Since it's release this past weekend, Sean Durkin's The Iron Claw has been all anyone can talk about. A powerful, moving, grief filled film that looks like a crowd and critic pleaser is closing out 2023 on a high note. With that said, many are questioning Durkin's exclusion of a central story line that could have drastically changed the tone and pacing of the film.
The story centers around the Von Erich family and the many tragedies they faced as a wrestling family. Durkin however, chose to exclude one of the tragedies, the youngest brother Chris Von Ehrich. (MILD SPOILERS AHEAD). Durkin, in an aricle from Variety, claimed that the move was because “it was one more tragedy that the film couldn't really withstand.” While I don't necessarily agree on his reasoning I do understand the exclusion.
While Chris, the youngest Von Erich, died of a similar death of two of his brothers, his role would not have fit thematically for Durkin's film. Chris was described as being plagued from various health conditions including brittle bones and asthma that made wrestling incredibly difficult. The death of his brothers later lead to his own mental health conditions before taking his life in 1991. While the family drama is clearly present, Durkin does not shy away from time in the ring. Having a younger brother with a significant age gap as well as so many issues would have made it difficult to include him in the matches as well.
Durkin's film moves relatively fast and Chris' existence isn't the only exclusion from the story. If you look at the family tree you'll notice that Kerry and David also had children. Both were also married. The events are focused more on Kevin, the only surviving son, played by Zac Efron. The film would have become too broad to include all of these other elements in the short runtime. Durkin's Shakespearean sport's tragedy narrowed in on the right places to still deliver an emotionally resonant experience. One of A24's best and a strong drama to finish the year with.
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