Considering Narrative Voice in Documentary Film

1.     Considering the articles you’ve read for class today, which documentary mode does the film borrow from? Please explain specific elements from the film to support your observations.

The film borrows from expository. It is educating and explaining events to the audience, and felt objective with the material it was presenting. The film was also poetic, with it nonlinear story telling.

2.     Why do you think the filmmaker chose to automate the voice of the narrator? What does it add or detract from the film?

It takes away emotion from the film and adds a sense of detachment, which was done to be more objective. The narrator seemed almost non human, which also added to the fact that there weren’t many people throughout the film besides one exception. If done with a human voice, it would have felt more like a story being told rather than information.

3.     What were some of the more experimental aspects of the film in terms of image and storytelling?

Some of the more experimental aspects of the film was the montage of older footage that was included at the beginning, the quick slideshow of images that seemed almost like a flipbook, the drive-by shots, and the combination of many different aesthetics of film. The film also used a lot of sudden cuts between images.

4.     Does the film come across as a work of fact or fiction? Why?

The film comes across as a work of fact because of the expository storytelling, the robotic, unemotional voice, and just the fact it is a documentary all added together gives the impression that its just stating facts.