Queen of The Ring (2024)
This is actually the first of Emily Bett Rickards I have seen since I watched the series Arrow. The movie Queen of the Ring is a biographical drama that shines a spotlight on the extraordinary life of Mildred Burke, a hero, or should I say heroine, in the annals of professional wrestling. I commend the movie for its powerful central performance and the captivating real-life narrative it portrays.
In Queen of the Ring, Emily Bett Rickards portrays Mildred Burke. This time, unlike the Arrow series, we don't see her in front of computers. Instead we see her in the ring and she delivers a truly captivating and dynamic performance. She potrays Burke's fierce and determined persona.
Rickards transitions from a struggling single mother to a wrestling icon, showcasing both the physical demands and the emotional depth required for such a transformative journey.
One of the types of movies that almost never fails to capture my interest are the ones based on real-life stories. Until I watched this film I didn't know anything about a person by the name Mildred Burke and how female pro wrestling emerged. Burke shattered gender barriers in an era where women's professional wrestling faced significant legal challenges and sexism. The film effectively highlights her legacy as not the only first female athlete to earn a million dollars but also a pivotal force in ensuring women's wrestling as a recognized sport. Her unwavering dedication to her craft in the face of immense adversity is truly inspiring.
She is to be considered as one of those icons who paved the way for a certain set of persons, in this case the female gender, who were once undermined to be recognized. I commend the film for its period detail and how it managed to create an immersive 1930s-1950s atmosphere. The cinematography was on point and the costumes are period-perfect. This contributed a whole lot to the film's immersive quality.
For the wrestling aspect, the movie gives us a glimpse into the early history of women's professional wrestling, showing us the struggles, sacrifices, and ultimate triumphs of female athletes in a male-dominated industry. It also shows us that politics is not left out either in wrestling. Because it exposes the backstage politics often blurred between "work" (the scripted elements) and "shoot" (the genuine realities) within the world of professional wrestling. So for those who think that wrestling and everything that goes on in the ring is 100% real, you might want to think again.
As a kid, wrestling was one of the favorite sports I loved to watch on TV. Actually, it used to be my favorite! All I saw was the outward performance which I found thrilling and exciting. But on watching Queen of the Ring I also saw the some portion of the behind scene concerned with wrestling. And it's a whole different scene all together.
This consists of the challenges Mildred Burke faced both as a person and career wise. And despite all the obstacles she remained relentless. The fact that she didn't let her circumstances — being a single mom who walked in a small diner owned by her mom— to hold her back from going ahead in chasing her passion is what I found really inspiring. I give the film a rating of 8/10. It is a film that is worthwhile watching, especially if appreciate sports or wrestling in particular. I find it to be an inspiring underdog story which celebrates perseverance and leaves a footprint on history.