Bas Rutten recently praised the authenticity and attention to detail in The Smashing Machine. He expressed his excitement about being part of the film and shared his experience working with director Benny Safdie.
Rutten played his younger self in the film. He had coached UFC legend Mark Kerr, the film’s subject. His involvement added an authentic element to the storytelling.
The film focuses on both Kerr’s MMA career and his struggles with addition. Since the story takes place between 1997 and 2000, Safdie ensured the film stayed true to the events of that time. This added another layer of realism.
The set designers also recreated much of Kerr’s home, as seen in the documentary, along with PRIDE FC events.
During an exclusive with Heavy Sports, Rutten praised Safdie for capturing the authenticity of Kerr’s life. He emphasized how important it was to accurately portray the events.
“Authenticity is everything,” Rutten said. “We would have a fight and then we would put it next to the real fight, and if that a little off, they would say, ‘Okay, try to do it again.’”
He added:
“Once you start adding things like flashy kicks and that stuff, no. That was not the time and that was not Mark Kerr,” Rutten said. “If you stay authentic, everybody knows it’s on hundred percent real. Now people get invested because people know when it’s fake…Reality always wins. Truth always wins.”
Bas Rutten Shares Takeaway from The Smashing Machine’s Authenticity
Bas Rutten also shared a key takeaway from the film’s portrayal of Kerr’s life. The film sheds light on Kerr’s relationship with his ex-wife, Dawn Staples, and their some of their tense arguments.
Rutten found the film eye-opening, particularly in how it highlights the importance of stable living conditions. He emphasized that an unstable home environment can derail one’s career and life choices.
Rutten explained that people will realize how crucial a stable home is for personal success.
“Now people see that you need a stable home as well. If that’s not stable, is it the pain? Does [Kerr] take the medication for the pain? Yes, it starts with that. But then you realize, ‘If I take it, it’s kind of easier to deal with all the craziness at home,” Rutten told Heavy Sports.
He continued:
“That might lead into an addition and that happened with [Kerr]. Now, I’m not saying it is like that, but once I read the script [for the film], I had no clue that [his relationship with his wife] was so toxic at home.”
Director Benny Safdie Explains Techniques Used to Film The Smashing Machine
Director Benny Safdie used unique techniques to bring The Smashing Machine to life, especially for the fight scenes. His goal was to make the audience feel as if they were present at the fights.
Safdie explained that he wanted the scenes to feel real, not cinematic. His focus was on capturing the authenticity of the fights.
“Everything has to be as real as it gets. The fights, this, that, and so specifically I want to nail what the fights look like. And, I don’t want it to look like I’m doing anything fancy or tricky. I want it to look like we captured real fights,” Safdie said during an appearance on IMPAULISVE.
He added:
“I wanted it to be able to rip that to your phone and say, ‘This is a real fight.’ That was a goal of mine.”
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Exclusive: Bas Rutten Praises Authenticity of ‘The Smashing Machine’ appeared first on Heavy Sports.