"Warrior" Analysis (or "Why the Protaganist Isn't Necessarily the Point of the Story)

I haven't written a review in while, partially because I've been working on other things, partially because I haven't seen too many new movies lately, but mostly because I just haven't had anything to add to the conversation. Case in point: the last film I saw in theaters was The Dark Knight Rises. What did I think: good movie, far from perfect, need to see it again to elaborate. A lot of critics have already had their go at TDKR and have said far more interesting things than I could.

But there is one film (not exactly new, mind you) that no one ever seems to talk about but which I think deserves much more discussion: the MMA drama Warrior. The film deserves discussion for numerous reasons, but mostly because it is the first of what could be a new genre of films: the MMA fighter film. Much in the same way Rocky opened the lid on boxing movies, Warrior deserves to be seen as a progeniter. Not to mention the fact that it's one of the most effective relationship dramas in recent memory(1).

The main characters of Tommy Riordan (Tom Hardy) and Brendan Conlon (Joel Edgerton) are brothers participating in a winner-take-all MMA tournament. Yet the two are not simply at odds in the ring, but also in their relationship to one another. Tommy and Brendan come from a broken home wrecked by their alcoholic father Paddy Conlon (Nick Nolte). The family broke apart as the mother planned to take Tommy and Brendan and leave, but Brendan decides to stay due to his developing relationship with his girlfriend Tess (Jennifer Morrison), who eventually becomes his wife. Brendan felt from then on that his mother and brother abandoned him, whereas Tommy felt betrayed.

The entire film revolves around these central family dynamics and grows from there. Yet, while on the surface the film appears to be about redemtion and forgiveness I believe there is something deeper: how a family must protect one another. This particular aspect falls upon both characters of Brendan and Tommy, although is perhaps a bit more subtle with the latter. Brendan is a family man who gave up fighting to become a teacher and raise his two daughters. But when the bank threatens to foreclose on his house and he is suspended from his teaching position, Brendan works tirelessly to provide for (or perhaps protect) his wife and children. Tommy is a bit more complicated. Tommy is revealed to have been a Marine in Afghanistan who went AWOL when his entire unit was killed by friendly fire. One of the men killed in his unit was his best friend, whose widow he subsequently promises to provide for after their loss.

Because Tommy is such a physical beheamoth and a brutal brawler we have a hard time seeing past the tough guy persona. He puts up that veil for the entire film, but you can see little moments bleed through. Tommy's promise to the widow of his best friend, the wish for his father to have been supportive as a child, and the final forgiveness of his father when seeing him at his lowest. We also see he is not an instigator, rarely starting a fight but always finishing it.

Yet look deeper and you see that Tommy doesn't want to be the fighter. He is not the eponymous warrior, nor does he want to be. At the center of his being Tommy wants to be the protecter, the provider. We see that in his promise to his friends widow, as well as through his act of bravery in saving the lives of fellow Marines after stumbling upon their struggling unit (even though he was at the time going AWOL). He clearly has the power and capabilities to be such a protector or provider.

However, going ever deeper, that may not be what he needs. Tommy feels completely betrayed by an abusive father and brother who he believed loved him. Even when he left with his mother, Tommy had to be the one to take care of her after she fell ill.

I should also probably mention this: Tommy is the younger brother. What kind of relationship develops between a boy and his older brother? Often it's a mixture of admiration and resentment. You want to be like your older brother, you see them as the standard to hold yourself to. They might poke and prod at your here and there, but you also hope that no matter what, push comes to shove, they will fight to protect you. And if something comes along and seems to prove otherwise, it's devastating(2).

So it seems that all his life Tommy has been the provider, the strong one. Yet in the final match against Brendan, Tommy is injured and loses the use of his left arm. While he refuses to back down, we see Tommy is in dire straits: weeping for the first time on screen, cowering in his corner, alone. Even the cheers of the crowd and support his of his Marine Corp "brothers" are of little comfort. Tommy fights on with one arm, refusing to back down, he knows nothing else. But in the final moments Brendan has him pinned and apologizes, before Tommy finally admits defeat. The most important part of this scene is not that Brendan apologizes nor is it that Tommy forgives him, but that we finally see Brendan behaving like an older brother: keeping the press away from Tommy, shielding him from the chaos of the crowd, and walking Tommy away from the arena with his arms around him. Protecting Tommy.

Endnotes

1. I decided to mix up the style of analysis for this one, reaching deeper into a single aspect of the film for more effective examination. I might try to keep this format for the future. Or maybe not, I've been watching this movie for a year.

2. I speak of this from experience with my own older brother. When we were much younger he allowed one of his friends (without my prior knowledge) to practice wrestling moves on me. In the ensuing scuffle I hurt my back and limped home, my brother staying behind with his friend. Needless to say, after learning of my brothers compliance in his friends actions, I put far less trust in him. We have since grown up and are on amicable terms.