Ronnie Coleman, considered by many to be the king of bodybuilding, has built such a legacy that would welcome many documentaries about his life, career and impact in the sport. What exactly inspired filmmaker Vlad Yudin to make a biopic of Mr. Coleman now? Well, it’s been almost ten years since he retired his crown and he’s had an octet of operations for his health over the years.
That’s the hook of Ronnie Coleman: The King; eight Mr. Olympia victories have led to eight major surgeries. He can barely walk straight anymore. However, that sells the film as being more plaintive than it actually is – Yudin’s old school portrait of arguably the greatest bodybuilder of all time is certainly heart-tugging but also somewhat inspiring.
The Family Man
The King is an all-access view of his personal life. There’s details on what his kids like to do, the family dynamic, and life in a day as Ronnie Coleman, which is quite stunted by the fact that he’s on crutches. These intimate moments of family bonding over food, outings and other normal activity are loomed over by the impending surgery. Whilst he’s continuing to live life as usual, he can never get used to the build-up before his return to the hospital.
The narrative is a little bit unstructured, playing out like a stream of consciousness, latching onto the different facets of Coleman’s life and delving into them as they’re mentioned, rather than in clearly defined sections. Through all of this, we see him rebuild himself by continuing to work out post-retirement, never letting the surgeries be in the way of pushing weights, which makes us question our own excuses for skipping those gym sessions.
The Cop
One such example of the various aspects of his life is that, prior to changing the world of bodybuilding in 1998, the power-lifter was a cop. He continued to work as a police officer through his subsequent achievements. We learn nothing more about the reasons why except he loved the job, but the link between his hobby and such a profession makes sense when you see him in the uniform, which is an efficient way to ensure the neighborhood didn’t misbehave.
Since Ronnie’s heyday was in the early years of the millennium, Yudin mimics the aesthetic of films made around that time, including the music. Nas protege Quan contributes original hip-hop songs to the soundtrack, including the opening cue (“Flexin’ on Them”), with production straight out of the noughties (as opposed to the contemporary trap sound), and it sounds perfect against the opening montage which looks like it was made in the early days of the internet, with simple fade transitions and uses of black-and-white.
Few may criticize it for being low quality, most will be transported back to the time when Coleman was the man.
Ronnie Coleman: The King: Conclusion
I say most will be transported back to that time period because, naturally, The King is aimed at fans of Ronnie Coleman or at least interested in the world of professional bodybuilding. Those audiences are treated to the perspective of other bodybuilding champions including Coleman’s successor Jay Cutler.
Seeing a successful bodybuilder physically breaking apart toes the line towards being a cautionary tale, but it’s ultimately saved by the view of his private life. He continues to enjoy life, has a great relationship with his kids, is still capable of taking care of himself, and, most importantly, he continues to lift.
What did you think of this documentary? Tell us in the comments below?
Watch Ronnie Coleman: The King
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