Godmilow brings up a good point when she says that the films she respects the most are those that do not come to closure. I can relate to this part of her statement. I think it is important for films, especially documentaries, to provoke thought in the viewer past the credits. If a film does not bring closure, viewers might be more inclined to learn more about the subject of the film and draw their own conclusions. I think this is what Godmilow wants from documentary films. She wants people to think more instead of just falling into a comfortable, easy thought process.
However, I do not necessarily agree with Godmilow’s view that documentary films should not provoke compassion or sympathy. It depends on the topic and the filmmaker whether or not the film should produce these types of feelings. In the case of Dear Zachary, it was clearly meant to evoke strong emotions in the viewer to mirror the feelings of those affected by the tragedy. Compassion and/or sympathy can drive people to act and think more about a subject just as much as the lack of closure in a film.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
This is a great point and one I too agree with. I think its the "best way" to end a movie if it provokes additional thought in a viewer. One of the most important factors to determine the "quality" of a movie is how it can make a viewer question. Whether they question themselves and their perception or rather society's, it still can cause some thought and therefore, the director can be considered successful in their mission to "bring up" a topic. As Chris stated, a documentary film, especially those trying to express a message (read: political vs nature for example), should not be an easy case study, but rather one that provokes thought, thereby involving a viewer more deeply and more strongly.
ReplyDeleteYour post makes me think of a question that might be directed at Godmilow, Chris, which is: why must we assume that a documentary must 'question reality' or test us? She never really offers a clear argument, in this article anyway, for her (very strong) feelings on the matter.
ReplyDelete