Fascinating Documentaries
Dec 14 '08
The Bottom Line I recommend these great ten documentaries because many of them are more intriguing and insightful then their corresponding fictionalized versions made in Hollywood.
The following documentaries are films that really draw the audience into its storyline and with the use of great camerawork and interesting case studies, they can at times be more entertaining then a multimillion dollar blockbuster. Sometimes true life is simply more fascinating:
1. Shoah (1985) - This nine plus hour film can be both excruciating and brilliant to watch. It is nothing like Night and Fog which is entirely based on archival footage. Shoah brings to life the stories of survivors, guards and citizens from the Holocaust during modern day 1980's. I must admit I have not seen it in its entirety but have seen most of it. It was a film studied in a history of the Holocaust class I took in college. Pay close attention to a painful scene of a Jewish barber, who can only speak of his story if it is told in third person.
2. Bowling for Columbine (2002) - Whether you love or hate Michael Moore, this film has a lot to say. It focuses upon the late 1990's school shooting at Columbine and how guns and violence terrorize the United States. Moore brings his audience humor and blantant confrontation in order to get his point across and he does it well. It coming out just after 9/11 adds to the theme. Watch for an eye-opening discussion with Terry Nichols' (responsible for the Oklahoma City bombings) brother.
3. Monterey Pop Festival (1968) - In 1967 in the Bay Area, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, The Who, the Mamas and the Papas and many others graced the stage in Monterey. Pennebaker, notorious for his rockumentaries, does a wonderful job of using different camera cuts, it's as though you were there even if you weren't born yet! A personal favorite clip is of Joplin's hair raising performance of "Ball and Chain", her career skyrocketed since this concert unfortunately dying too soon at 27.
4. Don't Look Back (1967) - Another great documentary by Pennebaker as he follows Bob Dylan around on tour in Europe. A young Bob Dylan is struggling with fame and pressures by the media. Great backstage clips mixed with an awesome soundtrack made it a classic alone. It's an interesting journey as Dylan manipulates the press and is booed by disgruntled fans.
5. Born into Brothels (2004) - This film centers around the red light district of Calcutta, India. The film focuses upon a journalist who goes to India to try and save a group of teenage girls working as prostitutes. It's a great cultural piece and uplifting story.
6. My Flesh and Blood (2003) - In Fairfield, CA lives a single woman who is raising eleven foster children, many of whom have severe physical or behavioral issues. The film is captivating in how it captures the heartache, laughter and joy the family shares and the many battles Susan Tom deals with in regards to the many complexities of the children. The title refers to a poignant scene where Tom tells the interviewer that these kids are like her own flesh and blood.
7. One Day in September (1999) - This film I thought more informational and engaging then Spielberg's telling of it in "Munich". The one day in September refers to the 1972 Olympics in Munich in which Irsraeli athletes and staff were held captive and murdered.
8. Crumb (1993) - This film by Terry Gilliam took years to film. Gilliam filmed his satirist friend Robert Crumb for years prior to his moving to France. Crumb is a wonderful documentary about the eccentric satirist known for his brilliant but obscene and (at times) sexist takes on society, sex and life. Some of the best scenes include those of Crumb's mother and brothers. There are remarkable glimpses of different aspects of family dynamics in this film that I have never seen in many movies. After watching the film, you may not care for some of Crumb's attitudes or opinions but you may come away with a different perspective on things as well.
9. Grizzly Man (2005) - German filmmaker Werner Herzog creates a fairly neutral blend of using footage filmed by the protagonist as well as putting puzzle pieces together. In 2003 Timothy Treadwell and his girlfriend died in the wilderness of Alaska by a grizzly bear. Treadwell was a bear activist who filmed and documented his summers in Alaska every year until the day he died. Every year he would go to Alaska, much to rangers' chagrin, and lived among the wild bears. He befriends a few who become his intermittent family. Unfortunately, he was murdered by a bear outside the circle he studied. Herzog brings an interesting film about a man who loved animals more than life itself.
10. Touching the Void (2003) - In the 1980's, climbing buddies Joe Simpson and Simon Yates were in the middle of climbing a mountain in the Andes. After one is injured, he falls (still tied to the other) and is left dangling feet below. After hours pass of no movement, one climber is forced to cut the rope. The film follows the heroic journey of the climbers as they get back to safety on their own. The film is mainly told through re-enactments and interviews of the climbers.
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undonegirl
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Member: Ashley
Location: Vallejo, CA
Reviews written: 11
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