What's Missing?
I definitely feel that considering what had been left out of a movie trying to convey "truth" can be even more important that considering what has been put in. A film maker definitely has the power to edit, pick, and choose which facts, scenes, and information are put into their movie. Obviously if they're trying to convey a certain point to their audience, they will use confirmation bias, and only show the audience things that will confirm the point they're trying to make. When analyzing a film, it is important to recognize that we may not have been shown all the facts, and consider what sorts of things might be left out. Once this is recognized, usually we can find the truth and additional facts to get a more well-rounded perspective of the situation.
I completely agree with you. If a director leaves information out of a film I believe that it can truly sway the opinion of the viewer. Obviously they are trying to convey a certain point so they will use the information that will support their views. We must watch these movies and realize that there might be information that is missing. And I agree that people should try to do additional research on a subject that might seem like it is not showing all the facts, but do you think that people will really do that?
ReplyDeleteYou raise a good point, Hannah -- we *depend* on documentary filmmakers (much as we depend on experts in many areas of life) to convey information to us, so it's difficult to simply go out and find what's missing or the 'truth'. But noting this fact about the films -- that they may be leaving things out -- seems like a good first step to being a critical viewer.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Hannah and Kelly. It is so easy to believe what you see in the documentaries and to simply want to accept the information as fact. But that is why we must do research and be cautious with our opinions.
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