Documentary Film Essays (Examples)

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Film: A Class Divided
The documentary film A Class Divided has become a standard for exploring the origin of racial prejudice in a diverse society. Jane Elliott was a third-grade teacher in 1968 at the time of Reverend Martin Luther King's assassination. Elliott devised an exercise to conduct with her students to help them understand how racism and stereotyping emerge and are maintained in groups of people. Using eye color as a substitute for race, Elliott requested that the children in her classroom behavior in a prejudiced manner toward children whose eyes were a different color than their own. Essentially, Elliott replicated the behaviors observed in the larger society by providing her students with scripts, which negatively or positively labeled children according to eye color, and that were to govern the behavior of the classmates.

The exercise had a powerful effect on the children, leaving them astonished at their own behavior and….

The way that it uses John Alpert, a therapist who consulted a great deal of important all Street figures, with the purpose of showing how these people were basically no different from ordinary criminals (seeing prostitutes and using cocaine) when considering the way they spent money further contributes to increasing the terror of the thought that they were in charge of the world's finances. More precisely, it provided very clear and documented information that would be easily verifiable. Martin Feldstein's interview is especially intriguing when considering verifiable data as it makes it possible for viewers to understand that the financial crisis was anticipated by a great deal of influential individuals in the financial industry. At the same time, the way in which the film was directed triggered a sense of further inquiry (especially in cases in which the interviewee requests that, upon answering a difficult question, to turn off….

(Berardinelli)
Overall, the movies received lots of appreciation and did great business on the box office. Film was also shown in Iran where American films are not supposed to be shown. Film also received positive response by the critics. Most of them also felt that the movie depicted one side of point-of-view but in spite of that, it was worth watching. Fahrenheit 9/11 became the highest grossing documentary of all time, which grossed over $222 million. Apart from the Palme d'Or award, which this film received in the Cannes Film Festival it also, received People's Choice Awards and four azzies for its performances. (Youngs)

The most vibrant thing about this movie were the interviews that were or given an emotional touch to show the viewpoint of the citizens of the United States of America. Like interview with Lila Lipscomb, whose son Michael died in Iraq and interview with another woman whose….

From this came our insistence on the drama of the doorstep" (cited by Hardy 14-15).
Grierson also notes that the early documentary filmmakers were concerned about the way the world was going and wanted to use all the tools at hand to push the public towards greater civic participation.

ith the success of Drifters, Grierson was able to further his ideas, but rather than directing other films, he devoted his time to building up a film unit and training its members, gathering young men of like mind, including Basil right, Arthur Elton, Stuart Legg, Paul Rotha, John Taylor, Harry att, Donald Taylor, Edgar Anstey, and more. these men were "united by a common enthusiasm and a common aim" (Hardy 15). The E.M.B. Film Unit in the early 1930s had an atmosphere that was energizing and inspirational, with Grierson being one of the main reasons for this state of affairs. He also….

Richardis a documentary film made by Al Pacino in 1996 and is based on the historical play Richard III written by William Shakespeare. Richard III remained the King of England for just two years only (1483-1485). In Richard III, Shakespeare has sketched how Machiavellian tendency of Richard III enabled him to gain power despite his brother Clarence being prior to Richard III in line of succession. Since Richard III was one of the longest plays of Shakespeare and was indirectly connected to the events in Henry VI plays of the same writer, whenever Richard III was directed and acted out, there were significant abridgments in original version and context of several parts of Richard III was difficult to absorb by audiences. The three central values of Richard III are power, manipulation, and corruption. These three values have got creatively reshaped in Looking for Richard.
Introduction to topics

Power and control

Power and….

asteland
In the documentary film The asteland, researchers traced the dangers of environmental damage caused by human beings. It further explores a modern artist named Vik Muniz who works in South America taking materials which have been thrown away and turning them into pieces of art. For two years, Muniz looked and scavenged at Jardim Gramacho, the world's largest landfill. He takes the trash and repurposes it, covering the trash pickers and making them into living works of art. Muniz uses garbage to create mosaic portraits which have been sold at auction and hung at museums around the world. His work is an example of what can be taken and recreated from all the material that humans throw away. More than this, the artwork illustrates exactly how people have thought about waste and garbage in the past, or more specifically how these things have not been taken into consideration.

The most….

They didn't think a city girl would make a good farmer's wife. But test through time, Juanita is able to prove her worth. She greatly contributed in the survival of their land. She made good financial decisions which Darrel has little knowledge of.
Family as fulfillment is an ideal in the family too that doesn't seem to apply in real life. The problems they are facing don't brighten up their social landscape but has family problems are source of their gloomy day. Having to think of what lies ahead of them, uncertain about their future, their land at stake of being taken by government and barely enough food to pass the day, Juanita and Darrel spends their day mostly wondering and working so hard to get them by and sustain their family.

Family is also connoted as sanctuary, an escape from outside world. However, true life dictates that family is expected….

The PBS Frontline documentary Ghosts of Rwanda shows how music enhances the medium of documentary film. Judicious scoring enables the story of the Rwandan genocide to unfold, even though the film is heavily editorialized. The film opens with the dramatic statement of truth, that 800,000 people were “slaughtered by their own government” in Rwanda. The Hutus and the Tutsis were supposed to sign a peace agreement. That agreement was to be brokered and supervised by an international team led by UN force commander General Romeo Dallaire. However, the deal was systematically sabotaged. Ghosts of Rwanda chronicles how the genocide unfolded since the breakdown of the peace process. Because the film addresses the grim realities of genocide, music needs to be judicious and tasteful. Silence accompanies many of the shots, and also allows many of the speakers and the narrator to speak their truth unaided by the emotional pull of music. Yet….


This does not mean that the documentary filmmaker is not taking a perspective; it means that the presentation of a perspective is original within the subject matter. It does not mean that the filmmaker has not sought to understand and to capture that perspective, much the way that Scranton captured the perspective of the soldiers and Longley captured the perspective of the vying groups in Iraq.

Audiences of all stripes do what they will with images, no matter how instrumental their makers. (Rabinowitz 1)." This is the goal of documentary filmmaking. It places the information, the perspective, into the sphere of the viewer, and the viewer is then inclined, or not, to act or to develop his or her own view with the support of the documentary film's information. It does not mean that the viewer is not going to seek to inform his or herself with other sources of information.

The….

Film the Early Years of
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However, in spite of the fact that the film was promoted as a motion picture displaying real-life events, it appears that the director did not hesitate to modify a series of aspects about the environment that he shot in and the story itself. The protagonist's wife and children were not actually his and Flaherty correctly believed that audiences would be more deeply impressed if he presented the story from a more spectacular point-of-view. Even with this, one can still claim that the film is a documentary because it presents viewers with its own creation.
Many individuals took advantage of the fact that documentary films were very influential and devised propaganda strategies using motion pictures. Many individuals involved in this affair considered that fiction films no longer had a strong appeal and that society was more concerned about seeing 'cinema verite'. Many filmmakers got actively engaged in creating films discussing political….

Men described how they would make a throat cutting gesture toward the incoming Jews as they arrived in the death camps, but some said that they made that gestured a warning and others made it in order to taunt. Survivors talked about a deceiving cordiality from the guards, while the others talked about a brutal experience filled with confusion. Due to this the truth becomes almost irrelevant, the effect that those people's experiences have had on them is easily observed. It seems like somehow the past is defined by the present.
Healing seems to be tied in with the process of forgetting for these people, and since they are not capable to overlook the terror they experienced, healing seems impossible, until it becomes apparent that many of the people questioned have become distanced from their stories because they have told them over and over again.

Shoah" tells the story of the….

Popular Film Cultures Have Propelled Civil and Social Rights
Culture is referred as shared interaction, patterns, cognitive constructs, behaviors as well as effective understanding learned through socialization and transferred from one generation to the other. In the United States and outside the United States, films have become a powerful tool to transmit cultures. In 2009, there were more than 6.8 billion films released compared to the world population that was roughly the same number. Moreover, films have produced revenue of more than $30 billion annually, and its impact on films on people's behaviors is staggering. For example, many people across the world are imitating American culture by watching their movies. Moreover, films have become a powerful tool for propelling civil and social rights.[footnoteRef:1] The social civil rights are the class of rights and freedoms people demand from the government, private individuals or social organizations. Civil rights movements protect people from discrimination….

film Sarah and James by Nikowa Namate offers an opportunity to reflect on the deeper themes in light of several film theories including Freudian theory, Queer theory, and an understanding of realism, naturalism, and kitchen sink drama. This essay will offer a nuanced and thorough analysis of my role in the filmmaking experience. In Sarah and James, I played the role of James, one of the title characters. As the title of the film suggests, though, James is not the only protagonist. The interplay between James and his sister Sarah is the foundation of the film, which addresses the way mental illness impacts intimate relationships. Moreover, I was in charge of lighting during the production of Sarah and James and will discuss elements related to lighting during the production of the film. This essay will hinge on the application of realism, naturalism, Freudian theory, and queer theory to my….

Film Leverage
PAGES 6 WORDS 2153

Film Awards
The film industry produces experience goods for consumer enjoyment and consumption, and substantively relies on consumer differentiation for the economic success of movies. Moviegoers appear to differentiate films primarily on the basis of genre, starring actors, exposure to promotion, recommendations from other moviegoers and film critics, and -- for the dedicated film buffs and connoisseurs -- directors, cinematographers, and even screenwriters associated with the film production (Albert 1998, De Vany 2004, Eliashberg and Shugan 1997, Hand 2002, Krider and Weinberg 1998, Nelson et al. 2001, avid 1999, Smith and Smith 1986, Wallace, Steigermann and Holbrook 1993). Access to information about films is related to the resources and networks that moviegoers enjoy, and on the attention that films garner, as expressed by the media and through social networks. Information about films is accessed by moviegoers from many sources: 1) The genre of the film; 2) the rating of the film….

Ethics of Film Production
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Ethics of Film Production
It goes without saying that film producers owe a certain level of responsibility to not only those being filmed but also to the audience. During production, a number of key considerations should ideally be taken into account in regard to how the film will impact on those who happen to be part of it i.e. during its production, those who will view it on release as well as any other pre and post production stakeholders. Hence during filmmaking, producers owe all these constituencies a responsibility. In this text, I concern myself with the ethics of film production. In so doing, I will also shine a spotlight on both copyright and legal issues.

Ethics of Film Production

According to Barbash and Taylor, "ethical issues are rarely discussed in film production manuals" (48). This in the authors' opinion is largely as a result of the discomfort ethical issues occasion on most….

1. Analyze a persuasive speech given by a political leader and evaluate the effectiveness of their rhetoric.
2. Examine an advertisement or commercial and analyze the rhetorical strategies used to sell a product or service.
3. Compare and contrast the rhetorical techniques used in two different speeches on a similar topic.
4. Analyze a controversial public figure's use of rhetoric and how it influences public perception.
5. Investigate how social media influencers use rhetoric to persuade their audience.
6. Evaluate the effectiveness of rhetorical techniques used in a famous courtroom speech or closing argument.
7. Analyze the use of rhetorical devices in a piece of literature....

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2 Pages
Reaction Paper

Sociology

Film A Class Divided the Documentary Film

Words: 651
Length: 2 Pages
Type: Reaction Paper

Film: A Class Divided The documentary film A Class Divided has become a standard for exploring the origin of racial prejudice in a diverse society. Jane Elliott was a third-grade…

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5 Pages
Film Review

Film

The 2010 Documentary Film Inside

Words: 2170
Length: 5 Pages
Type: Film Review

The way that it uses John Alpert, a therapist who consulted a great deal of important all Street figures, with the purpose of showing how these people were…

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3 Pages
Research Paper

Film

Fahrenheit 9 11 Documentary Film Fahrenheit

Words: 944
Length: 3 Pages
Type: Research Paper

(Berardinelli) Overall, the movies received lots of appreciation and did great business on the box office. Film was also shown in Iran where American films are not supposed to…

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75 Pages
Term Paper

Film

John Grierson the Documentary Film

Words: 22277
Length: 75 Pages
Type: Term Paper

From this came our insistence on the drama of the doorstep" (cited by Hardy 14-15). Grierson also notes that the early documentary filmmakers were concerned about the way the…

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4 Pages
Essay

Film

Looking for Richard Documentary Film by Al Pacino

Words: 1446
Length: 4 Pages
Type: Essay

Richardis a documentary film made by Al Pacino in 1996 and is based on the historical play Richard III written by William Shakespeare. Richard III remained the King…

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2 Pages
Term Paper

Transportation - Environmental Issues

Wasteland in the Documentary Film the Wasteland

Words: 516
Length: 2 Pages
Type: Term Paper

asteland In the documentary film The asteland, researchers traced the dangers of environmental damage caused by human beings. It further explores a modern artist named Vik Muniz who works…

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3 Pages
Term Paper

Children

Farmer's Wife the Documentary Film

Words: 1081
Length: 3 Pages
Type: Term Paper

They didn't think a city girl would make a good farmer's wife. But test through time, Juanita is able to prove her worth. She greatly contributed in the…

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2 Pages
Film Review

Film

Documentary Ghosts of Rwanda

Words: 645
Length: 2 Pages
Type: Film Review

The PBS Frontline documentary Ghosts of Rwanda shows how music enhances the medium of documentary film. Judicious scoring enables the story of the Rwandan genocide to unfold, even though…

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11 Pages
Term Paper

Military

Independent Contemporary Documentary Films Journalism

Words: 3030
Length: 11 Pages
Type: Term Paper

This does not mean that the documentary filmmaker is not taking a perspective; it means that the presentation of a perspective is original within the subject matter. It does…

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3 Pages
Film Review

Film

Film the Early Years of

Words: 849
Length: 3 Pages
Type: Film Review

However, in spite of the fact that the film was promoted as a motion picture displaying real-life events, it appears that the director did not hesitate to modify…

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10 Pages
Term Paper

Drama - World

Film Shoah by Claude Lanzmann

Words: 2933
Length: 10 Pages
Type: Term Paper

Men described how they would make a throat cutting gesture toward the incoming Jews as they arrived in the death camps, but some said that they made that…

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15 Pages
Essay

Film

Film Culture and its Impact on Civil and Social Rights

Words: 4688
Length: 15 Pages
Type: Essay

Popular Film Cultures Have Propelled Civil and Social Rights Culture is referred as shared interaction, patterns, cognitive constructs, behaviors as well as effective understanding learned through socialization and transferred from…

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11 Pages
Essay

Psychology

Film Sarah and James by Nikowa Namate

Words: 3595
Length: 11 Pages
Type: Essay

film Sarah and James by Nikowa Namate offers an opportunity to reflect on the deeper themes in light of several film theories including Freudian theory, Queer theory, and…

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6 Pages
Essay

Film

Film Leverage

Words: 2153
Length: 6 Pages
Type: Essay

Film Awards The film industry produces experience goods for consumer enjoyment and consumption, and substantively relies on consumer differentiation for the economic success of movies. Moviegoers appear to differentiate films…

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image
3 Pages
Term Paper

Film

Ethics of Film Production

Words: 1008
Length: 3 Pages
Type: Term Paper

Ethics of Film Production It goes without saying that film producers owe a certain level of responsibility to not only those being filmed but also to the audience. During production,…

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