Beauty

Judo Kan vs Stefan, Paris War 5 (Wrestlingmale)

Paris War 5  is beautiful not just for its milk-glass lighting that turns the strong, stout bodies of  Judo Kan and Stefan into artworks at the Louvre. To be sure, the skylight clarity of the contest is what first caught my eye. But maybe even more impressive is the tight camerawork that brings the viewer close to the action - mat-level shots of the wrestlers grimacing from pain or strain, at times almost underneath them as they grapple. I feel their weight and heat in the midst of the struggle. Then there are the physiques of Judo Kan, a Cuban residing in Rome, and all-American Stefan. They are imposing figures, heroic, seemingly unbreakable, palpably masculine.

The artistry here is the more remarkable because the struggle is real - or real-ish - that is, so well staged as to appear authentic. Stefan is the heavier and taller man, but at no point did the discrepancy in size become a point of consideration. I watched the match three times before writing about it - not my usual method: I was just so caught up in the wrestling I had to rewind. Only later did I read the stats, surprised that the two weren't equal in height and weight. The titular "war" is fun, even friendly. There's some big talk, naturally, but there's no pretense that these two men dislike each other or want to do more than make the other guy submit under duress. Often they can't conceal the joy they feel in grappling. I watched this match side by side with another Wrestlingmale release that was thrillingly explicit and X-rated, superb in every respect, but it was Kan vs Stefan I wanted to jerk off to. When all is said and done, this is the video that legitimizes the Wrestlingmale brand for me.

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