Does Randy “The Ram” Robinson die after he leaps off the top rope in the movie’s final scene?
BEST EXPLANATION: We know that aging pro wrestler Randy (Mickey Rourke) has a serious heart condition, and that he’s been advised by a doctor that to continue this activity could kill him. Randy ignores the warnings. Having damaged or destroyed relationships with his girlfriend and estranged daughter he returns to the ring: the only place that’s ever offered him a sense of community, friendship and belonging.
The movie’s last shot shows Randy leaping off the ropes, cutting to the end credits as his body leaves the frame—which could be easily interpreted as a metaphor for his inevitable and imminent demise. In fact, in a 2009 interview with a film blogger, director Darren Aronofsky agrees with his interlocutor’s suggestion that Randy does die in this match—adding his own observation: “if not now, when?”
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=61-GFxjTyV0]