It was 1967 when Frederick Wiseman directed his first documentary, Titicut Follies, a powerful look at life inside a Massachusetts prison for the criminally insane. At that time Follies' cinema-verite style exemplified the vanguard of documentary filmmaking: no interviews, no narration, no overt intrusion of the filmmaker's point of view. Since then, the technique has become something of a TV cliche. Prime-time shows from Hill Street Blues to CBS's 48 Hours have appropriated the hand-held camera and other slice-of-life touches. Even commercial directors have tossed away their tripods: cameras wander about relentlessly, trying to sell "reality" as well as Nissan automobiles...
To continue reading:
or
Log-In
