(2008)4Derek ArmstrongIf Michael Moore had made a movie about steroids -- and he might have, given enough time -- it would have looked a lot like Bigger, Stronger, Faster*. Documentarian Christopher Bell emulates Moore's wry narration (his voice even sounds similar), Moore's examination of his own family history, Moore's reliance on funny graphics and archival footage, and even Moore's quixotic quest for an impossible-to-interview white whale -- in this case, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, former bodybuilder and admitted steroid user. Where Bell's approach differs is by not blatantly coming from one side of the political spectrum, which broadens the potential appeal of his message.
Clearly, Bell leans Democratic, by virtue of his very interest in documentary filmmaking. But if you think Bigger, Stronger, Faster* exists only to showcase the negative impact of steroids on society, think again. In fact, Bell dedicates one whole passage to dispelling the notion that steroids have been scientifically proven to cause cancer and excess rage. More than anything, Bell uses steroids (and other strength/beauty/performance enhancers) as a window into America's cultural obsession with being the best, even suggesting that steroids get a bad rap relative to such drugs as beta blockers, which can give musicians a competitive advantage by increasing their focus. Of course, Bell would never have made a movie about steroids if they didn't hit close to home, as his brothers -- Mike "Mad Dog" Bell, a professional wrestler, and Mark "Smelly" Bell, a competitive weight lifter -- are dedicated users whose obsession with icons like Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, and Hulk Hogan has negatively impacted the very trajectory of their lives. Bell's film is slick, fluid, informative, and often quite funny, but it has a tragic footnote: Mike Bell, an abuser of multiple substances, was found dead in a rehab facility just six months after his brother's film hit theaters.
In the hopes of exploring American culture's increased obsession with winning, documentary filmmaker Christopher Bell examines the anabolic steroid use of his two brothers. After setting the stage with a look at the cultural backdrop of the 1980s -- in which hulky stars like Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger were the ideal -- Bell illustrates how he and his brothers became involved in the bodybuilding subculture, eventually discovering the brutal truth that success in the lifestyle of pumping iron demanded the use of steroids.
