Film Review – Arnold (2023)

“Just remember, you can’t climb the ladder of success with your hands in your pockets.” Smart words from a smart man who has become one of the biggest personalities the world has ever seen and, whether you like him, love him, or loathe him, he is still one of a kind, as well as the man with the longest last name to ever grace a film poster. Fourteen letters that are synonymous with action spectaculars on the big screen and from glistening from head to toe on the bodybuilding stages and becoming Governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, now 75, shows no signs of slowing down and, with the continued fascination with deeper looks into the lives of celebrities it was inevitable that one about the Austrian Oak would land sooner rather than later. It isn’t the first delve into the superstar’s life with his 2012 biography Total Recall: My Unbelievable True Life Story, co-written by Peter Petre, becoming a bestseller but, like that monstrous 600+page odyssey, Lesley Chilcott’s documentary feels too safe and controlled than a genuinely “true” story.

Told in three distinct parts, Arnold charts the incredible story of his rise to prominence. Part One, Athlete, traces his upbringing in Austria, post WWII, the repercussions of the war for the country and the people therein as well as his desire to move to the USA and follow his dream of competing in world bodybuilding competitions, from his pro debut in 1968 through to his seven-time Mr. Universe wins before his retirement. Part Two, Actor, showcases his move into acting and his dominance through the 1980s as he rode the action film wave that had moved into the “America, fuck yeah!” part of its history with Schwarzenegger front and centre, darting into comedies later in the decade that saw every similar star want a piece of his action and culminating (or pausing) with Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines in 2003 before his move into politics. Part Three, American, re-treads his run – and win – for California Governor, as well as the later infidelities and controversies that have followed him around since. 

So far, so expected and for those of you who might be hoping for a sharper, more incisive film that cuts deeper than the surface level, you might be left disappointed. Like the man himself, Arnold is never boring and is an entertaining look back over his career with the star as funny and enduring as ever but everything especially in the first two parts, feels familiar, using many stories that Schwarzenegger’s told a hundred times over without much extra insightfulness or revelatory details. It’s all, as we’ve already mentioned, far too safe. The final chapter, which finally sees some explanation and extrapolation about the numerous serious misconduct stories that have been long-discussed since his Governorship and affair with housekeeper Mildred Baena which resulted in a child and saw him separate from Maria Shriver, are given some exploration and director Leslie Chilcott digs deeper than many have before, but it still feels lacking in clarity and closure. The dissolution of his marriage feels like the only part that has some honesty and emotion, with some home truths coming to the fore that feel genuinely remorseful. 

As a piece of entertainment, Arnold is as avuncular and amiable as the heavyweight at the centre of it and, with interviews with some of his colleagues and co-stars (James Cameron, Sylvester Stallone, Jamie Lee Curtis) only confirming his charm and panache, but as a serious examination of his life – the good and the bad – it’s lacking and feels like a bit of a wasted opportunity to really get under the muscles and endoskeleton. Still, he’ll no doubt be back.

★★★

2023 | Netflix | Streaming from June 7th | Dir: Lesley Chilcott | Arnold Schwarzenegger