Hitman Hart: Wrestling With Shadows
December. 20,1998This documentary follows superstar Bret Hart during his last year in the WWF. The film documents the tensions that resulted in The Montreal Screwjob, one of the most controversial events in the history of professional wrestling, in which Vince McMahon, Shawn Micheals, and others, legitimately conspired behind the scenes to go against the script and remove Bret Hart as champion.
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Let's be realistic.
Absolutely the worst movie.
This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.
Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.
I saw this documentary for the first time a few weeks ago when I learned that Bret Hart was coming back to work for the WWE (then WWF). This documentary was outstanding. Never has a famous person come across as so real and so vulnerable. Who can blame Bret for jumping to WCW? He had a family to worry about it and like any good man he did what he thought was best for his family. He did not want to leave Vince high-and-dry, but he was caught between a rock and a hard place. I have always been a pro wrestling fan, but I never realized how hard life is for these performers. The amount of politics that go on behind the scenes really is unbelievable. At the end of the day, Bret Hart faced a timeless moral dilemma: does he stick by the company that created him despite his moral objections to the direction that the company is taking, or does he turn his back on them and follow his heart, even if it means selling out and betraying friends? It is a decision that we all must make in one form or another, and it is this that makes Wrestling with Shadows not a documentary about pro wrestling, but instead a documentary about humanity. 11 out of 10 stars.
Hit-man Hart :Wrestling With Shadows Yes I have seen it- amazing look behind the curtain of Pro Wrestling- Hit-man Hart Wrestling With Shadows- the thing is Bret immersed himself into his wrestling character and lost his objectivity- so when he was supposed to do the honors and give over the belt he did not- sure Vince lied to him- but given the voliatility of the times(the women's champ had gone over to WCW and threw the WWF belt into the trash,WCW & WWF were in a war,etc.) Vince made the only decision he could make for his family business.The thing was filmed before Owen's death. The Hart Foundation, a WWF stable in 1997 has been cursed- The British Bulldog,Owen Hart and Brian Pillman have all passed away and Bret is now retired due to reoccurring concusions...also seek out the excellent Bret Hart 3 DVD comp from the WWE
Whether you love or loath Vincent K McMahon, there is no denying that he is a world class promoter. Whether you love or loath Bret Hart, there is no denying that he is a world class wrestler. That is why this is such a brilliant documentary. Bret Hart was THE top guy in the WWF in the mid-'90s. Vince was the man behind the character. The on-screen commentator was the behind-the-scenes owner/promoter. He signed Bret Hart up to an unprecedented 20 year contract in 1996 to stop Hart from joining the WWF's rival WCW. This documentary follows Bret around for one year. This one year is one of the most interesting in WWF history. It just so happens that the conclusion to this year contained THE most controversial night in recent wrestling history. Bret Hart was on his way to WCW but had a few weeks remaining on his WWF contract. The problem was that he was still the WWF Champion and this resulted in disputes and arguments from both sides as to how this problem would be resolved. This documentary crew was given an all access pass to all WWF events for the year that is covered. They go into the locker room and reveal all of the behind-the-scenes discussions and debates and the final concluding part to the most controversial night in recent wrestling memory.Watch this tape if you have even the smallest amount of interest in wrestling. See how the "evil boss" character of Vince McMahon was created on this infamous night in November '97 in Montreal and how Bret Hart finished his 14 year WWF career.
When I first saw this doco I didn't know what to expect in regard to it's content.I found this movie to be a very eye opening experience. I've always know that the fine line between reality and fiction in Pro Wrestling had always been fuzzy to say the least.There are aspects to this film with what Bret Hart went through that I can really relate to in my own life.Paul Jay obviously didn't realise at the time that he was about to stumble onto a real gem of a true story. The film was extremely well made and presented.I give this film 10/10