Documentary Film

Book excerpt: Documentary Film: Contexts and Criticism is designed to complement Rollyson's Documentary Film: A Primer. The films discussed in this volume include Zelig, the Lumiere brothers documentaries, Nanook of the North, The Man With a Movie Camera, Triumph of the Will, Olympia, The Wonderful Horrible Life of Leni Riefenstahl, Why We Fight, Fires Were Started, and several Jill Craigie films, including an extended discussion of Two Hours From London, her controversial examination of the Balkan wars and the siege of Dubrovnik. What sets this text apart from other studies of documentary is that it includes a wide array of student comments on the films and reviews very much centered in discussions of the documentary tradition. In this same vein, Rollyson has included his essay, "Jill Craigie and the Documentary Tradition" exploring her relationship with John Grierson and other prominent documentary filmmakers. This dialogic text captures some of the actual give-and-take of the classroom and the range of opinion that even the best critics cannot convey. What should emerge from the reading of these comments are the different voices (mindsets) through which the films are viewed.