Pumping Iron
Released in 1977
Directed by George Butler and Robert Fiore
Pumping Iron, the 1977 documentary directed by George Butler and Robert Fiore, takes a rare glimpse into the lives of a group of the worlds most phenomenally built and successful bodybuilders training for the title of Mr. Universe and then, the grand prize, Mr. Olympia. At the center of the film is the future action star and Governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, who at the time this was filmed had already been crowned Mr. Olympia five times.
I enjoyed this film immensely for its scope and for the wide range of characters, many of whom are likeable and affable men, much unlike the popular image of the testosterone emitting muscle men seen today. The film also features brilliant camerawork for two first time filmmakers, particularly a scene of Schwarzenegger posing atop a mountain that rivals Malick in its exceptional cinematography. On first viewing one can’t help but be transfixed by the charming and towering Schwarzenegger who, though boastful and a bit too sure of himself, can’t help but win over viewers of the film and audiences (including one exhibition in a prison where a male prisoner asks for a kiss) at the competitions alike.
It wasn’t until seeing the film a second time, however, that I noticed the humble and tragic Mike Katz, who is constantly outshined and tortured by his rival Ken Waller but still attempts to shake his hand after every crushing defeat. Another tragic figure lurking in the shadows of Schwarzenegger is Lou Ferrigno, future star of TV’s The Incredible Hulk, who has overcome severe hearing problems and a domineering father to reach the main stage at Mr. Olympia to compete against his idol, Schwarzenegger. Compared to the glorious California gym Schwarzenegger and his friends train at, Ferrigno’s is a tiny, barren dungeon of a gym in Brooklyn that contains no members worthy of inspiring Ferrigno to train harder so he’s forced to paste pictures of Schwarzenegger on the wall to boost his motivation. The editor ingeniously uses this sharp contrast in atmosphere in a successful attempt at encouraging the viewer to sympathize with Ferrigno.
Schwarzenegger eventually wins the title of Mr. Olympia for the sixth time and retires from bodybuilding while Ferrigno goes home empty handed. If the objective of a documentary is presenting a film in which the drama is provided by facts, rather than fiction, this film is nearly flawless. It exceeds on so many levels that after the release of this film, the common view of bodybuilding went from a misunderstood freak show to a multimillion-dollar glamorous (though controversial) business that enables men and women to take pride in their passion and get well paid for it.
Davis Rivera
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2 comments:
I haven't seen this one, and now I want to. How do you think that the cinematography supports the sense of glamour and dignity that the film instills in its subjects?
The cinematography, particularly when focused on Schwarzenegger or his partner Ed Corney, has a yellowish hue very consistent with the glowing aura found in the face of each man. Even when Schwarzenegger is outside of his comfort zone, lying on a sofa, smoking a joint and eating cake, the camera frames him as Almodovar frames Cruz, with both awe and gratitude. When the cinematography shifts to Ferrigno and his Brooklyn dungeon, there is a dark tint that resonates long after the intimidating words of Ferrigno’s father have echoed throughout the gym. Extreme close-ups are all Butler and Fiore can do to help preserve the man inside Ferrigno. They have to struggle to maintain his dignity to the audience whereas with Schwarzenegger, their job is almost done for them.
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