Any documentary fans?

[+ FreshFluff]

I enjoy documentaries in general.

 

One of my favorites, the 26-part British documentary World at War, has now been uploaded to Youtube. Who knows how long it will stay up.

 

What makes it great? Lawrence Olivier's narration (including poetry recitation); the clever use of music, and the wide scope combined with the focus on subjects that aren't frequently covered in documentaries. (For example, WaW spends a lot of time on civilian life in Leningrad during the siege). Most of the topics are shown from a British perspective, which I enjoy. Perhaps because it was made during the Vietnam war, the theme of "total war" is present throughout.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-yI9D9oZgQ&list=PLrqf2vF5m-vmAVfndj0zWrpIbNVC_y5_p

 

One of my favorite segments, Whirlwind: Bombing Germany (September 1939 – April 1944)

[video=youtube;GWrTyOV3VVA]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWrTyOV3VVA

[bigvalboy]

I've been watching these for awhile now, and yes I am addicted. They are absolutely fascinating and show more than anything, the toll of war on the human spirit. The narration is quite excellent. Unfortunately they do tend to fast forward through some critical periods of the war, and show only the end result, which at times is frustrating. I understand that the goal is to show an over all perspective, so editing is important, but often times the period of history that they are narrating, just seems to resolve itself, which is not what happens in reality. Most interesting is how they personalize the death and destruction of the population, so much so, that periodically I find it difficult to watch.

[+ FreshFluff]

BVB, the series is pretty fragmented. For example, Dresden is not covered in the "bombing germany" segment, but in "Nemesis" (segment 21). So keep watching; you might find the topic you're interested in. Interestingly, it fast forwards over the V-1 and doesn't cover the V-2 at all.

 

I find parts of it difficult to watch too.

[bigvalboy]

Thanks FF. I understand the fragmenting of the series to an extent, and in many respects it can't be helped. Each aspect of war has complicated elements that often times can not be fused or covered simultaneously, but all in all it is a fascinating collection of videos.

[Tonyko]

The more recent WW2 doc series "Apocalypse" narrated by Martin Sheen was also fantastic (as was the less structured WWII In Color). The advantage of a 21st century perspective I felt, was the deeper delving into the personal psyche's of those still alive who lived it; ie the eventual carpet bombing of the German population living in what was extremely non essential target areas. The advantage of the orig World At War I think was the fact that it was still relatively fresh in the minds of those interviewed and so many were still alive to tell their stories. It's almost jarring to see such still relatively young ppl talking about the final days in Berlin fighting as a Hitler Youth or still young women sharing what happened to them at the hands of the Russians.

[Amoco]

FYI doc lovers...Sundance has created doc club.com, a streaming service for their documentary offerings, which in my opinion, are the best of what they have to offer and often go unseen after the festival...the first month is free and then $6.99 a month thereafter, but you can cancel during the free month if you choose...

[Tonyko]

ALWAYS been obsessed w docs, would oft rather watch the life of a real garbage collector than a Hollywood flick. WEPT with the closing of all the vid stores with great arthouse/doc sections. A FEW o' the best slightly older ones I mean like pre Finding Vivian Maier (btw maybe they're just faves to me :-)

Salesmen (Maysles Bros pre Grey Gardens which I won't even mentions since it's a no-brainer :-)

Best Boy

Dope Sick Love

Crazy Love

Zeus Wife (?) (woman lives in Central Park with many dogs)

Why Pay Two Rents (gay love story spans decades)

Capturing The Friedman's (another no brainer HOW it came about as interesteing as the doc itself)

American Movie

*I have prolly over 200 I've bought on DVD over the years NOW I want to go watch some of them again lol)

[+ FreshFluff]

The more recent WW2 doc series "Apocalypse" narrated by Martin Sheen was also fantastic (as was the less structured WWII In Color). The advantage of a 21st century perspective I felt, was the deeper delving into the personal psyche's of those still alive who lived it; ie the eventual carpet bombing of the German population living in what was extremely non essential target areas. The advantage of the orig World At War I think was the fact that it was still relatively fresh in the minds of those interviewed and so many were still alive to tell their stories. It's almost jarring to see such still relatively young ppl talking about the final days in Berlin fighting as a Hitler Youth or still young women sharing what happened to them at the hands of the Russians.

 

Yes, As I watched, I kept thinking that not only the people being interviewed, but also original audience had experienced the London Blitz, the evacuation of Dunkirk, etc. and remembered it the way I remember the mid-80s.

 

I've watched WW2 in Color and parts of Apocalypse. So that's Martin Sheen affecting a British accent?

[+ FreshFluff]

Two others I enjoyed:

Sound and Fury

Southern Comfort, about an transman living in the rural south with his transwoman partner

 

I remember watching Southern Comfort when I was in college, along with a straight male friend. We told his lesbian friend about it over dinner. I remember that she was really upset, almost to the point of breaking down. "If you're a woman who loves women, you're a lesbian! There's nothing more to it!"

[Tonyko]

Two others I enjoyed:

Sound and Fury

Southern Comfort, about an transman living in the rural south with his transwoman partner

Yes, great doc, (though very sad re his cancer and the med community in his community's DIScomfort with the complexity of a male appearance with female organs hence his late diagnosis ) and a perspective - female to male - that there's rarely much light on in our community. And humor as well, the one trans who who still rather looked like a large butch gal but truly believed he wasn't that accpeted in the trans community because no one knew he WAS trans, and the brutal honesty of the others stating the truth :-) It's a great doc.