Body And Soul (1947), we see a brotherly relationship corrupted by greed. In Champion (1949) and On The Waterfront (1954) we see a dynamic duo of brothers separate because of personality changes. And in Raging Bull (1980), we see a supportive pair of brothers torn apart because of the psychological toll of the boxing ring. In this blog post, I will be discussing how and why these family dynamics change, and how the boxing film purposefully implements these "brotherly" relationships to reveal certain aspects of boxing. brother's influence on boxer's career
We see the opposite of this in the movie Champion. After Midge Kelly wins his first fight, his brother Connie tells Midge that he looked as if he was going to kill his opponent if the announcer hadn't stepped in. Connie then interjects that Midge should stop boxing, because he proved himself. Now is where we see a common theme; the boxers don't take their brothers advice. In Leger Grindon's book "Knockout: The Boxer and Boxing in American Cinema" Grindon states in the chapter Critique of the Success Ethic in the Boxing Film "Connie offers a nurturing, moral, self-conscious, and even passive alter ego to his self-indulgent, aggressive sibling." (82)
In Champion, Midge rapes his ex-wife/brother's soon to be wife, and Midge ends up dying shortly after, therefore no happy ending for Midge/Connie. In On The Waterfront, Charley works with the mob, and Terry doesn't want to be D&D anymore. Charley ends up dying sticking up for his brother, so no happy ending for Charley/Terry. This reveals that the relationship will always be corrupt. The only movie where this brother dynamic gets complex is in Raging Bull. In Raging Bull, boxing ends up corrupting Jake's mind, and because of jealous rage, Jake no longer talks to his brother.
In these boxing films, the brother always has a conflict with the boxer, ultimately revealing the negative effects of the boxing world. As an audience, we question if this is what the boxing world is really like. Family seems like a tight bond that can never be broken, so it is intriguing that in these boxing films, slight changes end up ruining the family dynamic. This topic raises the discussion about the humanity of the boxer. As noted by Leger Grindon "Jake harbors pride, which energizes his skill as a boxer, but also distorts his humanity as a brother and a husband." This can be applied to the other films as well. boxer's humanity PERCEIVED by their brothers
Overall, the brother dynamic in boxing films is incredibly worthy to note. Brothers represent a sense of love and appreciation, and when all of these boxing films show a corrupt relationship between them, it lets the audience question what exactly is wrong with boxing. Being a brother means being their for someone. In Raging Bull, the character of Joey is partly made up, and the real-life Joey was never as intense as the movie version. Why did they write him like this? Because that is how the boxing film goes. Breaking up the family connection is one way that the audience can put themselves in the boxers POV. We never can picture a family relationship going to crap like how it does in boxing films, and that's what makes boxing movies so intriguing. We view boxing as this corrupt force and we love how dramatic the dynamics of the film can get. Ultimately, you probably shouldn't be a boxer if you have a brother, because that relationship will probably end in the near future!!
1 Comment
Jayce Jerabek
10/4/2016 08:44:33 pm
I love the organization on your blog! I think the idea of exploring the brotherly dynamic was a good way to look into the boxing genre. Keep up the good work!
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Author(savannah hink) |