Michael Moore curses capitalism as “evil” and suggests it be supplanted by democracy. Such rhetoric is incendiary and inelegant. Capitalism is not a political system but an extreme on the economic spectrum. Capitalism and democracy are neither complements nor opposites. One does not preclude the other. To me, the economic spectrum is a medium with capitalism (supply and demand) one on side with socialism (a pure command economy) on the other. Society has become so complicated that only a mix of both concepts will satisfy every individual’s indulgent wants. I think that the political spectrum can range from democracy to …
Why Do We Watch Documentaries?
According to their definition, documentaries seek to document and retell a story with video, interview, a narrator, and other facts. Some have brought an issue into the public eye (“An Inconvenient Truth”), some follow a character (“Hoop Dreams” and “Invisible City”), and others have a political viewpoint (“Bowling for Columbine”). Many lie somewhere in between. Paying five dollars at the Bloor Cinema does not ensure the unbiased truth; it is incumbent upon the viewer to decide what is real and who is telling the truth. Crude: The Real Price of Oil debates Chevron-Texaco’s (in partnership with the government of Ecuador) …
Harvard Beats Yale 29-29
Harvard Beats Yale 29-29, named after the infamous headline on the Harvard Crimson paper, is a basic but thorough documentary. There is the original game footage, supplemented by commentary from players – including Tommy Lee Jones who played Guard for Harvard – and some simple photos and cartoons by a pre-Doonesbury Gary Trudeau who was enrolled at Yale. The beauty of the documentary is how the directory Kevin Rafferty used simple storytelling to transport the viewer to a game which was played over forty years ago. Firstly, Rafferty establishes the context of the game. Vietnam and civil rights were issues …
The Fog of War
Robert S. McNamara was one of the brightest minds of the twentieth century yet he was still unable to prevent one of the fieriest conflagrations in modern times from exploding. Reflecting upon his time as Secretary of Defence for John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson, he grants a lengthy interview with director Errol Morris, who combines the 2003 discourse with archival footage, original tape recordings, and thoughtful music composed by Philip Glass. McNamara does not limit himself solely his role in the escalation of the conflict in Vietnam but explains his background, education, military service during World War II, and …
Invisible City
How does one find meaning growing up? How does one develop a sense of responsibility if there are no role models to watch? How does one create self-esteem if nobody seems to care? Invisible City – a film which was honoured with the Best Canadian Feature Documentary award at this year’s Hot Docs festival – endeavours to answer these questions, intertwining the stories of two youths in Toronto’s Regent Park neighbourhood with the massive redevelopment and gentrification of the area. From a cinematic point of view, Invisible City is an excellent documentary and a very good film. A subtle soundtrack …
Hot Docs ’09
Rush lines thwarted attempts to view Rembrandt’s J’accuse and Invisble City. The former may never be screened again in Toronto but the popularity, critical acclaim, and local content of the latter bodes favourably for future screenings. Nevertheless, I was able to screen a trifecta of films during this year’s festival. Act of God is a subjective look at the effect of lightning.– Why him and not me?– Since not everyone was killed, God must know what he is doing– How do I go forward?The answer – uncovered differently by different people – is that you just do it. Lightning is …
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