This a portrait of Gertrude Elizabeth Vachon aka Luna Vachon, one of the great female professional wrestlers ever to come down the pike. The film is a warts and all look at Vachon from her childhood to her death. It’s a film that doesn’t shy away from telling the dark side of the sport and revealing the cost on mind and body the sport takes.
While the life and times of Vachon was covered in an episode of The Dark Side of the Ring, the truth is that there was way more material than a simple hour-long episode could reveal. Running almost two solid hours this film is an eye-opening look at not only the life of Vachon but the whole sport of professional wrestling. I say that as a guy who has been a fan of the sport for the last 50 plus years. There is a lot here, and I was about halfway into the film and I realized that I wanted to go back and start the film over to catch what I missed.
This is a super film. While the fact that Vachon was a wrestler may make people hesitate stepping in and seeing the film, the truth is there is much to consider outside of wrestling such as mental illness and the cost of addiction. This is not a wholly happy tale and its bittersweetness hangs in our mouths long after the credits have rolled.
If you like under the radar films LUNATIC: THE LUNA VACHON STORY is for you.
Recommended.
Lunatic plays Calgary Underground Film Fest next, April 24
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