JoeJustice
10-29-2008, 07:41 AM
Last night we watch Bigger, Stronger, Faster*, the documentary about steroid use in America. It was an interesting film and well worth watching, but it might not be what you think it is. It's not really an anti-steroid film, but more of a personal story - almost a coming of age - that centers around the director and his three brothers who are all into various strength sports. His older brother was a former wrestler, his younger is a powrelifter and high-school football coach and he himself works at Gold's Gym where he once had the ambition of following Arnold Schwarzenegger's career. The exploration of his life kind of springboards into the discussion of steroids because all of his childhood heroes were steroid users, Schwarzenegger and Hulk Hogan for example.
At first the film comes off as anti-steroids because the director was told as a child it was wrong. From there he learn how many of his heroes were on steroids and begins to lose faith. Then finds his bothers on steroids and on and on. Finally, the film comes full circle and suggests the fear of steroids is overrated and that they are completely safe as long as not abused.
The film takes a look at whether or not steroids should be cheating at all as well. It takes in several forms if "performance enhancing" and questions why some are illegal and some aren't. For example, Tiger Woods had eye surgery to be given 20/15 vision; professional musicians take anti-anxiety drugs to get over stage fright; Olympic athletes train at high altitudes to increase red blood cell count while doing the same thing with a drug is illegal.
All in all it asks some very interesting questions. If steroids are so bad, why is everyone using them? Are they really as bad as people think? Why are they considered cheating when other things are not?
On the personal side of the story, the director's father and mother are very much "salt of the earth" people. And the father offers up some very, very wise counsel to his sons, but they seem to ignore it. The mother is sweet but sheltered. The younger brother is a hypocrite, taking steroids while at the same time telling the kids on his team that they are bad for you. And the older brother is the saddest case of all, what Gordon would refer to as an Aging Macho Man. He was once a low level wrestler with dreams of becoming Hulk Hogan, but as he's gotten older he's no longer called but keeps sending in demo tapes and obsessing about the past and what could have been. The saddest part of all is when his dad admits that he fears his son will eventually kill himself because he just can't accept the idea of being "normal" even though that is exactly what he is.
The thing that bothers me about the entire movie is that overall thesis that comes into focus at the end and I profoundly disagree with it. The director's main assertion is that all of his problems and all of the problems in his family are due to being an American. America has pushed them too hard. America has lied to them. America has forced them to do steroids just to keep up. Because America demands people be bigger, stronger and faster. America itself is a lie. I think you'll have to watch to movie in it's entirety to understand how he puts this idea forward because, as I said, it doesn't really gel into a cohesive message until the very end and even then I'm not sure how many people will pick up on it.
This is the aspect of the movie I don't like. There seems to be no kind of self control in this world the director is living in. He and his bothers are pushed and pushed by outside forces and that's why their lives have ended up the way they have. He takes no responsibility for it at all, it's all America's fault.
I'd love to hear what you guys think of the film once you watch! I think it is a worthwhile watch, just be prepared for his little political barbs a total lack of accountability on his part.
Critically yours,
-Joe
At first the film comes off as anti-steroids because the director was told as a child it was wrong. From there he learn how many of his heroes were on steroids and begins to lose faith. Then finds his bothers on steroids and on and on. Finally, the film comes full circle and suggests the fear of steroids is overrated and that they are completely safe as long as not abused.
The film takes a look at whether or not steroids should be cheating at all as well. It takes in several forms if "performance enhancing" and questions why some are illegal and some aren't. For example, Tiger Woods had eye surgery to be given 20/15 vision; professional musicians take anti-anxiety drugs to get over stage fright; Olympic athletes train at high altitudes to increase red blood cell count while doing the same thing with a drug is illegal.
All in all it asks some very interesting questions. If steroids are so bad, why is everyone using them? Are they really as bad as people think? Why are they considered cheating when other things are not?
On the personal side of the story, the director's father and mother are very much "salt of the earth" people. And the father offers up some very, very wise counsel to his sons, but they seem to ignore it. The mother is sweet but sheltered. The younger brother is a hypocrite, taking steroids while at the same time telling the kids on his team that they are bad for you. And the older brother is the saddest case of all, what Gordon would refer to as an Aging Macho Man. He was once a low level wrestler with dreams of becoming Hulk Hogan, but as he's gotten older he's no longer called but keeps sending in demo tapes and obsessing about the past and what could have been. The saddest part of all is when his dad admits that he fears his son will eventually kill himself because he just can't accept the idea of being "normal" even though that is exactly what he is.
The thing that bothers me about the entire movie is that overall thesis that comes into focus at the end and I profoundly disagree with it. The director's main assertion is that all of his problems and all of the problems in his family are due to being an American. America has pushed them too hard. America has lied to them. America has forced them to do steroids just to keep up. Because America demands people be bigger, stronger and faster. America itself is a lie. I think you'll have to watch to movie in it's entirety to understand how he puts this idea forward because, as I said, it doesn't really gel into a cohesive message until the very end and even then I'm not sure how many people will pick up on it.
This is the aspect of the movie I don't like. There seems to be no kind of self control in this world the director is living in. He and his bothers are pushed and pushed by outside forces and that's why their lives have ended up the way they have. He takes no responsibility for it at all, it's all America's fault.
I'd love to hear what you guys think of the film once you watch! I think it is a worthwhile watch, just be prepared for his little political barbs a total lack of accountability on his part.
Critically yours,
-Joe