The Rock was seen bursting into tears in a very rare show of emotion. The former WWE Champion was left feeling vulnerable at a recent event.The Smashing Machine, starring Dwayne Johnson, debuted at the Venice Film Festival on Monday night. Following its first-ever airing, the film received a 15-minute standing ovation. The ovation was noted by Variety to be one of the longest so far at this year's film festival. The reaction to the movie also saw him burst into tears, a very rare display of emotion.The movie, directed by Benny Safdie, delves into the career and life of the heavyweight MMA star Mark Kerr. It looks into his issues with addiction, relationships, and the very heavy nature of MMA itself. A documentary with the same name was released back in 2002, and it has inspired the film.For the first time in his acting career, The Rock completely changed his look for the film, which naturally caused a lot of buzz. Additionally, the reviews from critics have been overwhelmingly positive so far, with a high ranking on Rotten Tomatoes. The movie is set to be released in theatres on October 3.The Rock may not return to WWE againThe Rock has been away from WWE since his appearance and demand for the soul of Cody Rhodes earlier this year. He helped John Cena turn heel at Elimination Chamber and then disappeared, not turning up at WrestleMania 41, where fans had expected the star to appear.It appears that differences of opinion, among other factors, have led him to step away from the company again. If The Smashing Machine succeeds and generates awards buzz, then the star may want to distance himself from WWE even more and focus on the awards season instead.The star's return to WWE has been a topic of discussion among fans, but now it appears that it may not happen after all.