Pumping Iron

Probably the most significant film about bodybuilding ever made.

This film is a masterclass for any documentary filmmaker—though it's more of a docudrama than a traditional documentary. Fiction and reality are cleverly intertwined in a way that helped lay the groundwork for the subsequent bodybuilding and fitness boom. It also introduced the public to a man who would go on to achieve even greater success in many fields, often as a pioneer, and sometimes in situations where no one believed in him: Arnold Schwarzenegger.

At his peak as a "bodybuilder," Arnie is portrayed as someone who is sharp and ruthless, willing to sacrifice everything—absolutely everything—for success. Lou Ferrigno, later known for portraying the Hulk in the TV series, plays his rival, a shy and vulnerable individual with a dominant and pushing father. These two opposing forces are used to represent the 1970s U.S. bodybuilding scene and make it accessible to the public.