Terryfan Many Wrestling fans would call Hit-man Hart:Wrestling With Shadows a classic with going inside into the sport of Pro wrestling.For one year a crew would follow the life of Wrestling Legend Bret "Hit-man" Hart and his final run in the World Wrestling Federation.During the film, the fans get a rare look into the life of a Pro Wrestler and what goes behind the scenes in wrestling.We also get to see a great history behind the Hit-man character and what got the whole Hart family into Wrestling.The Family members of Hart would share stories about their family and share how Wrestling got into their world.Also we get interviews with Bret's co workers in the World Wrestling Federation.We also learn about the history between Bret Hart and Vince McMahon.This film really digs deep into the shadows of wrestling and really shows how fans of the sport should look at Wrestling.Bret Hart would share his thoughts on wrestling and the WWF.If you are a fan of Wrestling or someone who wants to look deep into wrestling then I recommend Hit-man Hart Wrestling With Shadows.I give Hit-man Hart: Wrestling with Shadows A Ten Out Of Ten.This film will show that Bret Hit-man Hart is without a doubt The Best There Is The Best There Was And The Best There Ever Will Be

Ricky Roma There's quite an amusing bit in Wrestling With Shadows where a man on a TV panel show earnestly likens Bret Hart to Hamlet – he says both are good men stuck in immoral worlds. Only in Canada (and possibly Mexico) could such a discussion be televised and it not be part of a sketch show. After all, as Bret himself points out, for a brief time he was the most famous Canadian in the world.But although I find it amazing that a programme could use wrestling as a means in which to discuss morals, and although I'm even more amazed that such a show could find its way on the airways, the documentary that features it is superb. Here you have a film that, like the excellent Beyond the Mat, lifts the veil on wrestling and shows the world how the whole crazy enterprise works. It most certainly isn't Shakespeare (and Bret Hart isn't Hamlet), but the story that unfolds is riveting.As in Beyond the Mat, one of the main themes in this film is the way wrestling blurs lines that are drawn between the real and the unreal. Yes we all know the matches are predetermined and that punches are pulled, but that's beside the point. The reality is in the reactions generated by fans. The reality is the sacrifices performers have to make to succeed in the business – many forsake normal family lives. The reality is in the cruelty of the profession – no pensions and no job security. So although the matches are planned in advance, there are careers and lives on the line.What the film captures wonderfully is Hart's internal conflict. He wants to be a hero, but people are starting to boo him, and he wants to stay loyal to Vince McMahon (who's almost like a second father), but he has a big money offer from WCW. There are lots of things going on, almost all of them out of his control. And while that may seem crazy, wrestling being almost entirely about control and manipulation of people's emotions, it further illustrates how complicated the business is – while he's worshipped like a god in Canada and across the world (the reaction in India is hardly phoney), he's vilified in America as bland and unfashionable; people want something different.And that's probably Bret Hart's problem. As great an athlete as he was, he found it hard to adapt to the new attitude that wrestling acquired in the late 90s. He was too emotionally invested in being a hero. If anything, he cared too much about the fans. He probably would have adapted better if he had less scruples. But that's what also makes Hart a wonderful subject for this documentary. He never sells out and he never breaks his word – even in such a scuzzy business as wrestling, he maintains his dignity. He's also at odds with his new position within the company as the number one heel – he doesn't like insulting the fans. But such is Hart's professionalism that he does and does it exceedingly well. Indeed, the whole period of wrestling that the film documents was the most exciting I can remember. Wrestling since has been a pale shadow of what it was back then.Despite my opinion, though, Hart doesn't like the new direction and openly criticises it. And this is probably what leads to his downfall. His determination to be honest at all times alienates Vince McMahon and may well have inspired the infamous Montreal screw job.And the section of the film that deals with the events in Montreal make for fascinating viewing. First of all you have the way Bret Hart's wife emotionally says goodbye to what she thinks are her friends. Then you have Blade (Bret's son) sulking in the corner because he'll never see a lot of these people again. And after that you have Bret telling his wife that Earl Hebner, the referee, is straight (he swore on his kids that nothing would happen). It all adds up to betrayal that is like having your family stab you in the back – being the sort of person he is, you can more than understand why Hart is so devastated. However, you can also kind of see McMahon's point of view. He was fighting a bitter fight with WCW and one of his main (expensive) stars had been openly criticising his direction; McMahon wanted to do the best he could to taint the goods Ted Turner had paid handsomely for. But even though from a cold, objective business point of view, I can understand why Vince did it, he does fully deserve the punch in the face that Hart deals out to him. The whole situation could and should have been handled better.Aside from this, you also have a film about a man and his relationship with his father, and the one here is unique to say the least. One of the funniest sections in the film is when the Hart's recount the way Stu Hart would 'stretch out' aspiring wrestlers. In one instance you can even hear a kid screaming his head off as Stu slaps him, saying 'Have some discipline'. It's here that you understand how and why Bret became the man he is. He was afraid of his father but respected him, too. And because of the strict sense of right and wrong that was fostered in him, he found it hard to accept the shades of grey that crept into wrestling.But while, in a sense, this moral rigidity hampers Bret's career, it also protects him. Many wrestlers, when they retire, go off the rails, but with Bret (despite everything that's happened since the film) you feel he'll be okay. At least, you hope that will be the case.

vegeta_6969 I saw this movie a long time ago. It was told from Bret's Hart's perspective about his history in the WWF up until the screw job that was performed. It was an interesting documentary looking back on his past and some of his past matches. I will definitely say that Bret Hart was the best wrestler of the time. I don't think that there was anyone on the wrestling roster that could outstrategize Hart in a match. Plus he took every match seriously. That's definitely what made him the best wrestler.I will never respect Vince Mcmahon for what he did to him. It was a public humiliation and no one, especially Bret, deserves to be screwed like that. Bret spitting on Vince had proved that there something was going on backstage. He lost a real diamond in the rough when he got rid of Hart. It was even worse when Goldberg kicked him over the side of the head and forced him to retire because of a stroke he suffered.On the other hand: I can understand why Vince did what he did. I found some reasons as to why I think Vince screwed him.1. Even though Bret's matches were still good, all he did was complain. In fact before a match he would complain during his promo's killing the hype of a good match. He was really never entertaining to listen to.2. Vince wanted him to respect the tradition that a wrestler loses in his last match. Bret thought he was more special than the rest of the people so he didn't want to lose. No one would have had any less respect for Hart, even if he had lost in his home country. Besides it's not like he was losing in his own hometown.3. It's possible that Vince also assumed Eric Bischoff and Bret could have been plotting to steal the WWF belt from Vince and use it to some obscene purpose, like what Alundra Blaze did with the WWF women's championship. Personally, I don't think Bret would have agreed to do something like that, but given his position, I don't think that McMahon could afford to take that chance.If there is anyone I feel sorry for in all of this, it's Shawn Michaels, HHH, and Earl Hebner. They were the unlucky 3 that were caught in the middle of this issue that was strictly between Hart and McMahon.Overall the movie itself is 8 out of 10. I still think the situation is ridiculous. If Hart would actually pull his head out of his ass and see his own mistakes, I'd probably have more respect for him. It seem's to me all he does now is just degrade everyone who talks about him in a negative manner. I thought Flair had some accurate points about him in his book. Not to which are completely unbiased, but Bret put up an article that degraded Flair's credibility. I know that he has suffered a lot of losses and that the passing's of Stu Hart, Owen, and the British Bulldog have made him all the more bitter about wrestling, but he has got to let the past go. If he cannot let go of his pride than I guess he proved Vince's words about him, right all along. Bret did screw Bret.

ReevesBeckett "Wrestling with Shadows" started out as a documentary on Bret Hart, one of the top wrestlers of all time. What it ended up being was the behind the story of one of the most historical nights in pro wrestling. If you are a new fan, you have to see this movie. It outlines the exact moment that wrestling changed into what it is today. The events at the end of the movie are still being felt today in the wrestling ring. Want to know where Vince McMahon got his "evil" character- he got it here. How about the WWE Attitude- it's talked about here. Simply put, the best documentary on the sport.