It stands to reason that “Arnold,” the Netflix documentary series about the life and times of Arnold Schwarzenegger, would be in three parts, given Arnold has reached extraordinary heights in three very different careers: bodybuilder and power-lifter who elevated his sport to new levels; globally popular movie star who headlined some of the biggest action blockbusters of the 20th century, and politician who became governor of the largest state in the Union.
That a kid who grew up in post-World War II Austria in unremarkable circumstances would achieve any of the above would be remarkable in and of itself; the full trilogy of accomplishments is almost beyond fairy tale. Who would have believed it?
Other than Arnold himself, of course. As Schwarzenegger tells us time and again in this subject-friendly documentary from the terrific Lesley Chilcott (“An Inconvenient Truth”), he’s always had a plan, has always been moving forward and thinking about the next big thing, ever since he was a kid who dreamt of leaving Austria and grabbing the Great American Dream with both huge hands. He’s like a charming, stogie-smoking shark who doesn’t spend a whole lot of time on self-reflection or regrets or second thoughts. He came, he saw, he conquered, and even now, at 75, he’s not about to slow down.
“Arnold” features interstitial, present-day scenes filmed at Schwarzenegger’s property in Sun Valley, Idaho, which he shares with his viral sensation companions Lulu the Donkey and Whiskey the Miniature Horse, but otherwise follows a mostly linear timeline. Episode 1, titled “Athlete,” chronicles Schwarzenegger’s upbringing in the gorgeous countryside in Thal, Austria, where he and his older brother Meinhard lived in constant fear of their father, whom Arnold says had PTSD after World War II and was a heavy drinker and a “tyrant” who often physically abused them. (In a later episode, Arnold notes sadly that Meinhard, who died in an accident while driving drunk in 1971 at the age of 24, wasn’t emotionally equipped to deal with the trauma).
After seeing “Hercules and the Captive Women,” starring the English bodybuilder and actor Reg Park, the teenage Schwarzenegger dedicated himself to the sport of bodybuilding, winning Mister Universe at the age of 20, followed by a host of international titles. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Arnold was a fixture in Venice Beach, California, working out at Gold’s Gym, forging partnerships, creating a persona. In addition to reaching the top of the mountain as Mr. Olympia, “champion of champions,” he was soon selling products, training tips and merch and soon was appearing on TV shows such as “The Dating Game” and “The Streets of San Francisco,” before breaking out in Bob Rafelson’s “Stay Hungry” and the seminal documentary “Pumping Iron.”
Episode 2, titled “Actor,” chronicles Schwarzenegger’s incredible rise to movie superstardom. Already a millionaire due to savvy real estate investments, Arnold was still considered to be an oversized human punch line as an actor until he struck box office gold as the title character in “Conan the Barbarian” in 1982. Says present-day Arnold: “I’d proven to the naysayers that a foreigner with an accent and with a 240-pound body can actually become a leading man and have the sales worldwide. So f--- ‘em all.”
Director Chilcott makes great use of archival footage (and drops in just a few brief re-creations) of Schwarzenegger’s game-changing ascendancy to the top of the box office. “The Terminator” director James Cameron recounts how he wasn’t sure if he would cast O.J. Simpson or Schwarzenegger for the title role until he had lunch with Arnold and saw he had the perfect face for the role, while Linda Hamilton notes how she was initially skeptical but quickly impressed by Schwarzenegger’s presence.
As the doc points out, the 1970s were the era of the brilliant and slightly built thespians such as Hoffman, De Niro and Pacino, while in the 1980s, Arnold (along with Sylvester Stallone) led the charge — for better or worse — for bigger, louder, action-packed movies. Schwarzenegger continued to delight and surprise audiences by demonstrating a penchant for comedy alongside Danny DeVito in “Twins.” As Arnold puts it: “Only in America.”
In the final episode, titled “American,” the series covers arguably the most unlikely chapter in Schwarzenegger’s amazing journey: his entrance into politics and his tenure as governor, with Arnold announcing his candidacy on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.” (Says Linda Hamilton: “It just seemed like a madcap thing to do.”) To the credit of the filmmakers, “Arnold” doesn’t back away from the controversies and setbacks, i.e., the multiple allegations of groping and other misconduct that surfaced during the campaign, the breakup of Schwarzenegger’s marriage to Maria Shriver after it was revealed he had fathered a son with a longtime household employee, and his ups and downs in office.
Time waits for no one, not even Mr. Olympia/The Terminator/The Governor. As Schwarzenegger puts it, “You’re 75 years old, you look in the mirror and you say, ‘What the f---?’ ” Arnold continues to work. He currently has two new Netflix projects streaming: this documentary series, and the limited action/comedy series “FUBAR,” which is popular but ... quite terrible. Still, “Arnold” is a welcome opportunity to spend time with one of the most amazing success stories in Hollywood — and political — history.
