Abstract This paper discusses documentaries as a form of expression which were introduced in the New Deal era and the Depression era. These were times when the nation needed hope and needed to understand the tragedy and stress they were going through. Documentaries were also a mode of transcribing history and revealing realistic the situation to gain a future understanding of the time. The documentary mode of expression was as much for the people as it was for the government. This paper studies this matter in-depth and concludes that the documentaries and history at the time were stated clearly from the governmental point of view.
From the Paper "When we view the media forms of the times we realize the strength the people had in that era. As the generation of the future we realize that while the generation of the past was termed as the "Greatest generation" it can also be called and at times is termed as the ?Lost Generation.? Today, the youth are shown as disgruntled and violent but though the nationalism prominent in the past may overshadow the turbulence, the fact remains that a thorough analysis of the documentaries will show that the past too had its share of problems. It is said that the media of every era will portray the society and culture of its times. A study of the 1930s media reports shows that the Depression era was not as 'great' for the people living in it. ''(A) generation, numbering in the millions, has gone so far in decay that it acts without thought of social responsibility,'' historians George Leighton and Richard Hellman proclaimed in a much-quoted Harper' s Monthly article in 1936. ''High-school kids are armed, out for what they can get . . . . The Lost Generation is even now rotting before our eyes.'' In 1935, Columbia University President Nicholas Butler summed up the grave ''youth problem'': ''Day by day the newspapers report one grave crime after another, one moral delinquency after another, and one dereliction of duty after another.'' "
Abstract This paper use the documentary film, "Capturing the Friedmans", to define and examine the documentary film genre. The paper analyzes "Capturing the Friedmans", and discusses what the family's home movies reveal about contemporary American family life and the dynamics of the family relationships.
From the Paper "According to Bill Nichols, every film is essentially a documentary, but true documentaries, as opposed to wish-fulfillment fictions, represent a unique genre of film that engages with the world as it exists in reality. Nichols says that the documentary engages with the world by representing it in one of three ways. First, documentaries offer a likeness or depiction of the world that bears a recognizable familiarity. Secondly, these films stand for or represent the interests of others. Third, some documentaries may represent the world..."
Abstract The paper looks at the African American rapper, Tupac Shakur. It gives a critique of the 2003 MTV documentary of his life and premature death and also examines the themes that run through this programme.
From the Paper "Tupac Resurrection is an MTV funded 2003 documentary in a long line of posthumous examinations of rapper Tupac Shakur, murdered at age 25 in 1996. The documentary is distinctive in that having its subject as the narrator, it provides surprising depth on the topics of Tupac's childhood his upbringing his celebrity his run-ins with the law and his opinions on every topic under the sun."
Abstract In this paper, the author examines and discusses the development of modern day documentary film makers, especially since the US led invasion of Iraq. According to the author, the ability today to bring to almost every home, events occurring many thousands of miles away, almost instantaneously has changed the way journalists report news and specifically how they approach the making of a documentary film. One of the contentions made by the author is that documentary film politics is usually one of the most purely unbiased, democratic politics available to the public because the nature of the documentary is one that lends itself to the voice of the subject of the documentary. The writer goes on to examine various documentary film makers and discusses their work, finally concluding that today, given the environment of politics and corporate ratings and individual ambitions, documentary film may be the most pure form of unedited and unbiased information available to the public.
From the Paper "One such documentary filmmaker was Deborah Scranton (2006), who went 180 degree turn left of the traditional media, and chose what she refers to as "virtual" embedding with the troops (WBH Forum 2006). Speaking before the WBH Forum about the "process" of making the documentary, Scranton explained that the New Hampshire National Guard offered here the opportunity to document their Guard in Iraq. Scranton decided that the film needed to be from the perspective of the soldier, and instead of traveling to Iraq, she would equip the troops with cameras, and the reporting and the film would be 100% the story of the soldiers based on their experiences. Scranton discussed at length the soldier's concerns when she met with them and explained her idea. Their concerns were that their stories would become lost in her personal agenda. This suggests that the soldiers had their own experiences with, and impressions of previous embedded reporting."
Abstract This paper focuses on the development of documentary films. The paper first looks at the role of John Grierson in the development of the documentary film in the 1930s and examines his documentary called "The Drifters". The paper then looks at how Germans utilized the documentary film during World War II, specifically those films made by Leni Riefenstahl. Finally, the paper discusses the development of neorealism during and after World War II and how it borrowed a good deal from the documentary film.
Outline:
John Grierson and the Documentary Film Movement
The Documentary Film in Germany
The Development of Neorealism
From the Paper "John Grierson was a key figure in the development of the documentary film in the 1930s and beyond, helping to create and operate a number of documentary film units in Britain and Canada and himself directing a key documentary in 1930 called The Drifters. Grierson also wrote a good deal about the documentary, and while he never wrote a comprehensive aesthetic of the documentary, one can be gleaned from the many writings he did do."
Abstract The paper discusses the value of Bill Nichols' system of documentary modes and outlines the "Poetic Mode", "The Observational Mode", and "The Participatory Mode". The paper shows how not all of his modes fit exactly into a neat category. The paper also explains why viewers place faith in documentaries, more so than other formats and then shows why a good, ethical documentary can engender tangible change.
Outline:
The Value of Nichols' System of Documentary Modes
Why Viewers Place Faith in Documentaries - More So than Other Formats
The Assumption is that a Good, Ethical Documentary can "Engender Tangible Change."
From the Paper "The value first of all is in the fact that Nichols' system puts a microscope on the topic of documentaries. Nichols slows down the process of how critics and reviewers tell the movie-going public about certain films that are non-fiction films. Nichols attempts to break the discussion down into sections (components) that people can understand.
"For example, the Nichols' "Poetic Mode" offers clarification that this form of documentary is probably what people would call "arty." That is, it will be slow and maybe dull. And historical material will probably be in this documentary, and it will be done in a "lyrical form, usually associated with the 1920s and modernist ideas," according to Nichols. Right there is value because if a teacher, for example, is looking for an interesting documentary to show to high school students, and that teacher has a copy of Nichols' Introduction to Documentary, he or she will definitely avoid a documentary that has "Poetic Mode" written on it by reviewers."
This paper looks at the six different modes of documentary filmmaking, with a focus on the documentaries "Out of Control: AIDS in Black America" and "Other Faces of AIDs".
Abstract The paper discusses the documentary film's six primary modes of filmmaking and illustrates some of these modes with reference to different documentaries. The paper then applies the data to two specific documentaries; "Out of Control: AIDS in Black America" and "Other Faces of AIDs," which address the growing AIDs crisis in the African-American community. The paper shows how in both films the expository mode takes over, creating a sense that the white reporters and filmmakers are lecturing, which undercuts the effectiveness of the message and separates the black community.
Outline:
Introduction
Six Primary Modes of Documentary Filmmaking
Conclusion
From the Paper "The classification of documentary films into six modes was proposed and explained by Bill Nichols. As Nichols describes these six modes, he suggests that each of the six corresponded to a particular period in documentary filmmaking when that mode prevailed, though all persist and may be found in some films at any given time. The observational mode is considered by some to be the truest form, given that it involves the least direct interference or interpretation by the filmmaker. As Nichols writes, these are films that "eschew commentary and reenactment [and] observe things as they happen" (Nichols, Representing Reality: Issues and Concepts in Documentary 138). This is considered by many to be the most "documentary-like" of all the documentary forms, and perhaps the best-known practitioner of this form is Frederick Wiseman."
This paper defines styles of documentary films as exemplified by Robert Flaherty's "Nanook of the North", Albert and David Maysles' "Grey Gardens", Errol Morris' "The Thin Blue Line" and Kidlat Tahimik's "Perfumed Nightmare" ("Mababangong Bangungot").
855 words (approx. 3.4 pages), 0 sources, 2005, $ 30.95
Abstract This paper explains that Robert Flaherty's "Nanook of the North" and Albert and David Maysles' "Grey Gardens" are examples of the evidential style of documentary film, a sort of cinema verite, or truth-cinema, which attempts to portray reality through the lens of the camera, objectively and truthfully, with no commentary or underlying message. The author points out that Errol Morris in his documentary "The Thin Blue Line" uses a rhetorical style, in which the filmmaker has no intention of remaining objective to the subject matter and often features the filmmaker as a primary character or narrator, and, in contrast to evidential documentaries, often employs the use of dramatization, staged scenes and direct interviews for the purpose of convincing the audience of the truth of the film's message. The paper relates that rhetorical and evidential documentary techniques are not completely mutually exclusive as presented in Kidlat Tahimik's "Perfumed Nightmare" ("Mababangong Bangungot"), which blends dramatization and filmmaker interaction with objective, removed footage of unstaged events in real life.
From the Paper "The Maysles brothers did not feel the need to stage scenes or use interviews to glean the information they were looking for, because that information was simply a glimpse into the real lives of the two women. This was achieved nicely in the film, which used a "hands-off" technique to capture the way life really was for the Beales. "Grey Gardens" does such a successful job of portraying reality that at times in the film when one or the other of the subjects is looking or speaking directly at the camera, the audience gets the impression that she is addressing a wall."
Abstract This paper explains that that Leni Riefenstahl's film of the 1936 Olympic documentary is propaganda, focusing more on German and German-sympathetic athletes and the ambiance of the Berlin stadium, seen in its new Nazi grandeur; whereas, in the most stunning photography, Ton Ichikawa's film of the 1964 Tokyo Olympiad is a salute of the exertion of the athletes regardless of race, nationality or ethnic background. The author points out that "Tokyo Olympiad 1964" is not a "sports documentary" in the traditional sense of showing races, winners and celebrating crowds but rather a technically and emotionally gripping documentary about the effort of preparation and the Olympic spirit. The paper concludes that, in a sense, this film is just as much a propaganda piece about Japan's new maturity as was Olympia 1936 but in a way that the glorification politics do not interfere with the presentation of the athletics.
From the Paper "There is no real story line easy to follow, even though this nearly three-hour film opens with buildings being demolished to make way for the Olympic stadiums and arenas, and training areas as well as housing. As we see this, there is a voice-over which gives the other previous Olympic locations and dates. One of the next scenes is the obligatory Olympic documentary one of the torch reaching Japan, and the following thew various runners in the countryside, running to bring the torch to Tokyo and its new Olympic stadium. For Americans, the win of the Native American, Billy Mills, in the 10,000 meter race is a highlight. But, interestingly enough, the camera stays at the finish line until every racer has finished. There is also a somewhat poignant story line about the single athlete from Chad, who shares no common language with any other athlete, and trains alone. When he loses in the semi-final heat, Ahmed Isa is ignored by the crowd, but not Ichikawa. Here is loneliness amid the shouts of tens of thousands."
Abstract This paper analyzes Robert Flaherty's contributions to cinema, particularly with regards to documentaries. It focuses on Flaherty's 1922 documentary film, "Nanook of the North" and how it has become inextricably associated with the development of modern documentary film. The paper analyzes Flaherty's masterful cinematic touch, from shot order to the pacing and treatment of his subjects and explains why he is widely considered one of the most influential filmmakers in the documentary genre.
From the Paper "As Nanook declared to Flaherty before the filming of the walrus hunt, "the aggie [film] will come first." Though some modern critics have loudly proclaimed Nanook a fake by contemporary documentary standards, it is important to note that Flaherty can hardly be held accountable to the later standards of a film movement which did not, until he helped create it, exist. Though he drew heavily from historical precedent in nonfiction film and documentary-style presentations, Flaherty stands out because he was perhaps the first to fully integrate traditional ethnographic nonfiction into a satisfying and utterly engaging narrative form. Additionally, making Nanook the protagonist of his film, and portraying him in a respectful light set a precedent for future documentaries. By the time Nanook of the North had circled the globe, it had influenced and inspired filmmakers worldwide and triggered a nonfiction movement that has continued to this day. Flaherty's film contributes to the understanding of film as a whole by posing the most fundamental questions about nonfiction film, asking, what is reality? What is not? Where is the line between the two? Most importantly, Flaherty's Nanook of the North helped establish the often-unacknowledged fact that documentary film is not a newsreel but, first and foremost, art."
A comparison on the accidental documentary of Abraham Zapruder entitled "Assassination of John F. Kennedy" with Bruce Connor's 1967 documentary "Report."
Abstract This paper discusses the concept of the 'accidental' documentary. It examines Abraham Zapruder's home video of the assassination of John F. Kennedy, entitled "Assassination of John F. Kennedy." The paper then compares the images and the style of the accidental documentary with Bruce Connor's 1967 documentary "Report," which also focuses on the assassination of John F. Kennedy.
From the Paper "Both the Zapruder and the Connor films never change, but the audience is changed, every time the images are seen. The Connor film's transposition of early 1960s naivete about Camelot with images of the funeral creates a kind of conscious memorial to a lost time in American history, while there is no depicted return, no sense of memorial in the Zapruder. Zapruder was innocent, after all, when he made his film. The memorialization in Zapruder solely exists in the individual's mind, as a witness to the artifact of history. Zapruder captures a public death and through the lens of his "personal viewing experience" and what the viewer sees is dependant upon his or her own personal view of the 1960s and Kennedy, or simply the death of a man, while Connor demands that the viewer accompany a filmmaker on his personal vision of what the death of Kennedy means (Bruzzi 16). But although one film is seemingly objective and accidental, the other subjective and deliberate, in trying to discover what the assassination, even what 'death' means, they are perhaps best viewed together, both highlighting the potential as well as the limits of visual culture to render the end of human life and the end of an era in our history."
Abstract This paper presents the background history of photography, in general, and the evolution of documentary photography. Documentary photography is described in the paper, illustrating its important role in documenting history. A biographical history of the photographer, Dorothea Lange, is provided in the paper. Some of her works are introduced and analyzed.
From the Paper "Life is documented daily, whether in newspaper photographs of world events, in feature magazines of faraway places and in photo albums of family snapshots. Essentially, all photography is a documentary of whatever is being photographed for whatever reason. However, traditionally, the mention of documentary photography brings up familiar images from a few twentieth century photographers, such as Ansel Adams, Walker Evans, Roy Stryker, Arthur Rothstein and Dorothy Lange, whose photographs have not only documented culture but has become a part of the culture itself."
Abstract The writer of this paper details the content in the audio documentary which illustrates amongst other issues the death row process as it is carried out at the Walls Prison in Huntsville, Texas.
This paper analyzes the manner in which the audio content is depicted to the listening audience which the writer contends is both graphic and distressing. This paper also delves into and discusses the actual structure of the audio documentary.
From the Paper "Whether or not someone is for or against capital punishment listening to the audio documentary "Witness to an Execution" is a harrowing experience. The documentary focuses on the stories of the women and men involved with the execution of death row inmates at the Walls unit in Huntsville Texas. What is particularly emotionally grim is the minute-by-minute description of carrying out an execution by lethal injection. The listener is not the only one distressed by the description."
Abstract In this article, the writer notes that Connie Field's documentary 'The Life and Times of Rosie the Riveter' explores a world and a social context far removed from the world of working women today in the early 21st century. As such, its use as a non-typical resource for study might appear surprising. However, as this essay argues, many of the issues addressed in this documentary with respect to women and work - choice, racism, the dichotomy of domestic and paid labor - continue to be issues confronting women today over a half-century later. From an inclusive political economy perspective, this essay argues the thesis that the experiences of the women represented in 'The Life and Times of Rosie the Riveter' are reflective of broader, large scale social phenomena in regard to the differential treatment of women's labor in our globalized capitalist economies and the state structures that support these economies.
Outline:
Introduction
Rosie the Riveter in an Historical Context
Choice, Opportunity and the "Breadwinner Ideal"
Opportunity and Status of Women's Labour
Conclusion
From the Paper "When we understand women's labour in this historical continuum, we gain insights into the larger structural and economic forces shaping not only opportunities for women but also the exploitation of women's labour, and the restrictions placed upon women's choices by capitalist power structures. The fact that women in the 1990s worked to ensure family survival in much the same way as did women in the 1930s is indicative of the deep structural forces that have determined women's labour opportunities over time. Moreover, this historical contextualization allows us to understand the depiction of women and work in The Life and Times of Rosie the Riveter in a more complex way. Many women, and in particular women from low-income families, who were often coincidentally women of colour and/or recent immigrants, have had to work in the paid labour force before the Second World War. The significance of the historical events outlined in Connie Field's documentary is not so much that women were in the paid labour force for the first time but that the nature of their labour, and their standard of recompense, was radically different from that which they "enjoyed" in the years before the Second World War."
Abstract This paper reviews the 2005 sports documentary, "Murderball," directed by Henry Alex Rubin and Dana Adam Shapiro. It specifically describes the story of Mark Zupan who is considered among the top wheelchair rugby players in the world. The paper looks at the history of his disability and how the documentary portrays his life and his experiences playing wheelchair rugby.
From the Paper "Ebert (July 22, 2005) writes in his review of "Murderball" that Zupan's answer is "...hard to believe, but from him, I believe it." The team Zupan plays for us Team USA; the biggest rival for Team USA is Team Canada. And this rivalry becomes a central theme in the film. These players on the two teams definitely don't like each other at all. And Joe Soares, who was a great player for Team USA for many years, was let go because of his age and his declining skills. The film interviews Soares at length and viewers are given a close look at an angry man whose pride has been severely injured. But Soares - like all the competitors that are featured in the documentary - does not give up easily, and never quits. This is another story within the story, and Soares moves to Canada to become the head coach of Team Canada. He gets his revenge on Team USA for cutting him by leading Team Canada to a victory over Team USA. That win was the first time Team Canada had defeated Team USA in 12 years, so it was sweet for Soares and bitter for the Americans."
