Screenwriter and pro wrestling enthusiast, Max Landis, has voiced his dissatisfaction with a recent WWE segment featuring Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns. An erstwhile Creative Consultant for WWE, Landis did not mince words in expressing his denouncement of the segment.
In a YouTube video, Landis shares detailed insight into his displeasure with the presentation, arguing that the term “cinematic era” doesn’t quite fit. As a fan and a professional from the film industry, he feels the segment failed to strike a chord.
Below is the transcription of the video:
“I find my views contrasting with those praising the Cody Rhodes/Roman Reigns rugby field encounter on SmackDown, surely it wasn’t cinematic. It was simply well-illuminated and captured well. I cannot comprehend this continual usage of the term “cinematic”. The interaction was merely a series of dialogues, not anything extraordinary.
The charm of lengthy dialogues in wrestling lies in the fan-packed arena, which resonates with a distinct ambiance. Fans are more than just ambient noise – they’re part of the wrestling world. Being in the midst of a gladiator arena is a crucial aspect of storytelling and enhances the quality of acting. However, even the most skilled wrestling actors often appear stiff or sound rehearsed.
When the drama is removed from the arena atmosphere, it suffers. Treating wrestling production akin to regular television hurts its very essence. It reveals the weaker aspects and marginalizes its unique elements. Including music during promos unless pre-edited, especially within WWE, should be strictly avoided.
Wrestling is about capturing the happenings within a wrestling company. If not, then the prevalent question arises – why don’t these wrestlers annihilate each other? There have been incidents that worked outside the arena context, but this wasn’t one of them.
As WWE is on the brink of a Netflix deal, it’s critical not to lean towards making it analogous to cinema. The essence of cinema lies beyond color correction, focused shots, and depth of field. An exchange of dialogues in front of a crowd works as they’re addressing each other publicly. Venturing into private conversations disrupts the narrative and dilutes the product.
In essence, it’s a show portraying another show, wrestling, enriched with elaborate production value and stunning shots. However, straying from the arena context and venturing into self-indulging short film territory is unacceptable to me. Excuse me if my opinion is singular.”
You can watch the video containing Max Landis interview below:
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Agree with Max Landis? Or do you believe his criticism is unwarranted? Share your thoughts in the comment section.
Quotes from this article should credit the original eWrestlingNews.com post.