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So profound is the tale of real-life tragedy that inspired “The Iron Claw” that the producers were forced to make an indelicate choice in crafting the tale. The Von Erich family, a Texas-based pro wrestling dynasty, suffered so many untimely deaths that not every demise could be included in the film.

If the audience were presented with each and every misfortune, they wouldn’t believe that one family could suffer so much loss — even though that’s what actually happened. This family faced a quantity of grief so profound that it seems like fiction.

While “The Iron Claw” exaggerates some aspects of the family’s legend and downplays others, that’s fitting; much of the Von Erich story blends myth and reality. That includes the name; patriarch Jack Adkisson took the pseudonym Fritz von Erich as a nom de catch, and handed that pseudonym down to his sons. His grandchildren still wrestle under it to this day.

“The Iron Claw,” however, doesn’t focus on Fritz (Holt McCallany), except as a figure of influence and menace — a domineering patriarch determined to make his children exceed his own accomplishments, so long as they’re doing so in a way that lines his pockets. The film, from “Martha Marcy May Marlene” writer/director Sean Durkin, instead focuses on Kevin Von Erich (Zac Efron), the first son to break into the wrestling business.

Kevin is swiftly followed by brothers David (Harris Dickinson), Kerry (Jeremy Allen White) and Mike (Stanley Simmons), and that’s fine with him; as he tells future wife Pam (Lily James) on their first date, his only ambitions are to be world champion and spend time with his brothers.

While the first goal remains elusive, the second works well for a short while; for a time, the Von Erichs are drawing droves of rapturous fans to the smoky Dallas Sportatorium, where the hometown boys vanquish villainous foes from outside the Lone Star state. There’s joy, and exhaustion, in watching the brothers scrap — but Fritz’s demands and the risks of falling into a degenerative lifestyle always lurk in the background.

In the early going, “The Iron Claw” can be enjoyed as a lovingly recreated time capsule — a glimpse at the dusty corners of Texas in the late ’70s. As tragedies mount, however, it becomes a catalog of misfortune, almost Shakespearean in its tragedy. Durkin’s script can’t quite support such weight; it’s very straightforward, and its characters frequently speak in cliche. Fortunately, he’s much stronger behind the camera — and Efron, who has grown from teen idol into adult powerhouse, is a stirring emotional center. One needn’t have any familiarity with the real story (or the world of wrestling) to respond to his heartbreaking performance.

In fact, “The Iron Claw” may be more powerful for those unfamiliar with the Von Erich curse. The real story is immeasurably more depressing; at least, in the realm of fiction, it can be given a sheen of story.

My Rating: 8/10

“The Iron Claw” opens in theaters on Dec. 22.