OT is an interesting documentary because it is a very unexpected subject. I’m pretty sure the filming started taking place after the fact that it is well established that the school is going to be doing this play. The film combines sit down interviews with active interviews with stock footage from an Our Town televised play. It explores the social dynamics of life in theater and at home. One of the things that the film tries to do, as some of the students state, is that it tries to break the stereotypes that has been established around Compton.
One of the great things of this film is the uncertainty and the payoff in the end. I really can’t tell if things are going to work out in the end. Even the night before the show, I wasn’t sure if the play was still going to go through in the end. But even though there uncertainty, it makes me think whether if reality was as uncertain and tense as the film depicted it to be. One thing that I have learned from watching documentaries is that not everything is what it really seems. Through being selective on what is used and then juxtaposed with other images, film create its own story. Of course something had to be there such as people not knowing their lines, people not showing up. But I find it hard to imagine that with so many problems right before the play that everything worked out so nicely. A possibility is that some of theses problems occurred earlier in the year but the movie just edited it so all the problem are jammed together in the end.
There are a couple limitations of the film that maybe there was nothing that the film makers could nothing about, which is who can be interviewed. I noticed that the “other” teacher was never interview. There was also no very many perspectives of what the rest of the student outside of the play and other teachers. I felt the sources of where we got our information was pretty limited. But this limitation would have simply been theses people just didn’t want to be film.
I find your suspicion of the film interesting. It is true that lately in 293 we have been talking a lot about documentaries that are not one hundred percent authentic. The editing of the film really determines the reality of the documentary. Although this is possible in this film, I find it very possible for the theater group to have experienced an overwhelmingly large amount of problems and right before the show. This is the case in most productions. It is an interesting thing to consider though. Documentaries are supposed to be real life, but reality in the case at the film is completely at the hands of the filmmaker. This goes back to our many discussions in class about ethics.
ReplyDeleteOne of the things you discussed in your post was how the documentary was exploring social dynamics within the school, the theater, and home lives of the students. The film, as you said, is trying to break the stereotypes surrounding Compton. I am not as familiar with the stereotypes about Compton, but from what I have heard it is a dangerous, run down place. Is this how the town is depicted in the film or is it shone in better light to show the positive sides of the town? This is also within the power of the filmmaker.
You mentioned the uncertainty of the end and of the payoff. This is important in every film whether it is fiction or documentary. However, when uncertainty occurs in documentaries, it gives the film the extra “umph” that a film needs to draw in an audience and to hold their attention. The tension builds up a film and really makes the audience root for the film’s subjects. I think in this case, this particular group of subjects needs that extra support and encouragement.
Glad you're looking with a cautious eye Jonathan. I like Brenna's comment about how the filmmaker has the same power to confirm or reject the stereotypes around Compton, just like the high school students are exploring in their play.
ReplyDelete