Key Takeaways
- Documentaries have become widely accessible via streaming services, offering diverse genres beyond traditional public television.
- Ken Burns' documentary style, initially seen as earnest, is increasingly viewed as radical for its inclusive historical narratives and embodiment of public television ideals.
- Documentary production is significantly influenced by funding, leading to current trends favoring true crime, cults, and celebrity-backed projects over resource-intensive, change-making films.
- Specific subgenres, including true crime, nature, and sports documentaries, have gained considerable popularity, often exploring human ambition and societal issues.
- Critics recommend a range of documentaries that delve into artistry, personal journeys, historical events, and ethical considerations of filmmaking.
Deep Dive
- Ken Burns' new six-part series, "The American Revolution," is highlighted by critics James Poniewozik and Alissa Wilkinson.
- The documentary maintains Burns' characteristic style but broadens its narrative to include Native Americans and enslaved people alongside colonists and loyalists.
- The film's approach to figures like George Washington and its themes are seen as relevant to ongoing cultural debates about American history.
- Initially, critics perceived Ken Burns' documentaries as earnest and broadly appealing, making cases for widely agreed-upon topics like "war is hell."
- Over time, his work became recognized as more pointed and radical, contributing to an American history canon and engaging with current debates.
- His documentaries, embodying public television ideals like "for the benefit and enjoyment of the people," are now seen as increasingly radical and quaint in contemporary media.
- The documentary genre is heavily influenced by funding, with current trends favoring true crime, cults, and celebrity-backed projects.
- Important documentaries aiming for change, such as 'The Alabama Solution,' struggle for significant time and resources, highlighting funding difficulties.
- The true crime genre surged in popularity around 2015 with titles like HBO's "The Jinx" and Netflix's "Making a Murderer."
- Some true crime films, including "The Yogurt Shop Murders" and "The Perfect Neighbor," now offer commentary on the genre itself.
- Sports documentaries are a significant category, with ESPN's "30 for 30" series being a key touchstone.
- The 2020 release of "The Last Dance" about Michael Jordan was a major event, premiering during the early pandemic alongside "Tiger King."
- Sports serve as raw material for exploring diverse narratives, from political to personal, as seen in "Copa 71" about a women's soccer tournament.
- Documentaries like "Cheer" and "Last Chance U" compel audiences by focusing on human ambition, struggle, and the pursuit of goals.
- James Poniewozik recommends "Pee-wee as Himself," a documentary about Paul Reubens, exploring artistry and persona.
- Alissa Wilkinson recommends "The Remarkable Life of Ibelin" (Netflix, 2024), about a young man who connected with many through his blog and a World of Warcraft guild.
- Other recommendations include Questlove's "Ladies & Gentlemen … 50 Years of SNL Music" (Peacock) for Saturday Night Live's 50th anniversary.
- Kirsten Johnson's 2016 documentary "Cameraperson" (HBO Max) is recommended for its personal memoir approach using B-roll footage and exploring the ethics of filming.
- The 1973 PBS series "An American Family" is highlighted as a landmark cinema verite documentary that followed a California family for seven months, sparking controversy and influencing reality television.
- "Look Into My Eyes," a 2024 documentary by Lana Wilson (A24, HBO Max), films readings by seven psychics in New York City, creating an emotionally intimate experience.
- The 1996 documentary "When We Were Kings," directed by Leon Gast, covers the 1974 "Rumble in the Jungle" between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman, including the Zaire '74 Music Festival.
- The episode features a game with three rounds, starting with "Burns Baby Burns," challenging participants to identify subjects of Ken Burns' documentaries.
- The "Netflix and Kill" round asks to distinguish between Academy Award-nominated documentaries and Netflix true crime originals.
- A final round involves identifying narrators and documentaries from audio clips, including Werner Herzog's "Grizzly Man" and Tom Hanks' "The Americas."