Hitman Hart: Wrestling with Shadows

Good guys. Bad guys. Betrayal. Tragedy. Men in tights.

Hit-man Hart: Wrestling With Shadows is a documentary focusing on the legendary Bret "Hitman" Hart and his last year with the WWE (1997). The veil of professional wrestling is removed and we get a behind the scenes glimpse of what it was like to be a wrestler in the WWE. What makes this documentary great is that it is about how "fake" wrestling is, while showing us how "real" it can be.

Bret Hart narrates, as well as leads us through, his hectic life as WWE champion. The film's main narrative is his battle with WWE owner, Vince McMahon. Their relationship drives most of the documentary and ultimately becomes that of a Shakespearian tragedy. Once great friends and co-workers, these two men eventually clash over several things which leads to Bret considering a departure from the WWE. What Vince McMahon does to Bret Hart at the end is utterly heartbreaking (no pun intended).

The camera crew did a superb job of capturing the raw moments backstage and in Bret's own home. Characters in the film act as if there is no camera around most of the time. Director Paul Jay is virtually non-existent in this documentary. He lets Bret take center stage. The point of view is obviously from Bret's corner, but the filmmakers lay everything out like a crime scene investigation and allow the viewer to form their own opinion as to the film's main ethical dilemma (Bret and McMahon's personal decisions at the end). Bret Hart speaks candidly about his decisions and his belief in them, and we see clips of Vince McMahon sharing his point of view as well.

This film does not require you to be a fan of professional wrestling, but it would not hurt either. Bret explains the intricacies of wrestling and how things work in a very simplistic manner which will make anyone knowledgeable in the world of wrestling and able to enjoy this classic morality tale.

Bret Hart comes off as extremely likable and noble. I find it hard to believe anyone not admiring his honesty, courage, and belief in himself. He believes in heroes, and doing what is right. He has loyalty and that loyalty is betrayed. This ultimately ends up becoming what the movie is about. Is Bret Hart a hero? Is Vince McMahon a villain? Is there right and wrong?

This documentary is a must see, and not just for wrestling fans.

Wrestling with Shadows opens a wrestling fan's eyes to the dark side of wrestling. You will see a side that you thought never existed. This documentary will show you what goes on behind the scenes and show you what kind of people work in "the circus". After seeing this, I see that Bret Hart is one of the few honest men left in wrestling. You will see Bret is just a man trying to make a living in the world of wrestling. One day, the world of wrestling changed around him. The sport he loved as a child and grew up in has changed around him. It's almost sad and disgusting. This documentary just goes to show that, sadly, there is no more room left for honest wrestlers like Bret Hart. Everyone is looking for the gimmick. Somehow, Bret doesn't fit in anymore. Even in the WCW. You have to feel for people like Bret and other wrestlers like him. Wrestling is changing for the worse, and the people involved in it are not the superhuman beings one may think they are. They are just people like you and I. Watch this documentary to see the story of one of those people. You will never look at wrestling in the same way again.

There's quite an amusing bit in Wrestling With Shadows where a man on a TV panel show earnestly likens Bret Hart to Hamlet – he says both are good men stuck in immoral worlds. Only in Canada (and possibly Mexico) could such a discussion be televised and it not be part of a sketch show. After all, as Bret himself points out, for a brief time he was the most famous Canadian in the world.

But although I find it amazing that a programme could use wrestling as a means in which to discuss morals, and although I'm even more amazed that such a show could find its way on the airways, the documentary that features it is superb. Here you have a film that, like the excellent Beyond the Mat, lifts the veil on wrestling and shows the world how the whole crazy enterprise works. It most certainly isn't Shakespeare (and Bret Hart isn't Hamlet), but the story that unfolds is riveting.

As in Beyond the Mat, one of the main themes in this film is the way wrestling blurs lines that are drawn between the real and the unreal. Yes we all know the matches are predetermined and that punches are pulled, but that's beside the point. The reality is in the reactions generated by fans. The reality is the sacrifices performers have to make to succeed in the business – many forsake normal family lives. The reality is in the cruelty of the profession – no pensions and no job security. So although the matches are planned in advance, there are careers and lives on the line.

What the film captures wonderfully is Hart's internal conflict. He wants to be a hero, but people are starting to boo him, and he wants to stay loyal to Vince McMahon (who's almost like a second father), but he has a big money offer from WCW. There are lots of things going on, almost all of them out of his control. And while that may seem crazy, wrestling being almost entirely about control and manipulation of people's emotions, it further illustrates how complicated the business is – while he's worshipped like a god in Canada and across the world (the reaction in India is hardly phoney), he's vilified in America as bland and unfashionable; people want something different.

And that's probably Bret Hart's problem. As great an athlete as he was, he found it hard to adapt to the new attitude that wrestling acquired in the late 90s. He was too emotionally invested in being a hero. If anything, he cared too much about the fans. He probably would have adapted better if he had less scruples. But that's what also makes Hart a wonderful subject for this documentary. He never sells out and he never breaks his word – even in such a scuzzy business as wrestling, he maintains his dignity. He's also at odds with his new position within the company as the number one heel – he doesn't like insulting the fans. But such is Hart's professionalism that he does and does it exceedingly well. Indeed, the whole period of wrestling that the film documents was the most exciting I can remember. Wrestling since has been a pale shadow of what it was back then.

Despite my opinion, though, Hart doesn't like the new direction and openly criticises it. And this is probably what leads to his downfall. His determination to be honest at all times alienates Vince McMahon and may well have inspired the infamous Montreal screw job.

And the section of the film that deals with the events in Montreal make for fascinating viewing. First of all you have the way Bret Hart's wife emotionally says goodbye to what she thinks are her friends. Then you have Blade (Bret's son) sulking in the corner because he'll never see a lot of these people again. And after that you have Bret telling his wife that Earl Hebner, the referee, is straight (he swore on his kids that nothing would happen). It all adds up to betrayal that is like having your family stab you in the back – being the sort of person he is, you can more than understand why Hart is so devastated. However, you can also kind of see McMahon's point of view. He was fighting a bitter fight with WCW and one of his main (expensive) stars had been openly criticising his direction; McMahon wanted to do the best he could to taint the goods Ted Turner had paid handsomely for. But even though from a cold, objective business point of view, I can understand why Vince did it, he does fully deserve the punch in the face that Hart deals out to him. The whole situation could and should have been handled better.

Aside from this, you also have a film about a man and his relationship with his father, and the one here is unique to say the least. One of the funniest sections in the film is when the Hart's recount the way Stu Hart would 'stretch out' aspiring wrestlers. In one instance you can even hear a kid screaming his head off as Stu slaps him, saying 'Have some discipline'. It's here that you understand how and why Bret became the man he is. He was afraid of his father but respected him, too. And because of the strict sense of right and wrong that was fostered in him, he found it hard to accept the shades of grey that crept into wrestling.

But while, in a sense, this moral rigidity hampers Bret's career, it also protects him. Many wrestlers, when they retire, go off the rails, but with Bret (despite everything that's happened since the film) you feel he'll be okay. At least, you hope that will be the case.

As a fan of WWF wrestling I was interested when I heard there would be a documentary on Bret "The Hitman" Hart. Growing up I watched wrestling with my older brother and father and remember Bret wrestling, to me it was very real. I took a break and just recently got back into watching it about a year ago. So when I heard about the documentary, I was very interested..........Wow was I in for a surprise!! I was amazed to see things from the inside out rather than the outside in. I learned things that I had never known before. I knew it was planned out for the most part, but I never realized the extent of it. I read through pervious comments and I was shocked......people said it was funny and exciting to see the under-belly of wrestling, but I, on the other hand, was moved almost to tears. I was upset to learn about the backstage scenes that go on outside of the ring. The Montreal incident was appalling and worst of all, every one Bret had put his faith into "screwed" him royally. Today wrestling is very different, there are women taking their clothes off and everything revolves around sex. We need to take it back to when it was a sport, not a soap opera. Don't get me wrong, I love WWF, but when I see what it did to Bret and his family, I feel horrible....The WWF betrayed his trust and his ability and destroyed the audience's faith in him..........Bret is a true champion!! This documentary gave me a persepective I had never known before...A must see for everyone who thinks wrestling is fake and no one gets hurt....people do get hurt, in more ways than one.

How far are you willing to go? How deep can you go into the world of pro-wrestling, and the life of pro-wrestler Bret "The Hitman" Hart? This is it! This film will take on a journey closer to the life of Bret Hart, and closer to the life of a pro-wrestler. Wrestling is fake, yes. But what's it like behind the stage, where the stories are created, and the matches are planned? And what transpired during the time in which Vince McMahon planned his betrayal of Bret Hart? You won't see anything quite like this for a long time! "Hitman Hart: Wrestling with Shadows" documents Bret's life from his childhood to his relationship with his father, his family, and his relationship with Vince McMahon and the World Wrestling Federation. It's never boring, and me, being a former pro-wrestling fan, I came to appreciate what tasks the wrestlers had to undertake. I also strongly agree with a lot of what Bret says in the film, that pro-wrestling has become bloodier, raunchier, and more inappropriate for children than anything, simply for the sake of ratings. You come to feel sympathy for Bret, knowing the hardships a pro-wrestling really does have to deal with. It's also tragic to know that soon after this film was made, his brother Owen Hart was killed in a stunt at the WWF. Vince McMahon has indeed, gone too far for the sake of beating Ted Turner's WCW ratings. I highly recommend this film for someone who likes pro-wrestling and wrestler Bret Hart. If you don't like wrestling, this film will make you come to feel respect for the man, and the people involved in the wrestling business