Most recent public comments by Ms Kindra Cooper https://nowcomment.com/users/21768 https://nowcomment.com/documents/43792?scroll_to=525705 https://nowcomment.com/documents/43792?scroll_to=525705 I agree. Particularly the scenes that show the women at work during a time when few women had careers. And the administrative tasks and coordination without which the war could not have run smoothly. Each individual is but a cog in a much larger piece of machinery, but indispensable nonetheless. Fri, 20 May 2016 23:00:58 -0400 https://nowcomment.com/documents/43791?scroll_to=525699 https://nowcomment.com/documents/43791?scroll_to=525699 I think in this case the narrator's purpose was to convey facts and context that would not have been apparent from the footage alone Fri, 20 May 2016 22:48:29 -0400 https://nowcomment.com/documents/43785?scroll_to=525692 https://nowcomment.com/documents/43785?scroll_to=525692 Riefenstahl used slow motion to accentuate the movements of the athletes performing routine motions while warming, but because playback is slowed we are made to focus on the movements of muscle and sinew as the athlete takes position to throw a javelin or discus, as he takes his place on the starting line. It shows nationalism but also oneness of human beings - the closeups of the athletes are very vulnerable, showing their concentration, resilience and determination not to let their country down. Fri, 20 May 2016 22:21:06 -0400 https://nowcomment.com/documents/43763?scroll_to=525687 https://nowcomment.com/documents/43763?scroll_to=525687 Even without narrative there is much to infer from the rapt faces of Hitler's audience, the airplane flying through the crowds, the soldiers in perfect formation, the trumpets playing, and the swastika flags lording over the crowds. The message is triumph and power and the supposed unification of a nation. Fri, 20 May 2016 22:05:20 -0400 https://nowcomment.com/documents/43763?scroll_to=525685 https://nowcomment.com/documents/43763?scroll_to=525685 The close-up shots of Hitler are from below, so that we have no choice but to "look up" to him as we watch. The camera than pans over his vast, spellbound audience to show the extent of his power, the way they clamor for their leader, and the soldiers that carry out his orders. Fri, 20 May 2016 22:00:00 -0400 https://nowcomment.com/documents/43761?scroll_to=525682 https://nowcomment.com/documents/43761?scroll_to=525682 The music turns melancholy when showing scenes devoid of people and/or inanimate objects, but becomes upbeat in shots populated by humans. If not for the music, the documentary itself would be like a series of still photographs or montages, but the music gives connotations to these inanimate objects, buildings and unpopulated scenes. Fri, 20 May 2016 21:44:37 -0400 https://nowcomment.com/documents/43761?scroll_to=525680 https://nowcomment.com/documents/43761?scroll_to=525680 Rather than taking the footage for granted we are made to appreciate the thought process behind producing a documentary, where the camera man angles his lens, and how clever camera angles can present distorted depth perceptions. But we are reminded that this is a painstaking process. Each scene is treated and set up like a still photograph. Fri, 20 May 2016 21:42:10 -0400 https://nowcomment.com/documents/43758?scroll_to=522446 https://nowcomment.com/documents/43758?scroll_to=522446 Flaherty deliberately cut scenes where the Eskimos were shown to be using advanced tools. This is a key piece and eliminating it was for the purpose of furthering Flaherty's narrative of the Eskimos enduring arctic conditions and limited food supply by virtue of their resilience and cheerful demeanor alone - and not from technical smarts. That would have made the Eskimos too much like those who live in modern civilizations and detracted from the reverential tone of this documentary. Thu, 19 May 2016 07:26:09 -0400 https://nowcomment.com/documents/43758?scroll_to=522445 https://nowcomment.com/documents/43758?scroll_to=522445 With grit and resilience, human beings can overcome perceived limitations. The film shows how Eskimos were able to eke out a living in environs deemed non-conducive to human survival. And yet Flaherty describes them as "the most cheerful people in the world." He places great emphasis on their survival techniques: fitting five people into a kayak (including a baby and a dog), using moss to make fuel for a fire, and catching fish in icy water. The musical score that accompanies this footage is upbeat and whimsical, as if Flaherty is marveling not only at the simplicity of their lifestyle but their ability to make do in utterly inhospitable conditions. Fri, 20 May 2016 10:16:08 -0400 https://nowcomment.com/documents/43742?scroll_to=522444 https://nowcomment.com/documents/43742?scroll_to=522444 If I'm not mistaken, the materialist reason in film refers to attempts in film to be non-illusionist and demystify the film-making process. It refutes the "fixing" of reality in post-production. Thu, 19 May 2016 07:23:43 -0400 https://nowcomment.com/documents/43742?scroll_to=522442 https://nowcomment.com/documents/43742?scroll_to=522442 A native actor allows the documentary to more closely approximate reality. Unlike movies, documentaries are not meant to be fictional, so authenticity is key. A professional actor would have to study from a native anyway in order to act out the part. Thu, 19 May 2016 07:22:11 -0400 https://nowcomment.com/documents/43736?scroll_to=522441 https://nowcomment.com/documents/43736?scroll_to=522441 Montage are a rapid-fire succession of photographs or footage, with very quick cuts in between. Often, the shots are juxtaposed so that one shot fades in before the next has faded out – or the cut is very shot and barely noticeable. It is used to convey lots of information quickly where emotion is not an important part of the narrative. Three examples: montage can be used to quickly recount a historical occurrence for context, show a time-lapse, or show a range of different settings. Thu, 19 May 2016 07:21:17 -0400