GENERATION IRON – The Review

Review by Dane Marti

Some might consider some of the films I appreciate to be strange, but with ‘Generation Iron,’ I found a documentary film that was completely foreign to my way of seeing the world. Frankly, I wanted to be objective about the film, giving its subject matter the appreciation and interest that it deserves.

Over the years, I have occasionally seen a cover of a body building magazine and been disgusted: The men and woman on the covers look like bloated pieces of bacon, a Bosch like nightmare, a surreal nightmare of human anatomy.

However, this turned out to be an all-around, superb documentary. Still, it is a bit strange to watch: There is something pornographic, something superficial about the imagery, but as I watched it, the movie slowly gained my respect. Why? Well, learning the life stories and goals of the body builders perceptibly opened a door and shined a light into a world I knew absolutely nothing about.   The film is Inspirational with a capital ‘I.’ Focusing on people devoted to becoming, Mr. Olympia, the greatest bodybuilder of all time, I couldn’t help being impressed with their dedication to a lifestyle which seems exotic to me. ‘Generation Iron’ is Directed by Vlad Yudin and narrated by Mickey Rourke.

The Bodybuilders discuss ‘sculpting’ the perfect body. “Ever muscle part must be completely perfect. No weak parts.” Like any well-structured documentary, the film introduces us to a diverse group of people dedicated to the ethic of becoming strong and having a well-armed body. The film contains some great montages of the body builders taking it to the limit! As you watch the documentary, certain themes are highlighted repetitively in a multitude of ways: The fire in the belly to succeed as the best; the perfect attitude of a winner. I found their regime of incredible work, not just weight lifting, but their knowledge of food, fascinating.  Everything focuses on turning fat into muscle.

I learned interesting, theatrical bits of information: While on stage, If the bodybuilders have white, pale skin, their bodies will not be shown to the best effect, the different muscles not vividly displayed for the judges and audience. Therefore, all participants are tanned darker to show visual definition. Posing is also vital, demonstrating different muscle effects. Body symmetry is important, too.

Kai Green is just one of the people trying to become the next Olympia. “I know how to work real hard.” Coming from a background in which he didn’t have a supportive family background, feeling “unsafe” as a child while moving through foster homes, his overwhelming desire was to become stronger. Going to the gym was the best choice he ever made.

“There’s no substitute for hard hard work.”

“Bodybuilding takes the human form to its utmost visual extreme,” says narrator Rourke. His laid-back narration is perfect for the film.

Obviously, trainers and ‘Builders have opinions about performance enhancing drugs, and they don’t always follow the mainstream media’s party line, which they consider both hypocritical and judgmental. Yes, Steroids have negative side effects, but… “The audience wants to see something extreme.”

The film shows the effort, attitude and pressure which goes into ‘sculpting’ one’s body: It is a seriously intense way for a person to live a life, but I found many of their reasons for undergoing this physical metamorphosis to be good. Both a person’s body and mind are taken to new extremes with the goal of becoming a God: Mr. Olympia! The documentary is filmed across the country, with competitors from all over the world, but all the athletes end up in glitzy, sexy Las Vegas for the big showdown! As a reviewer that –previous to this cool documentary—had .000 interests in the subject, I was sincerely focused and beguiled by the flick’s climax. It was like ‘Rocky’ or some another film dealing with the competitive spirit, and I was completely enthralled. By that time, the Bodybuilders were no longer pieces of engorged muscle and sinew but human beings whom I empathized with and appreciated. Oh…and although it wasn’t mentioned in the film, I thought Kai’s artwork was outstanding.

GENERATION IRON is currently playing in St. Louis exclusively at the Wehrenberg Ronnies 20 Cine