For Your Binge Consideration: 20 Documentaries You Must See
'Disqualifying' O.J. Made in America and The Jinx which I will cover at some point. But I just consider them more miniseries/mutliple episode documentaries which is a very different format to an individual documentary.
So I've technically disqualified this in that it is technically partially 'scripted' (though rare is a documentary without a little bit of storytelling planning implemented) in the conflict it creates between Lou Ferringo and pre-Terminator Arnold Schwarzenegger at the height of his powers as a professional bodybuilder. It's doesn't really disguise this fact and is very obvious about how it uses this for dramatic effect, but as an exploration into the unique world of bodybuilding and its many fascinating personalities it's rather compelling, with Arnie in particular showing that charisma and screen presence that would soon light up the silver screen.
One of the great technical achievements of the past decade of film, Peter Jackson's artful reconstruction of WWI footage through colourisation, sound effects work, snippets of anecdotes about trench warfare, into a rather detailed and varied account of what it was like to be in the war. The appropriateness of such screen treatment for the soldiers is of course another discussion altogether, but as a cinematic achievement it is astonishing, and for me it is a moving insight into the predicament of the valiant British men Jackson wants us to remember.
Now documentaries with agendas can be a mixed bag, but the reason Blackfish works so well is because it doesn't try to disguise that agenda, and is very clearly pushing its own message across rather than subtly trying to trick you into. The issues of keeping killer whales in captivity, focusing on Seaworld, is detailed incredibly well with powerful imagery, anecdotes from former employees, and though it doesn't offer insight into the 'other side of the coin', as sort of a documentary for the prosecution it is extremely effective and I would say is probably one of the best of its kind.
You don't really get to 'know' Brazilian F1 driver Ayrton Senna through this documentary. The man's public image was that of a fascinating enigma and film maintains that certain distance and mystery to the man himself. What the film succeeds brilliantly at is showing the phenomenon that made him into the legend he was: how he enraptured thousands worldwide, had his fair share of rivalries and struggles, and the tragedies that would and ultimately befell him. It presents it all in a very engaging fashion through rapid-fire editing and an aptitude at telling his story just through footage of the man and his racing alone. I'm always a sucker for racing films anyway, and this is a fantastic entry into the 'genre' via real life, and even though it is heightened dramatically rather than an in-depth exploration it fits the larger than life figure its story is telling.
In line with Blackfish this is another documentary with a blatant bone to pick. What Michael Moore does here is ask some tough questions and attempt to not necessarily provide answers, but at the very least address them, in examining specifically the Columbine massacre and its social backdrop. It works best as an examination of all the possible reasons and Moore's methods of extracting anecdotes, opinions and conveying the general atmosphere around the guns' rights issues and school shootings is both fascinating and quite hard-hitting in its combination of montage, animation, talking heads and more. Some interviewees offer some moving statements (Marilyn Manson), others are more blatantly used by Moore as a means for him to convey his own message (Charlton Heston), but overall I'd say this is a very successful documentary as a microcosm of its particular time while also presenting a powerful message. 16. Paris is Burning
Brisk, short, but very effective immersion into the 80s New York drag scene - a scene I am not that familiar with, but which drew me in and fascinated me to no end in Jennie Livingston's incredibly well shot and energetic presentation of the African American and Latin Harlem drag-ball scene. It treats its subjects with compassion and honesty, never using them just as 'symbols' for the message of the marginalised within the marginalised, but has fun in examining the drama-filled, fiercely competitive escape from a troubled world the drag scene offers. It gets quite dark and upsetting at certain points in the scenes where we go with the interviewees into the 'real world', making it something of a mix of tones - and it could be a lot to take in within its short runtime. Nevertheless it is an often joyous, piercing and very intimate snapshot of a scene Livingston clearly had great deal of passion for filming. Available on Youtube.
Pretty fascinating look at the controversial mind of cartoonist Robert Crumb, artist of Fritz the Cat and other adult comic characters. The man is undoubtedly a divisive figure and myself I definitely lean more to the negative side with many of his comments, but the 'no filter' look into his mindset through interviews with him, his family (including a particularly troubled brother who was the stimulus for a lot of his work), his wife and ex-girlfriends, and while I never warmed up to the man himself it is incredibly effective in showing how and what his little exact niche is, and how he carved his way into it. It is an extraordinarily off-kilter documentary fitting for an off-kilter man and feels rather honest in its intentions to give us a piece of his mind, though whether one likes it or not is an entirely different matter altogether. Available on Youtube.
Have you seen Werner Herzog's Rescue Dawn, about US Fighter pilot Dieter Dengler's horrifying struggle to survive in Laos during the Vietnam war after being shot down? Whether or not you have, this can be either a fascinating companion piece or a standalone feature, a documentary made by Herzog a decade before Rescue Dawn focusing on the man's coming-of-age story, how he came to be a pilot and how he's dealt with the fallout of tragedy. Herzog handles tricky subject matter very well in giving a portrait of Dengler in a fairly casual manner where we get to feel like we're getting to know him first, and then learning about the trauma that so heavily affects his life. We see this troubled state of mind lingering over the whole documentary which makes it all the more heartbreaking when we get to most striking scenes of Dengler 'reenacting' his treatment at the hands of his captors. Available on Youtube.
Well here's one truly fascinating real-life story made into a fascinating documentary without losing a beat. Three - well, yeah, identical strangers - discover they are twins separated at birth, but the initial elation at this soon descends into some dark, disturbing revelations about the circumstances surrounding their separation. It's a fascinating exploration into the ideas of nature vs nurture, the almost paradoxical blend of joy and fear created by such revelations, and the gradual unravelling of a conspiracy that concerned this separation. It deals with the hard-hitting consequences of such a situation very well, and even though it does feel that there's more to be told from this story, at this stage it provides a compelling insight into how all families concerned were affected.
So here's a documentary which isn't about thought or messages or anything. A concert film is a unique medium to excel in, and Jonathan Demme, of Silence of the Lambs fame, set out to make a sensory experience of all facets of a Talking Heads concert, and while it is indeed a stylistic experiment in many ways of audio and visuals, it is a spectacular example of it. As someone who likes but is not a huge fan/know much about Talking Heads, it's an invigorating experience nevertheless of almost putting you in the perspective of not just the audience, but also band itself. It's energetic, it's relentless, it's thrilling, and it's free on Youtube.
As is to be expected, a documentary on R&B singer Amy Winehouse was never going to be an easy watch, but Asif Kapadia does a great job of offering variation in approach. It is not just the depiction of a downwards spiral of the doomed singer, but also offers so much in the way of looking at her successes, her inspiring side to her life, her overcoming of hurdles, and her creative ballast, which makes her ultimate tragedy hit all the harder. The film eases you into yet never sugercoats the abuse and excesses that caused Winehouse to spiral out of control, and the film does a great job at not exploiting a damaged soul, but rather act as a piercing but respectful tribute to an individual gone far too soon. 10. Tower
In compiling the perspectives of several survivors from the 1966 University of Texas at Austin mass shooting through archival footage, in-depth interviews and rotoscopic animation, Keith Maitland achieved something quite remarkable here. The editing in particular is a highlight here in crafting a one-of-a-kind juxtaposition between events of the past, and the reminisces of the present, and avoids emotional manipulation by granting a very honesty approach to the material at hand. It's a great documentary which far beyond being just a technically immaculate and innovative recreation of tragedy, offers a very humane exploration of not just its tragic implications but also in offering a touching tribute to bravery and humanity in the midst of a horrible event.
This is an easy one to pitch to people. Do you like penguins? Yes? Do you like Morgan Freeman narration? Yes? Would you like both as we follow emperor penguins on a journey to breed, guard their eggs, make treacherous journeys, fend off predators, in heartwarming fashion that nevertheless also shows the very real dangers and losses incurred in such a journey? Well, I think you'll like this one quite a bit then.
A true crime procedural thriller that really sucks you into the whole investigation process while also exploring the corruption of the system through a police investigation into an officer's murder. As we are introduced to one man who was imprisoned for the crime under rather iffy circumstances, and another who it becomes increasingly obvious was guilty of it, the enormity of the situation begins to unravel and become quite chilling. It's an excruciating haunting method of telling a narrative director Errol Morris employs here, in revealing how all aspects of media, the court system, the police system and more combined into the terrible situation at hand.
Above all this is an extraordinary retelling of Philippe Petit's walk between the Twin Towers in 1974. It is a great underdog story to begin with, directed and infused with such energy both in terms of the use of footage, re-enactments and special effects to create such a wonderfully vibrant experience in following Petit to and fro as well as following his life story and what made him the man he is. It has such positivity of spirit to every sequence and the man whose story it tells is such a captivating figure, and even if it does end like a bit of an anticlimactic note it's still a resounding success both as a documentation of an unbelievable real-life event, but also a captivating tale of a dream realised.
The ultimate feel-good story of success in such an unconventional manner as two Cape Town music afficionados of American musician Sixto Rodriguez, an unknown in the US but a sensation in South Africa, go on a search for the mysterious man. The story of a man who couldn't find success for his passion in his home country yet whose songs gave inspiration in Apartheid times to a conflicted nation and encouraged change is a remarkable one, and even the iciest heart will be warmed to this incredible story that delivers both as an intriguing thrilling investigation into a legend who doesn't know he's a legend, and as a wonderfully moving tale of artistic devotion and passion.
Grizzly bear enthusiast Timothy Treadwell is the focus of Werner Herzog's fantastic film, in my opinion his best work in any medium, which provides the tricky balance of providing a personal touch and insight into the matter while staying true to the spirit of the titular nicknamed man, who spent thirteen summers in the wilderness with beats in Alaska and sought to connect and converse with the bears, tragically ending in him and his girlfriend being killed by one. Herzog gives us a troubling look at a man sought to help out animals he saw as in need of help while having many issues of his own, feeling out of place within society and finding comfort in the company of the bears. It shows how such an endeavour was dangerous, foolish and ultimately caused great tragedy but also has such a sensitive touch to it. Herzog's narration, and compilation of interviews is remarkable in granting a full-bodied portrait of a man who paid the ultimate price for his passion and demons. Available on Youtube.
In the all-time great year of 2007, any film that makes my top 10 is a classic. This is a particular oddity, a documentary about competitive gaming. What transpires here is essentially an anime-esque showdown between the egotistical heel Billy Mitchell and the underdog everyman Steve Wiebe in their vying claims to the record for top score in the game Donkey Kong. It's ridiculous stuff with a huge cast of colourful characters, whether it's the kindly Walter Day, the deadpan Walter Mruzeck, or Billy Mitchell's sidekick Brian Kuh, as we get a buildup to a huge showdown worthy of WWE fanfare. The thing is though it's all very entertaining and hilarious, it's also very sincere and genuinely interested in exploring Wiebe's determination to get that high score. It makes something that could feel alienating or just plain weird strangely accessible and even moving, and beyond that is just a brilliantly edited and crafted film. Obviously editing and the way that stuff is presented can feel a bit staged, and most likely was at certain points, but you can’t deny the overall impact. Available on Youtube.
It really is amazing how this documentary about the infamous behind the scenes of Apocalypse Now came about, and after watching it you'll gain perhaps even more appreciation for the film as the masterpiece (I myself have finally come around to this). It's remarkable how much footage, a large portion of it compiled by Francis Ford Coppola's wife Eleanor, they got of the madness that transpired onset. Her journals, recordings, insights, everything - her side of the story is just as fascinating as her husband's, whose struggle to make the grandest passion project of all, a Vietnamese war epic based loosely on Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad, and it's interesting to see not so much a portrait of a madman, as I thought it might be stylised as, as it is a portrait of well-intentioned ambition spiralling out of control. As Francis struggles from one obstacle to the next, the film moves along almost as a psychedelic mad trip down a road of no return as he deals with helicopters being called away for military service, abysmal weather conditions, writer's block, Martin Sheen's own mini-narrative of dealing with a heart attack, and the frustrations of dealing with both a completely out of his mind Dennis Hopper and Marlon Brando at egotistical worst.
This is one of those essential films I will say everyone should watch at some point, but I can understand how it might be hard to find incentive to do so. Joshua Oppenheimer, alongside Christine Cynn and another unnamed Indoneian director, document the Indonesian mass killings of 1965 - 1966 through looking at the 'heroes' of the death squads, led by gangsters such as Anwar Congo, the film's narrative focus. Far from being a straightforward documentary, Anwar and his friends are invited to re-enact his role in the genocides and his recollections of it through various genres of films: as a collective group of film buffs go about recreating the incidents of 1965 - 1966, a chilling, cold portrait is shown of such terrible events and the lengths people go to deal with them, whether by suppression, negligence or outright denial. The film shifts between broader displays of how such crimes have continued to have an influence on the modern day Indonesia, and how on a more personal level those involved have to deal directly with their role in the atrocities. A brilliant, but tough watch. Available on Youtube (NOTE: I still need to watch the director's companion piece, The Look of Silence).
As brilliant as The Act of Killing is, and though I've only watched this particular Steve James documentary fairly recently, I didn't really have any hesitation in putting this right at the top of my list. We are introduced to two African American kids in Chicago - Arthur Agee and William Gates - as they get recruited as basketball prospects, the documentary follows the ups, downs and everything in between. It's so much more than just a film about basketball, although the game sequences are terrifically edited and very entertaining. It's about these two lives as Arthur and William go from teenagers to young men, and the transformations they undergo through the system. There's some hardships and tough moments to watch as they struggle to assimilate, and face hurdles of different types - as William puts it, 'as soon as you don't tighten one screw, everything falls apart'. The additional focus on their families too is great as we watch the struggles of living in the inner city, but also the joys at successes. So often athletes are seen as little more than a series of numbers on a statistics sheet, but Steve James' work as a director here is terrific as we get such insight into these young men and their situations - marginalised, pressurised with such burdens on their shoulders and too young to cope with them all. This film puts a face to the social, racial and emotional barriers that face many a young man trying to get himself, his family, into improved situations by way of a hoop dream. These are two tales that do not try to deliberately be inspirational, or uninspiring. It carries with it life's truths and allows you to partake in it with Arthur and William: enjoy it, frustrated by it, thrilled by it, saddened by it, but always, always deeply connected to it.
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