Professional wrestling is a huge part of American culture. The mix
of athleticism and violent theater has more in common with
Shakespearean Revenge Plays than actual sport. Dialogue recited
before and after each match frame the character development of
the “Faces” and “Heels” while the performance of sport uses
practiced and choreographed stunts to create the illusion of
combat. The 1950’s saw the introduction of blood as a theatrical
element which crossed many lines of social taboos but at the same
time boosted audience levels to new heights and began what is
now known as hardcore wrestling.
Today, independent promotions specializing in Ultraviolence and
Death Matches go in search of audiences performing in fields,
social clubs and carnival like events with ever increasing levels of
violence. Crowds of sunburnt men, women and young children
crowd close to the ring as every fall into barbed wire and every
broken pane of glass elicits gasps and eventual cheers when the
wrestlers present their injuries to the spectators. In a very extreme
way the theatrical self mutilation for the crowd’s enjoyment
highlights our attraction as a society to violence and questions
where entertainment ends and our taboos begin.
American Ultraviolence is a series of portraits of the wrestlers and
fans of this niche of choreographed violence.
