Review Of The Documentary Bigger, Stronger, Faster By Christopher Bell
What does it mean to be an athlete? It’s much more than just shooting a ball, making a touchdown or hitting a grand slam; you have the entire world watch your move on and off the court, field or stage. Athletes are often looked upon by children and aspiring kids all in hopes of being like them one day. Athletes like Carl Lewis, a team U.S.A track-and-field athlete, who won nine Olympic gold medals during the 1980s and ’90s. Arnold Schwarzenegger, a seven-time Mr. Olympia, and four-time Mr. Universe winner. And Alex Rodriguez, a three-time American League MVP, and holder of many records in the MLB. These champions have worked hard to get where they are in their specified sport but they all have one thing in common, they lied and cheated to achieve it.
Bigger, Stronger, Faster by Christopher Bell is a documentary about the insight of his and his brothers’ experiences using steroids as they idolized athletes like Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, and Hulk Hogan. More than just bodybuilders, the documentary also features other professional athletes, medical experts, and U.S Congressman and their point of view about the issue of anabolic steroids in professional sports. Beyond the use of steroids, the documentary investigates the lack of the unchanging view of how the U.S views cheating, lying and illegal drug taking in order to achieve success. Some examples presented in the documentary showed us that everyone can take some form of “steroid.” Some cases talked about were about how high school students take Adderall to concentrate to complete work more efficiently, or how musicians take beta- blockers to calm them down before a performance or how fighter pilots take “go pills” to stay alert during flight. “So, it’s okay to enhance your performance if you’re a pilot, a musician, or student, but if your job is to play professional baseball, that somehow that makes you a cheater.” We live in a time where drug testing is as lenient as can be. Athletes take performance enhancers to make themselves the alpha of the sport. By doing so, this makes it harder for the “natural” athletes to have a chance in the sport.
There are multiple techniques used in the documentary to prove Bell’s point that steroids have a negative connotation to sports. One specific example is when Bell went to a Giants vs Raiders tailgate and interviewed multiple fans asking if they care if pro-athletes take steroids. “I don’t care as long as they’re on my team” one male responds. “Do steroids, get big and strong” another says. These responses weren’t what Bell was looking for. When Bell conducted these interviews, I noticed that it was both the interviewee and Bell both in the shot. Seeing Bell’s facial expression when the interviewee answered really made me feel sympathetic for Bell because all he is trying to do is educate people of what this is going on behind the scenes of sports on a professional level. You can see the disappointment in his face and the blank expression on the respondent’s face. Not only did his facial expression and camera shot help his point come through but the music choice behind the interviews helped set a mood for the viewer to experience.
Music throughout the documentary helped the mood development throughout the interviews. The most memorable moment in which music was best used is Bell’s interviewed with his oldest brother Mike on his use of performance enhancers and how they affected his life. Mike started talking about his life and how he thought he needed to get muscular and be the best in order to be successful in the wrestling business. As the interview went on you can sense that the environment is going to change once the piano started playing in the background. As the piano slowly crescendo’ed, his brother came out talking about how much he regretted it and now he can’t live without them. He talked about how much his wife doesn’t approve and how he doesn’t want to disappoint his family. And the music played behind it made the interview that much more dramatic and heartfelt. At this point you felt bad for both Bell and his brother because they both started to break down in front of the camera. Later the same year the movie came out, Mike Bell died of a heart attack caused by inhalation of difluoroethane.
In the world of sports, players fight to be the best. They don’t care if they have to cheat or harm their health for the reward or the fame. Christopher Bell makes a strong point of steroids and performance-enhancing drugs and how they affect everyone with the aid or specific camera angles, interview techniques, and personal experience to get his point across.
