Pumping Iron (1977)
April 15th 2009 04:42
FILMED during the lead-up to the 1975 Mr Universe and Mr Olympia bodybuilding contests in Pretoria, South Africa, the main reason this well-made documentary is considered a classic is because it features Arnold Schwarzenegger long before he became The Terminator and the Governor of California. At 28, he’s out to win his sixth My Olympia crown, and doesn’t mind talking up his chances: “I have no weak points,” he quips on the eve of the tournament. However, even through his extraordinary arrogance – and thick Austrian accent – you can see his star quality, and it transforms this honest little film about muscle men into a fascinating historical piece.
Although the focus is definitely on Arnie, many other notable bodybuilders appear, including another future actor in Lou Ferrigno, who went on to star as The Incredible Hulk on American TV and continues to work in Hollywood. Just as intriguing as the rivalry between Arnold and Lou is that which exists between Americans Mike Katz and Ken Waller, who battle it out for the amateur Mr Universe title. And then there’s Franco Columbu, a charismatic Italian who goes bicep-to-bicep with Arnie and impresses the crowd by blowing up a hot-water bottle like a normal person would blow up a balloon. It really is the ‘golden age’ of bodybuilding, and the fans lap it up.
I’ll let Arnold have the final say: “It’s as satisfying to me as coming is, you know? As having sex with a woman and coming. And so can you believe how much I am in heaven? I am like getting the feeling of coming in a gym, I’m getting the feeling of coming at home, I’m getting the feeling of coming backstage when I pump up, when I pose in front of 5000 people, I get the same feeling, so I am coming day and night. I mean, it’s terrific. Right? So, you know, I am in heaven.”
Although the focus is definitely on Arnie, many other notable bodybuilders appear, including another future actor in Lou Ferrigno, who went on to star as The Incredible Hulk on American TV and continues to work in Hollywood. Just as intriguing as the rivalry between Arnold and Lou is that which exists between Americans Mike Katz and Ken Waller, who battle it out for the amateur Mr Universe title. And then there’s Franco Columbu, a charismatic Italian who goes bicep-to-bicep with Arnie and impresses the crowd by blowing up a hot-water bottle like a normal person would blow up a balloon. It really is the ‘golden age’ of bodybuilding, and the fans lap it up.
I’ll let Arnold have the final say: “It’s as satisfying to me as coming is, you know? As having sex with a woman and coming. And so can you believe how much I am in heaven? I am like getting the feeling of coming in a gym, I’m getting the feeling of coming at home, I’m getting the feeling of coming backstage when I pump up, when I pose in front of 5000 people, I get the same feeling, so I am coming day and night. I mean, it’s terrific. Right? So, you know, I am in heaven.”
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