Reviews Sep 29 2008 @ 08:50 pm
REVIEW: Bigger, Stronger, Faster*
Directed By: Christopher Bell
Written By: Christopher Bell, Alexander Buono, Tamsin Rawady
Starring: Christopher Bell, Mark Bell, Mike Bell, Carl Lewis, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Stan Lee
Running Time: 106 minutes
Rated PG-13 for thematic material involving drugs, language, some sexual content and violent images
This review was originally published July 28th, 2008.
Before we even see the full title of Bigger, Stronger, Faster*, director Christopher Bell essentially gives us his life story. He and his two brothers grew up in the U.S. in the 1980’s—the era of enormous musclemen. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone were huge at the box office, and Hulk Hogan was rocking the arena in the WWF. As members of a family who were husky by nature, Bell and his two brothers became obsessed with bulking out, leading them into the worlds of college football, professional wrestling, weightlifting, and bodybuilding—where the pressure to be the biggest, the strongest, and—yes—the fastest was insurmountable. All three of them turned to steroids, not necessarily to be the best—but merely to meet status quo. And on their way to adulthood, they realized all their heroes—Sly, Arnold, the Hulk—had done the same.
It’s only then that the title appears on the screen: Bigger, Stronger, Faster*: *The Side Effects of Being American.
To illustrate how stupid before-and-after ads are, Bell has a fitness photographer take these shots of him in a single day, with the help of some airbrushing.
There’s no doubt that Bell believes every word of his title. Steroid use, he argues, is not a disease; it’s a mere symptom of a culture that is nothing short of obsessed with competition, domination, and general social Darwinism. As someone who’s seen it all firsthand, Bell speaks with a conviction that’s unimpeachable. His message, however, isn’t the sort of anti-drug alarmism you get from D.A.R.E. or an after school special (in fact, he mocks the latter pretty mercilessly); instead he points the microphone at the country (the world, even) and asks them some hard questions: How did we get here? What can we do about it? Can steroid use and abuse be stopped? Should it? Why single out athletes? What about other performance enhancers?
The scope of the film, though, goes far beyond the question of drugs. Like all great documentaries, this one is about humanity itself, and asks tough questions such as at what point an indiscretion becomes a sin, what the essence of human strength is, and what a child can do when he grows up and sees his heroes for what they really are. It is both hilarious and heartbreaking—often simultaneously.
Gregg Valentino, in the Guinness Book for 'largest biceps' is arrested for steroid possession. Surprised, aren't you?
Watching Bigger, Stronger, Faster* put one question in my head above all others: Who is Christopher Bell? And where has he been all these years? This occasional small-time WWE wrestler and sometime-employee at Gold’s Gym in Venice Beach, CA is now in his 30’s, and he has but one other film credit to his name (some obscure short called “Billy Jones”)—and all I could think about while watching this film was how desperately the American documentary scene needed him. Bigger, Stronger, Faster* employs the style of irony-drenched culture jamming pioneered by Michael Moore (and adopted by everyone from Morgan Spurlock to Ben Stein), but brings to it a balance that it’s arguably never seen before. Bell isn’t afraid to embarrass those who deserve it (turns out that Henry Waxman, the congressman who led the legal battle against steroids, doesn’t even know what the legal drinking age is), but he has no real agenda—he’s here to facilitate a discussion that’s desperately needed. The filmmaking skill on display here is incredible, and Bigger, Stronger, Faster* remains consistently entertaining, even as it asks you to think—and think deeply.
Ah-nold is against steroids? At the expense of sounding smug: Riiiiiiiiight....
One of the highlights of the film is when Bell investigates the use of drugs in other fields: students who use Adderall (without a prescription) to help them study, musicians who take drugs to help them focus, porn stars who depend on Viagra. A musician tells him that he should be allowed to use drugs, but that athletes should not, because athletes are competing and musicians aren’t. Bell asks him whether musicians should be allowed to use drugs when they audition; the musician says of course. And why not? he reasons. Music isn’t sports. This, ultimately, is the picture of the world that Bigger, Stronger, Faster* paints: everyone must be the best, at any cost, but is more than willing to point the finger at others. Bell interviews Carl Lewis, who received the gold in the 1988 Olympic 100m dash only because Canadian runner Ben Johnson was stripped of his for drug use (despite known drug use by Lewis). He interviews a man who blames steroids for his son’s suicide, despite his son’s extensive use of antidepressants (a known cause of suicide). He even goes after his own governor, Arnold himself, who routinely speaks out against steroids, but once used them himself, and even sponsors an annual bodybuilding competition that doesn’t screen for them.
A supplement ad model admits to Bell that he uses steroids, in addition to the pills he hocks.
Bell goes after the supplement industry as well, which, in case you didn’t know, is entirely unregulated. To illustrate this, he hires some illegal immigrants and spends an afternoon putting together a bottle of supplement pills that costs him about two dollars to make, but would sell for sixty. (Each pill is filled with more than 90% rice flour.) It’s an amusing segment, but in the context of the film, it becomes a biting metaphor for just how hollow all of this is: the obsession with being the best, the need to make sure no one but you cheats, the fixation on leveling a playing field that can never be truly level. Frustrated, Bell interviews his deeply religious mother, who is mortified to hear that her sons use drugs. “You’re fearfully and wonderfully made,” she says, referencing Psalm 139, “You boys don’t need that stuff.”
And deep down, we all know that, while she may not be eloquent, she’s right.
on Jul 28 2008 @ 3:02 pm 1. Nathan Keltner said …
Great review, Luke. This sounds like the kind of film I would thoroughly enjoy.
How many on this blog went to school at a time were student drug use for performance reasons was prevalent? Having only very limited experience with the “bigger, faster, stronger” crowd, I can’t relate a ton there, but I know adderall usage was *rampant* while I was in school. From speaking to some friends’ younger siblings, I know it hasn’t trended I wonder how many of the crowds booing at Barry Bonds have been guilty of the same crime? Is it primarily the older folks rather than the younger?
And, assuming the booing is less prevalent among the younger generation — what’s that say about the future of competition as our generation continues to grow older?
And to raise it to even another level: disregarding the legality question and discussing morality only, how and where is the line drawn between the below?
- Tylenol to make it easier to go back to being a mom or a dad
- Ibuprofen to make it easier to swing a tennis racket
- drinking coffee to make your more productive in the AM
- Adderall to help you study for the exam
- Alcohol to help relax at the end of a long day
- Steroids to let you hit a baseball farther
- Marijuana because you’re bored
- etc.
on Jul 28 2008 @ 3:04 pm 2. Nathan Keltner said …
http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/bok/wp-content/uploads/2007/12/071214boklores.jpg
on Jul 28 2008 @ 3:23 pm 3. Evan Derrick said …
That comic is both hilarious and a piercing observation.
My interest has definitely been piqued, Luke (how could it not be?).
From what you say, it sounds like Bell is a filmmaker of consummate skill. Where, indeed, did this guy come from? Here’s hoping he manages to extend his career with equally insightful works in the future.
And Nathan, no quick answers to your questions, but on a practical level, there is a great difference between caffeine and steroids. No one can successfully argue that those two are on the same level (I dare you to try).
However, from a moral perspective (like you prefaced your list with), the two are really no different. You are using a drug (one that you can be addicted to) to enhance your performance in some way. The extent to which users are affected is completely different based on which drug is used, but the challenge then comes down to drawing a line. Both caffeine and steroids are drugs. Both enhance your body/mind in some way. Both are addictive. Both can have negative side effects. So where do you draw the line? What is the objective standard we hold up that tells us one drug is OK while another is not?
on Jul 28 2008 @ 3:56 pm 4. Daniel said …
Nice one, Luke – 5 stars! Well I gave it an “A” and last time it checked it was at a 40+ 100% on RT, so it’s not that surprising. Still, there have so many other ridiculously good documentaries this year that BSF some how hasn’t bumped its way into my top 5.
I appreciated how Bell didn’t take the Michael Moore/Morgan Spurlock route. He was honest and humble. I read an interview with Bell before it came out here but now I forget what the publication was. Anyway, he’s a USC film school grad and is taking this for real – good for all of us.
Best scenes – Waxman’s meltdown and the in-house supplement making.
on Jul 28 2008 @ 8:39 pm 5. Luke Harrington said …
Nathan, I also approve of your comic.
You can’t see it on the poster, but the tagline for the film is, “Is it still cheating if everyone’s doing it?” I don’t remember excessive Adderall use when I was in high school, but then again, I’ve always been pretty naive and out-of-it.
Evan, Bell really is a talented filmmaker. The editing in this film is pure gold. It’s not surprising to me to learn he graduated from USC’s film school (he mentioned USC in the movie, but not film school specifically — I should have put two and two together).
You both make good points about drug use…I tend to think there’s nothing inherently wrong with any drug, as long as it’s used with good judgment — but then, drug use tends to impair judgment, so that’s kind of a paradox, isn’t it? (I didn’t mention it in my review, but there’s a segment in this film about the U.S. Air Force — apparently pilots in it are required to take amphetamines, which have been implicated in at least one scandal, in which some pilots in Iraq attacked friendly Canadian troops. Go fig.)
Daniel, I’ll have to take your word about docs, as I haven’t gotten around to catching too many of them this year (I’ve been busy with classics like Shutter). In fact, I think the only one I’ve caught besides this one is Expelled, and obviously, this one blew that one out of the water in terms of quality. But I read your review of this one just now (somehow I missed it when you published it), and it was quite good. (Actually I think you captured the feel of the film a lot better than I did…but now I’m just sucking up.
)
on Jul 29 2008 @ 5:21 am 6. Thadd Harrington said …
Steroid use is actually the reason I didn’t wrestle my senior year. There was so much pressure on the team to use steroids I didn’t think I could stay away from it. I get so tired of looking up to an athlete only to find out that they cheated to get where they were, Chris Benoit and the guy who won the Tour de France after Lance Armstrong just to name the first two to come to mind. I’m really glad to see that someone actually cares about this issue, unlike the mainstream media who only cares about it when it’s controversial.
on Jul 29 2008 @ 9:49 am 7. Luke Harrington said …
It’s interesting, Thadd, but even the biggest steroids advocates that Bell interviews in this film say that kids in high school shouldn’t use them. (Their bodies are still developing, etc., etc….) He also interviews “the guy who won the Tour de France after Lance Armstrong,” Floyd Landis — who still maintains his innocence (even though he has no hope of having his title reinstated).
on Jul 29 2008 @ 10:22 am 8. Daniel said …
Thanks, Luke, but don’t sell your excellent review short! There’s no right or wrong way to write about documentaries – you just take what struck you and roll with it. BSF was a fun movie to watch and think about.
I think this is going to do well on DVD since it had such a short theater run.
on Jul 29 2008 @ 10:53 am 9. Collin said …
I saw the trailer for this a while back and was really interested. Now I’m just pumped (pun fully intended). Thanks for a great review, Luke.
on Jan 06 2009 @ 7:22 am 10. [review]: Bigger, Stronger, Faster* « …yet made of stars said …
[...] 6, 2009 Cross-posted at: MovieZeal • Tulsa [...]
on Sep 04 2010 @ 11:52 am 11. PC Boxen said …
i read a lot about this topic in the last few month and i consider it might be true. Eventhough i think everyone is responsible for himself. Just my opinion…
on Feb 17 2011 @ 11:41 am 12. Brady said …
Thank you, I enjoyed it more than I anticipated. As the old saying goes tell the truth and shame the devil. Back in the 90’s it was legal in Brazil to go to a doctor and be put on roids, the catch was you were monitored by the doctor and if you abused them you got blackballed in the medical community, permanently. No wonder so many of them have such beautiful bodies
on Aug 26 2011 @ 4:06 pm 13. Thurman Hassian said …
What a thought provoking blog post, can I set it up so I receive an email whenever you write a fresh update?
on Oct 10 2011 @ 1:58 pm 14. Gridiron Assassin said …
Besides older brother passing away, another creepy thing from this documentary – this was the fitness photographer that airbrushed the photos to make him look ripped:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1379095/Fitness-photographer-Jason-Ellis-marries-model-statutorily-raped-just-15.html