Monday, February 17th, 2014--5:30 pm

Greetings,

Below you will find the handout I distributed in class today regarding how to view a documentary film and a narrative film.

Also, we are now in the 4th week of the semester and I am concerned about how many students are attending class unprepared for the class session. This class meets only twice a week and there is a lot of work AND the workload only becomes more intense as the semester progresses. My specific concern today was how many students admitted that they had not done the reading for today. EVEN if you had not done the reading, if you had brought your textbook, you could have attempted to address the quiz questions.  It is just common sense in the academic world that when a reading is due, the student brings that text/reading to class. Bottom line: you need to keep current with the syllabus and the blog.
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English 1A

Prof. Fraga

In preparation for viewing the second film for the semester

and for viewing a documentary next week.

Purpose:

Just as reading fiction, non-fiction and poetry can aid in the development of a discriminatory, critical mind—and lead to critical writing and analysis in ANY area or topic—the viewing of films can elicit the same result.

A narrative film is a work of fiction.

A documentary film is a form that purports to report on the world as it exists.  The documentary filmmaker uses various well-known techniques taken from the world of news reporting:

• reporting events as they happen,
• recording interviews with participants, and
• utilizing photographs and testimony of historical figures to portray past events.

Sometimes, the distinction between narrative and documentary has to be carefully drawn.

For example, occasionally actors are used to portray characters in historical documentaries such as Ken Burns’ Jazz, usually in voice-over.  On the other hand, narrative films will often borrow various documentary techniques:  Steve Soderberg in Traffic used hand-held cameras and a complicated interweaving of different stories to mimic a documentary “feel.”  Nevertheless, it is clear that Traffic is a narrative film, and Jazz is a documentary.

It is generally assumed that documentaries will not deliberately falsify a view of reality…however, it is true that inevitably the documentary will reflect the filmmaker’s point of view, resulting in some manipulation of the absolute truth.  The main way documentaries shape the story is through

• choosing the interview subjects,
• selecting certain shots and framing devices,
• and most importantly by editing the material to support their vision as filmmakers.

To be sure, the director of a documentary may often attempt to show a balanced point of view by posing questions regarding a problem or by advancing various solutions.

But often a documentary will abandon such an attempt and use powerful evidence to advance a certain ideological argument, as in the classic Harlan County, USA, about a miners’ strike in Harlan County, Kentucky, in 1973.  Here, the miners’ side in the strike is presented through emotional interviews, songs, meetings, and events on the picket line, while what little we see of the owners’ point of view is presented in a negative light.  This kind of documentary that presents an argument is called a rhetorical form of documentary.

In evaluating a documentary it is important to understand what kind we are judging and thus what the filmmaker’s objectives are: 

• Is the filmmaker trying to put forth his or her own point of view or attempting to show a balanced point of view? 
• What techniques are being used to reveal the point of view? 
• What methods are used to gather data? 
• What are the criteria for choosing the people to be interviewed? 
• What kind of shots are used to portray the subjects, and how does editing contribute to the ideological and emotional effect of the film?

THE NARRATIVE FILM—how to evaluate

In evaluating whether a film is “good” or not, it is important to consider a few main points that will aid in discussion and in writing a critical response.

1. Do the most important filmic elements such as photography, acting, editing and design support and complement each other?  Is this unified style supportive of a strong theme?  Does the film fit into a certain genre? Does it imaginatively add something to the traditions of that genre or does it merely copy them in a clichéd manner?
2. Do events flow naturally, and in this flow of action are there surprises and twists that engage an audience’s interest? Is there a strong climax and resolution?  If the structure is nonlinear, do these varied elements build to some powerful emotional and/or intellectual effect?  Does the dialogue seem appropriate to the style and environment of the film? If it is meant to be a realistic film, is the dialogue natural and spontaneous?
3. Do the characters and relationships seem specific and real?  Do we identify with their goals and problems?  Do the actors seem convincing?  Do the actors present well-observed character details?  Is there emotional truth in the playing?  Is the acting style appropriate for the specific film genre?
4. Finally, looking at the film as a WHOLE…Common sense issues are very relevant.  For example, does the film hold our interest throughout? Do we care about what happens on the screen?  After the film, does it have a powerful effect on us?  The answer to this last question separates the great films from the merely good ones.