A2_vanDuijn

Documentary analysis 2

A.) Trailer Content

Nanook of the North

1.) The movie appears to be about the indigenous people living in Canada’s northernmost region, there struggle for survival and how they succeed in one of the worlds most harsh climates.

2.) The trailer is shot in black and white, this increases the feeling of struggle and desolation the characters are going through. All the shots are somewhat bleak, showing how tough this environment is to live in. In one shot we see a young native girl smiling, almost as if to convey a feeling of hope even in the worst conditions.

3.) One shot where a young native girl smiles, almost as if to display the feeling of hope they all feel within there hearts.

Another shot is of the sled dogs outside as the wind howls and snow falls. The next shot shows the dogs covered in snow and ice, we assume they have frozen over the night. This embodies the struggle they have to endure.

The next shot I found interesting was taken from land of a dog with his fur blowing in the wind, behind him 4 native canoes battle the rough and windy sea as they head out to fish. This shows the elements and how the native people must struggle against them to get food and ultimately survive in this harsh climate.

The Corporation

1. The film appears to be about corporations and how almost all are corrupt, taking money from the public and destroying the environment while giving nothing back.
2. The trailer consists of quick shots that convey the urgency and scandalism of the situation at hand. The footage is mostly of company CEO’s and other people of power, taken from interviews and news reports. The way the footage is edited makes the watcher feel uneasy and almost as if your watching something that someone didn’t want exposed.
3. The first shot sequence is of name brands flashing across the screen, these brands are everyday companies. This gives the feeling of not being safe, of how these companies are so entwined in everyday life yet they are all evil.

The second shot I found interesting was the first shot of the news caster, saying how “We have a few bad apples” this continues throughout the trailer, everyone saying the same things about bad apples. These apples represent the leaders of the corrupt corporations we promote daily.

The final shot is a combination of the sequence that persists throughout the rest of the trailer. Continues news interviews talking about “Bad apples” and corruption. This makes the trailer feel overwhelming and stimulates the watcher. I found this to be a good way to convey there point and make the individual watch the film.

B.) Structure (Full Doc)

The documentary Samsara, a similar movie to Bakara, directed by the same group.

1. The film can be broken down into three sections. Section one would be humans of a tribal world. Section two would be the magnificent and wonders of our planet. Section three would be the modern marvels, consumerism and how we treat our planet, the shear wast, destruction and chaos.
2. The transition points are very subtle, the film has no narrative so the shots are just one after another, an actual changing point is not distinguished. Things tend to fade into other things with a subtle theme acting behind it all.  
3. The documentary has no words or descriptions what so ever. It is purely cinematic, music however, plays a big role in providing a feeling along with the shots.
4. Yes the documentary is shot in a way that one can follow the idea of a story, more so each individual would have his own opinion about what the film is actually about.

C.) Cinematic style

1. The cinematic style is very unique because there is no narrative what so ever so the film is entirely based of the shots. The shots are long, some of them as long as 2 minutes. Other shots are ariel shots, the film focuses on cinema so there are many pans and continues shots throughout. The film presents dark and light beautifully, some of the more sinister shots are darker, while the more playful lively ones are filled with light and color.
2. Many shots are held for over 10 seconds, the longest being more than 3 minutes. They do not have a set style but aim to provide the user with enough time to fully take in what is going on.
3. The images move forward with a somewhat random sequencing, shots are categorized and the film moves through “themes” where alike shots are put together and transition into other groups of shots describing similar things.

D.) Documentary Stance

1. The film conveys the broad spectrum feeling of humanity as a whole. From tribal rituals to structures built in the past and our modern way of life, including how we eat, live and survive. The film conveys many messages but also none at all. The watcher must make sense of it all on there own.
2. The film could be described as poetry, the way it conveys meaning is through emotion. The film aims to make you feel something, make look at humanity in an almost alien way.
3. Not at all, the film is entirely ethical, the only ethics that may surround it are that of the world and how we as humans have created our modern humanity.

• Saved: A2, Lab2