What should a documentary film accomplish? Should it, as its genre entails, objectively document events as they unfold in time ala Gimme Shelter? Should it be a visual essay to support the thesis of the filmmaker as demonstrated in Fahrenheit 9/11? Should it present both sides of an issue in an effort to invoke discussion like Capturing the Friedmans? Often times the angle taken depends on whether the filmmaker has a personal investment in the story. Christopher Bell, director of Bigger, Stronger, Faster*, is personally invested in the issue of steroid usage. You see, Christopher's brothers, now in their thirties, have been using steroids since high school. Bell has refrained from using but daily feels the pressure to give in for an easier way to stay in shape. Though frequently tangential in his methods, Bell uses Bigger, Stronger, Faster* to explore the reasons behind the steroid pressure in America and to clarify if steroids are as big a health threat as everyone assumes.
When Chris and his brothers were little they, like many other American youths, looked up to Hulk Hogan as an idol, a true American hero. Rambo, Rocky, and many professional athletes were also elevated to demi-god status for their physical prowess and extraordinary accomplishments. For eldest brother Mike "Mad Dog" Bell and youngest brother Mark "Smelly" Bell, these heroes may have planted the steroid seeds. What enabled those seeds to grow were Mad Dog's Division 1 football career and Smelly's power lifting. Soon the boys began to take steroids to aid them - a fact they kept, and still keep, hidden from their God-fearing mother. Both brothers aspire to become professional wrestlers and admit that despite temporary down time, they will continue to use steroids to enhance their physique.
Chris's goal was to talk to the who's who in the steroids debate so the stories of usage lead beyond the Bell residence. Gym rats, athletes stripped of their titles, professional body-builders, medical doctors, and even United States Congressmen/women are interviewed during Chris's attempt to get the facts straight about anabolic steroid usage. Surprisingly, he finds that the issue isn't so black and white in terms of "the facts," and quite often, the shades of gray are, well, really shady.
Among the interviewees opposed to steroid usage are Dr. Gary Walder, Medical Advisor to the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, and Democratic Senator Henry Waxman who spearheaded the Congressional inquiry into steroid usage in the MLB. To counteract them are steroid users Gregg Valentino, who boasts ungodly 27-inch biceps, and professional strength trainer Louis Simmons, who has been using steroids for over thirty-six years. When the film really gets interesting though, is when it talks to the likes of Dr. Norm Frost, who claims there are no scientific links between steroids and serious diseases, or Dr. Wade Exum, who claims the US Olympic Committee "quietly encouraged" athletes to use performance enhancing drugs to meet the demands of international competition.
But these strong points of the film also enhance the overall structural weakness of the film. The subtitle of Bigger, Stronger, Faster* is "The Side Effects of the American Dream" and the way Bell introduces the film leads you to believe he will explore the social, financial, and emotional factors that contribute to steroid usage in America. Soon after though, the film becomes a complicated mess aggregating anything and everything to do with steroids. Taking this road causes the film to drag on with tonal confusion and choppy pacing. The heart wrenching stories of the Bell family are lost amongst Chris's accommodating filmmaking style, which is a shame, considering their pieces are the most poignant and edifying.
So what is the job of a documentary? There is no one way to do it but it is recommended to pick either the high road or the low road and go with it. Christopher Bell's first documentary attempts both and ends up diluting the message it could be conveying.
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-Official film website of Bigger, Stronger, Faster*
-Official website of Gregg Valentino and the largest arms in the world. See how gross they are yourself.
-Official website of the Taylor Hooton Foundation started by Taylor's father, Donald. Interviewed in the film, Donald believes his son's suicide was the result of the after effects of steroid usage.
-indieWIRE's text interview with director Christopher Bell from the 2008 Sundance Film Festival.
