}[ffi TYPESOF FILMS Anlone who visiis video storcsknows rhat the srafffile litns under diilerenL hcddir5-. h\. -1a,.n\ |.r:od,-.-:1"r,n u\i,- , 1,,pla,. u,,,rie, ,.1,,r"ign r r.n- ). ln o',lrr ro unJ",.r1ndtr,B htrn-\,. t. \c,,..d d p,",i;inJ,. ."n:. 01some sisnifl.anr wavsaudiences, fitnnakers, a"d litm si,l,ola,ssol rhem BASIC TYPES Someof the nost basic ryFS of lilm line up as distinci attematives.We conmonly dGLinslishdocunentary from ficrion"live-action from animation, and "mainstrearn"Iron experimerralor avant gardefitmmahing. yet thesc crtegoriesar€ nor warerLighr;ihey often nix and combine. I DOCI UL\TARY \ ERSI S FICTIO\ qer,trerre see a filn we nearly atwayshave sone sense $t,erher ir is a oocunentarl'or a piece ol fiction. Dorumentarr. \,Jo,ume.,tan hlr, pLrpoij.oprF-pnrL,.uJ intbrn ", un ..1",.ttLr. trorld,,.t::JF rhp tllm. For , \ampl".f/hdll a_^-u- o ta(p ,t r- a al.account .tactu of John I(ennedyand Huberr HLrmphreycampaigning ro win rhe 1960 Drcmocraticpresidendat nominatlon (r.ig.:.ry. O_*,**i,., lilms are tlpically contrasredwith ficrionlilms (moreabout thern shorly). \\ haLjustifies our hetiel that a lilrn is a docurneniary?for one thins, a docurnentarytrpicatl,l rrmes to us labeledas such.This in turn leadsrts rrr assumerhat tLe pcrsons.places. and evcntsexist and thar the inlonnaiidl presertcdal)oul Lhcnris trushrothy. jnfontali('r. tn carning oul its prrpose rf prescntirg factual a dodr- mentan rnar ulilizc manl devices-Lhe lilmmaker rrlal recorderents as rhev actlallr occrrr,.ts the .a remnrendnl in lilming dte Dcmocrati{campaisns in Pr;nd,l. lhl a documentanmal ionle) inlirrmaLiorft other wavs as irell. Thc lilmmakcr nrighLsupplv <:harLs,maps, or otler lisnal aids. In ndditic,n.the docunrentar!lilmrnaLer mdy slage (rertain cvents lof the .anera It is $r)rth pausingon rhis lasLpoint. Someliclvers tend lo snspe(1thrl a rlocumcntrn is unreliableif it nanip larcsthe elents that nfe lilnred. Ltis t.Lrethat. very oflcn" t|e docunent r filmnaker recordsan e'ent rvithout s.iptinlior itagirg ii. Ior eranrple,in inten'ie$irg an erc$itness'thc do .unieltadst trpicdl) conholswhere the camcrais pl&ed. rvhatis in focus. and so or; the lilmn,akerlikcwise tutLrols the final editing o{ thc images. Llut thc lilnnn er doesr!)t tL'I1ihe witress $'hatto sr] .,r horvlo dcl The lilurnker n,ar alsc,hale no chojceaboxt serringor ligltting SLiU.both liewcrs an(l lltlnmakers , egardsome staging a-' lcgitilute in a documentarlif the stagirg scn'eslhe larger purposeof presenlirtgi rrr- nratnr. Supposelou arefiliriilg a lanner'sdtily routires \ou migltt ask him or l,er ro \,alk k^!rd a fiell nr orderto lrarnea shotshownrg thc riliole {arrn. Snrritarh,the carncramansho is lhe {!'ntral ligure nr Dziga\rcrtov's docrr ne a4 llan. uilh a Marie Carrrero ir rlea|ly pcrlblrling for Vertot's .anrera rlis.2.2r seedso pp. 41u20). In somecases, slaging may intensifl the documentanralue oI the lLlrn Hurnphrci Jeunnrgsmade lir:s fl/ereStartctl during the OerrnanLombard- meDtof Londox during S orlil \lar II. Uual,le Lofilm during Llteair rank, JennirgslbLrnd ) groupofbombcd out l,uildnrgsand set tlternalire He then lllned fie ire patfol battl;ng the blaze (fig. 2.3) Althoughthc erenLwas :tdged,the a.tu. iirc lighteN lfho took part jrdged it an authcnricdepicti.'n ofrhe chdlcrges ther lar:edmder ieal l,on$ing Similarlr. aficrAllied troops liberired the .\usch$'itz(r'tceutrnl;on (,amf ucar the end of \ c'dd War lI, a neivsreelcameraman assemlcd a group rf children and had rherr roll up iheir sleer,esn, displav the prisonernuml,ers tattooed on thcir .rrns lltis :tdsins of an acti.,narsuablr cnhancedtlte liln's ieliability. Stagjngerents lbr tlte tanrern,tlLe!, need not (usign the lilln to lhe reatrnolliction. Regaidlessof ihe detailsof i|S pridu(1ion,fie documenran iLu asks us to assumeth{t il }iresentslfLrsh{orth,-v irformation about its .rrl,ject.Even if the lilmrnakerasks the famer to lait { nomcnt while the ,'ameraopcrator framcs the shot,rhc liln, suggestsrhat the Iomefs momins .isiL to thc lielrl is f.rd of tl,e drI'-q routine,anil iL is this suggestionwhich ii set L,rth as relid,le. As a trpe o{ IiIn, docLrmerLariesprcsent ihemrelves as lactually trust- rorth!. Slill" anr ore documentarvmar not proi,ereliable. Throughout fi]nr i,istor1.nrar,v docuncniaries hare lleen challengedas ina.corate.A re.,ent ,urtror,cr,.yinirihed llichael ]\'loore'sRogcr and rlle. Tl,e lllm presenls"in scqucnces raoging {r,rm thc hcairendiig to tlie alxurl. dre resporrseo1 tl,e pcop I of Flift. l'lichigan. ro a sern:s oI LioIIs {r Cenefal Nok)rs plarts dnfifg l|e 198{is.}'lrrh ol thc Ijlm iho$s iret)t effi)rts (f tiLe1{! rl golennrent io rL'!i!e thc Lo\\'ri! cconom\. Rc,nalil Heagan risiLs. a telerision evargetist holds a mass ra/h. and fic (ir\ ollicials LurL expe,rsire xe$' l,uildins carnpaigns.including Auto\orld. an "indoor theme park' draLis supposed tr)lurc lurrists to Flint. \o one distutci rhat all thcsf €\eilts LrrL ph<:e. lhe controrersv aro;c $.hcr criti.,s r:lain,cd rfar Rogcr aal,llc learls rle audier.e ro Leljeit rhnr the er,frts orcunrd in Lhr order ir rlli(tr tl,e\ d,e shxrn. ltonald Reagan .an,e to l,lirr in 1t80. rhc T\: oaigelisr in lc)82r Arnr$orld opencd in 1985. These ererti could not hnlc beol resporses to the plari .losjngs s|o$.n cafh in ihe tilm bccausc rhc plant llosilss st ted ii, I98aj. tr{oorc hliilie,l rhe errrral chiorolopl. oidrs charged. irL order to nalic the cjrl s1,\ern,nuLrtook lbotish. N'loores delerse is discusscd in NoLesanrl Qrreries nr the end ol thi: c|rpier. 1l,e rojft 1or orr pu4rolci is thnr hi. <:riLi<,sarrrrsetl his lilm o1 rtre.efting rnrelial,le inlomriiion. Eren if L|is rtrargeNere tnre, howL\cf, Ras., at l lle rurlrl not thcrdirrc rurtr irro r 1i(1ion hlm. An rnrc i:rble dorrunertrn i. still r do.nnrertar]. JusL:ts there e nh(rflute and nlis lerdilg r.r$s stories. there are inaccurrrLcrud misleadurg dorrrrnentarier. r\ n.rcrurentarr rnrv lake a stand. st{te a! o})!riol- arlvor:atea solution to r l)robldr. As $,esha I scc ill Chapter 5, rhun,elta es oiien nle rhckfnidl 1(x1!n) p.rrsrn(lean audiencc.But, ag.rnr,sinrpll tlking a sian.redoc-r nol tu! thc rlo.nDreninr! irto liction. ln order n, tersnd(le Lrs"rhc filnnaker nurslu s e\.i(ler.re.ard this s,idcncc is lrt f(rlli as Fing iacnral and rcli.r|le. A dor:unrentan rnal he strurgl"- pxrtisu. but as a docrmentan iL rui|,.-- ir--er,t-,t- lt r- p,^ ,r'. l': . ,t,. r ,,tr,.. h. I r- !\l)Je<t. '.-'",. ( Ras., unll lle t#irs oiticisrns of -<r,ial },olj.ies, l)ut the ricisms tul t),ese,rre(lrs l,ased upon iar:ts. Trg,s of cloc[ncrrtary. \ijcwcs feadil\ re(]ognizet1'pcs ol {locuncnrar\. { (nnron r\})e is tlre .,n4i.lorion iltv yoL]rr:eLll,r assenrhlingnnagcs lionr arcl nl ,ii,u(,es. Ilt. Atdni( (:.tc complles lter.reel footag-- nn,] ;u.,.u" tional 6lns Losu.ggest how 19;0s Amcrn ar culrue rer(Je.l to rhe prolilif{- tion o1 rrrclerr seapons (l,ig.2..1).T6( ntun.iotr or't,lkins heads" docu- nxltrN Ic(!)(ls testirnonlabort flcnrs r)f so(irl nr)renrcrrs.rbfl lr Oal .ons;rs argeh of inteniews witt, lcs|iars u(l s!\ nrei discussing Ll,elr 'llrc t!itctr-titann rlrnrnnentan chuk.terirtn.!ll\ rertrrls ar ongonrg evcnt "xs lt happers, with n,inin,a intr:ii:reirre l^ tl,e il,nnra(er. Dlrdrr cincma enl:rged lirllr';n the 1950! alld 196(ls.irl,en portablecanrcfa and sound e(ruiltrlert hecarre arailah e and allore<l filn: like Prharl ro lollor nn c\ei,t as it unt{,l,ls.l"(,r this reason.-.ucl, ,lo(l,nrentdries,rre also knorir 2.1 a. tininte &.rit./. l.ren.| lir "cincrrl-trutl,. - \ re.ent eramp c is 1Ioop Ilrcaris, l\hntr {r&.es r$r) aspiring ba.kerl,all l,lerer thronsh high school anrl irto colltge. l,r Ch,I,ter I I lrc anal\ze o,,i ,l;re(1r.i.enrado.rrmcfrar\. l,r.rir:rnt< \l i-qru's 11(,.d.iool (pp. l(l1l il;. .f rhe \ien olLer a docrmentarl pursues sererd oI thcse options at once. A jnteNie\!-q, pt.uts lihn mal' nir nrchiva lootage, ard mrlrcial shot (n t]]e fl!, ns do Ro.eerund llc, Hdthrn. (:outt) 1,r.,S.,1.,aad /a the t'eur of th.i Pi!:.'ll1ir 1qclisi ''slniheti(r'documentarv furnaL is also ton,mon in ielelisiox journalisu. ildilg Fictior Br conhrst wiLh do(umentarl. we assunre ihat a lir Lnrrrl lilrr pres--rLLsirnaginarv lieings, places. or cr,cnts. trc take it 1.,f gr.tnted that Dr)l \:it(, Corleonc and his farrih nerer crisrcd. and that their xcLilities, $ rcter t<nk placc. Ban,bi's mother dnl not realh ! lhnt rlepirred nr I[c GodliLther, get shor l)! .r hunter l)e.ause Llanbi, his nroLhcr"and iheir hrcst comt,annns ed n, lI:L lilnl js firrional. thrt docs nol mcan that it is .omplclelr uuelaLed ).iIrgs to rcrualit\. For one thjrs. lot elerlthing sho$rr or imp icd l,) x ii(i lilrn 'L need be irraginan. Tht: {itLfuLhu allLrdcsto \ orld Wai II and tLe luillirg P otl of T,esVegas.