DVD Review: The Iron Ivan

The Iron Ivan recounts the tale of Russian wrestler Ivan Poddubny, a man who began his career in the circus in the late 1800s and would go on to win basically every match he entered, in his homeland as well as in France and the United States. He started from humble beginnings and would eventually capture the heart of a people. The Iron Ivan stars Mikhail Porechenkov as Ivan, Katerina Shpitsa as Mimi/Masha and Alexander Mikhailov as Ivan’s father.

It begins in 1878, in the village of Bogoduhovka, with Ivan as a child. When he is cornered by a group of boys, he looks defiant, angry. He crouches, as if to attack, but then breaks through their ranks and runs. They call after him, “Coward!” And apparently his father shares this viewpoint, for when he runs to him to tell him what happened, his father whips him for not fighting. The film then jumps to 1925, when Ivan is arriving in the United States by boat. He is greeted by a man who recognizes him, so we know he has achieved some degree of fame. And though he is in his fifties, we learn that he is to continue his wrestling career in the U.S.

From there the film goes back to 1896 to show how he got his start. And this for me is some of the most interesting material. Ivan worked as a stevedore, and is present when the boat carrying the circus arrives, a certain trapeze artist named Mimi catching his eye. I’ve long found circus folks to be fascinating, and there are some funny moments backstage with the wrestlers, indicating it’s all an act. When those in the audience are invited to test their strength against the winner of the first wrestling bout, Ivan steps into the ring. He wins his match almost immediately, stunning the crowd, and is offered a contract to remain with the circus while it is in town. Perhaps it’s the money, but this also gives Ivan a chance to get to know Mimi, who sets him straight about a few things regarding the circus (such as the fact that her real name is not Mimi). When Ivan is instructed to lose his last fight, he refuses, and with the help of the local police chief, manages to collect the prize money. The movie goes back and forth in time from the late 1800s/early 1900s to the 1920s, showing the progress of two different parts of his career, addressing the similarities but highlighting the differences.

The film is partly a love story, but it is also about a man who is still looking for approval from his father. The boy who was called a coward never backed away from a fight again, but then his career as a fighter is also met with disapproval. When he requests permission to marry, his father does not grant it. That scene is actually quite good, adding another layer to his relationship with Mimi (by the way, Katerina Shpitsa is adorable as Mimi). And later when he finally loses a match, though unfairly, he goes a bit mad, and the film provides his viewpoint, in an unsettling sequence. This movie handles the tragic sequences really well, as in one scene where we stay with Ivan rather than witness what happens in the ring, so we experience the event as he does.

There are a couple of odd things about the DVD that I feel I should mention. When characters speak in English or French, the English subtitles remain at the bottom of the screen, but someone dubs the dialogue in Russian. So you can actually hear the English dialogue underneath the Russian translation. It’s a bit disconcerting, but fortunately doesn't happen all that often. Also, the picture at times jolts a bit, like frames are missing, but that may just be my copy.

The Iron Ivan was released on DVD on June 13, 2017 through MVD Visual. The film is presented in its original Russian language, with optional English subtitles. The DVD contains no special features.