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Pumping Iron (1977)

George Butler is well-known in the British and American film industry not only for his outstanding work in the field, but also as a pioneer in the theatrical documentary films. Born in 1943, Butler is also a revered photographer (Peoplepill.com). His career spans several decades. While he was originally focused on print media, an assignment with Life Magazine while covering the Mr. Universe Championship gave him an idea of making a theatrical film with the central theme being body building. It was through this endeavor that Pumping Iron was conceived.

He went ahead to establish White Mountain Films as his production company. Aside from making films, Butler is also a writer, a photographer for some of the household fashion magazines such as Vogue, and a life-long conservationist. His other notable theatrical documentary films include: The Endurance (2000) which retells the ill-fated expedition of Sir Ernest Shackleton to Antarctica between 1914-1916, In the Blood (1989) which focuses on the encounters of a boy who set out for an African Safari, Moving Mars (2006) which is about an eye-opening journey by two state-of-the-art NASA rover on the surface of the mysterious planet Mars, among other films.

The film Pumping Iron being Butler’s first motion picture is what made him a major producer in the global scene as an outstanding film producer. This documentary drama was shot in 1975 and released in 1977. It centers around Mr. Olympia competitions of 1975. The core of this film is based on the intrigues of the final 100 days leading to the date of the competition and during the actual competitions. In the film, the director included actual body builders participating in the body building competition and it sheds a lot of light in the world and art of body building, taking the perspective of newcomers in this sport. It also follows the physical development of established body builders pursuing this sport as a career. The contrasting personalities of the two main characters, the underdog (Ferrigno) in the sport and the villain (Arnold Schwarzenegger), are well-illustrated in this film. Key highlights within the documentary include how the two men train at the gym, their contrasting charisma, acts of heroism, and the relationship that they have with each other and members of their teams. Following its release, Pumping Iron won the 1977 Kansas City Film Critics Circle Awards for Best Documentary segment.

With the fast-approaching dates for Mr. Universe amateur competition and the preceding professional Mr. Olympia body building competition in South Africa, the film’s lenses are put on different participants. The film’s first part centers on Mike Katz. After a fulfilling career as a pro-footballer, Katz resolves to become a pro-body builder. He comes a distant fourth in the Mr. Universe competition. The second part of the film is based on the rivalry between two well-known body builders, Lou Ferrigno and Arnold Schwarzenegger. The latter is a veteran in the sport and has won Mr. Olympia continuously for five years in a row and has intentions of ending his career after the 1975 competition.

It is Ferrigno who is out to dethrone Schwarzenegger given his fine built and great physique. At 6ft 5in, he is an outstanding competitor in the upcoming event and is seen as a serious contender for the title in the 1975 competition. A lot of light is shed on the contrasting traits, style of training, homes, personalities, and personalities pertaining to each of these two main characters. Ferrigno who is the underdog, is reserved, and introverted in his mannerisms. The villain, Schwarzenegger, is seen as brash, aggressive, intimidating, and outspoken. Ferrigno trains with his father in a quite basement gym at their residence whereas the extroverted Schwarzenegger works out at Muscle Beach and Gold’s Gym. During the competition in South Africa, Schwarzenegger greatly intimidates his opponents. Towards the end of the competition, Schwarzenegger’s intimidating looks and striking pose-downs for the Mr. Olympia competition earn him the title while Ferrigno comes in at number three. Schwarzenegger subsequently announces his official retirement as a professional body builder while making is post-victory speech. Curtains close on the film as he rides together with Ferrigno and his parents to the airport.

Based on Bill Nichols documentary classifications, this film by Butler can be considered as both observational and reflexive category documentaries. According to Plantinga (6), the observational type documentaries are those in which the cinematographer makes attempt at discovering the truth about the key figures in the film. In this regard, it is notable how George Butler attempts to delve into the lives of different body builders with distinct traits, motivations, personalities, charisma, and approach to the sport of body building. He tries to be unobtrusive as possible with the aim of capturing raw footage of the characters in their unguarded state.

Consequently, reflexive documentaries are those in which the subject matter is part of the filmmaking process (Plantinga, p6). From the Pumping Iron, the cinematographer incorporates different behind-the-scenes shots as the main style and these make up a great length of the whole film. Less concentration is put on the actual competition as the producers delves more into the daily lives of these body builders, how they train, what they eat, how they spend their free time, and their overall relationship with people around them away despite the fame and stardom of body building.

This film was a first in this newly created theatrical documentary segment and it gave the audience a first-hand look into the world of professional body building. This has given this film a notable reputation and positive accolades from film critics around the world. For instance, Arnold of the Washington Post noted that this film was amusing and quite exemplary in painting a true picture in the world of competitive body building. He noted that the film had a well-proportioned balance of star presence with the main star Arnold Schwarzenegger being at the center of the storyline. He goes ahead to point out that based on the intrigues of the film, Arnold Schwarzenegger stood out and it was evident he was on his way to stardom. His physical attributes make him appeal to people of different age groups, comparing him to the martial arts legend Bruce Lee.

Another review by Brody of The New Yorker noted that Schwarzenegger’s best performance was not The Terminator (1984), but the film, Pumping Iron. This is because on the films he features in after Pumping Iron, one can simply tell that they were filled with a lot of drama. In George Butler’s documentary, Schwarzenegger is not only the subject of the film but the star. He is charismatic, full of life, and witty. His presence in the film is not only an ingratiating performance when the film was released but also, it lays the red carpet for his illustrious acting career and breakthrough into the Hollywood movie business. Brody notes how Schwarzenegger and all the other characters in the movie are passionate about body building as a sport. Schwarzenegger’s narration of his lifelong ambition to move to the United States to become the greatest and different from everyone give a glimpse of his bright star as a person who would be remembered by the world audiences for generations to come.

George Butler made this film for a wide range of reasons. The other sides of this sport are well-documented in this film. One can note about these in the narrations of the key subjects regarding the endurance of pain in training, the need to stand out amongst other body builders, being artists sculpting one’s own body, and the motivations that keep them focused to the sport.  Aside from giving the audience a first-hand look into the lives of body builders, it is eminent the director was focusing on something more. This relates to the transformation in becoming icons and revered personalities in various professions and industries by ordinary people in the society. In the film, it is evident Schwarzenegger turned himself into a public figure from an ordinary body building enthusiast and professional. While he freely narrated about his wish to move to the United States to soar greater heights, his retirement from body building at the end of the documentary marked the beginning of a new chapter for him as a movie star. George Butler also wanted to help his audiences to appreciate the need to avoid settling for less based on this film. This is can be seen on how every subject in the Pumping Iron works extra hard to be crowned the winner in the body building competitions.