Whitey Doc vs. Black Mass

I am generally a much bigger fan of narrative films so I though that I would like Black Mass much more than I liked Whitey but it was not the case. 

Black Mass is by no means a bad film it has great performances from Johnny Depp and especially Joel Edgerton who I thought stole the show. The film was solid but the documentary was much more compelling and interesting. It gave much more of the actual story but I think this is expected from a documentary or at least that is what you would hope. The narrative film mostly just focused on Whitey's rise to power and a little bit of the fall but abruptly cut off their. The documentary mostly focuses on the trial of Whitey and how he affected so many people in his reign over South Boston. This part of the story was much more compelling and further developed because the end of Black Mass it really just gives you a couple of lines of what had happened to the people involved. To actually see all the real players have talking head interviews was very interesting especially knowing how many people they had all killed and how dangerous they all were. It was also very interesting to see that the most major hit-man of them all was out of prison already because he rolled over first so he was made a deal. 

Overall I liked the documentary much more than I like the narrative film and I expect that to be a rarity for me considering how much I love narrative storytelling. 

Triumph of the Will

This film although extremely dry and hard to get through I think as a piece to study for documentary film is a very important. Although not a documentary in the true sense of the word many people that saw it thought it reflected reality. This is a propaganda film in the truest sense of the word and may very well be the first one of its kind.

The way that Leni Riefenstahl really brought this film to life and crafted this film in such a way is a spectacle and a sight to see. I can understand why this film was banned in the United States because of the effectiveness of it. I like the story that Professor Marshall told in class about when Leni was asked why she made this film she responded that she was forced but then she was asked why she did such an incredible job. What I really liked most in the film was the fact that you could see the elevator system that they made that attached to the columns so they could film better. I thought this was interesting as it really showed how much effort and time when into the filming and staging of this piece.

This film really shows how a documentary does not always have to be "true" and even the most well intention ones have a bias. This film really set us up for what would follow in this class and I think that this film is really the measuring stick that we can use to compare other documentaries.

I Am Big Bird

This film I found to be very interesting and was really a closer look at what is a more famous character than I knew. I knew Big Bird was a cultural phenomenon but not to the level that this film has portrayed. I grew up in an era where Elmo was the centerpiece of Sesame Street and Big Bird was always number two; so to see this film and see what Big Bird meant to pop culture was interesting. More interesting the character of Big Bird himself is the man that has portrayed him over the many years.

Caroll Spinney is the man behind Big Bird and this film is very much the portrayal of how Big Bird and Spinney are one and the same. I think that it achieves this goal excellently as it really captures the spirit of a kindhearted man who really loves being something that brings joy to so many people all over the world.

The film itself I think is very strong and the way it was told with interviews like a standard documentary but it was very effective. It was even more effective because they had an extensive interview with the man himself. I think the most effective part of the film in terms of content was him barely missing dying the Challenger explosion. That moment with his wife and Caroll not saying anything after it happened was very effective. Overall this is very effective film that really lifts the human spirit and is fun to watch such passion.

A LEGO Brickumentary

This is honestly my favorite documentary that we have watched this year in this class. It was much different than the other things that we have watched so far. It had a positive and upbeat tone and was entertaining through its run time. I really connected to me on a personal level too because I was always into Lego as a kid and I still enjoy building them to this day. I love the fact that Phil Lord and Chris Miller were in the film talking about The Lego Movie which I adored and I also think they are two of the best young filmmakers working today. I always said that when I made enough money because Lego is in I would buy giant sets and build them in my basement. It was insanely cool seeing how much Lego means to so many people. The film itself though I thought was very well made and i particular like how they handled that narration. I liked the fact that they used a mini fig with the voice of Jason Bateman to narrate the action. My favorite part of the film in terms of content is seeing the lady who built the gigantic Lego Rivendale from Lord of the Rings win the peoples choice contest because I could see the amount of detail and work she put into building in. This is definitely my favorite documentary we have watched all year and that is due to the fact that when watching a documentary I rather be inspired then depressed.

Man On Wire

I unabashedly admit that I thought this documentary would be rather boring. While the event it chronicles--the story of a young French man named Philippe Petit, who walked across a tightrope hanging between the Twin Towers--is certainly exhilarating and unique, my mindset was: how much content could the director possibly muster for such a small feature?

Thankfully, my judgment was misplaced, because the film was fantastic and captivating. Philippe was quite the eccentric person to follow; every time he was on screen, I couldn't help but smile at his multitudes of quirky micro-antics. Not only that, but the supporting players in this tightrope fiasco were pretty engaging and relatable. I especially connected with Philippe's brother, who seemed to be the only one without a few loose screws; he was certainly the voice of logic throughout the whole ordeal. A side note: I felt really bad for the Philippe's girlfriend throughout the documentary. Her needs and aspirations were basically ignored by Petit for the entirety of their relationship, and then after he accomplished his goal, he cheated on her and left her! Low blow, Philippe...

The build up for the film's climactic moment--Philippe walking across the Twin Tower gap--was well executed. It was told in a way that made it seem some like mystical folk tale passed down through generations. The music helped create that feeling; I was ecstatic with the use of Erik Satie's "Gymnopedie No. 1" in the actual tightrope scene. It's one of my favorite songs of all time, and the dreamy chords in that tune add to the surreal experience that the film offers.