Documentary Modes.

                                                       DOCUMENTARY MODES

Expository Mode

This mode of documentary is what most viewers will recognize. Verbal commentary is critical to this form of documentary, as well as an assertiveness in its claims, often voiced by a narrator with an authoritative tone. The expository mode is often found in television news programming.

The expository mode of documentary filmmaking chooses an argument, and a "right" answer with a preferred meaning. This is often directly addressed to the audience, the point is clear and concise and the narrator does not encourage the viewer to question the conclusion.

John Grierson's work is a good example of the use of the expository mode of documentary filmmaking. Many nature documentaries employ this mode. 

Think of someone exposing themselves as "natural" to remember that the expository mode is used a lot in "nature" documentaries. Or think of a less gross way to remember.

Nudist BBQ = Expository mode of documentary film making. Obvious connection.

The Poetic Mode - (subjective, artistic expression).

The poetic mode of documentary shies away from the "objective" reality of a certain situation or people to gain an "inner truth" that can only be attained by poetic manipulation. It emphasizes descriptive passages, rhythmic or tonal qualities, visual associations and favours mood, tone and texture.

A good example of the use of the poetic mode in documentary is "Man of Aran" (1934) by Robert J. Flaherty. It employs dramatic framing and presents an exaggerated image of a man at one with nature.

Leni Riefenstahl's "Olympia" (1938) represents the Aryan athletes during the Olympic Games of 1936 as successful, beautiful and perfect - all exaggerated highly to excessively promote the Aryan race.

Not to be confused with downright lying. Although Robert J. Flaherty has been given (a little too leniently) the excuse of employing the "poetic mode" of documentary film making, I'm certain that if someone studied the law extensively enough, they could find a clause that meant anyone who has ever seen "Nanook of the North" could sue Flaherty for being a fraudulent, lying (expletive).

I will be devoting an entire article to this big fat lie later.

 

The Performative Mode - (the film maker actively participates during the filming)

This mode of documentary particularly focuses on the subjective nature of the documentarian and also acknowledges the fact that the audience can view the film subjectively. The idea of objectivity is replaced by "evocation and affect"

This mode accentuates the emotional and social impact on the audience. Michael Moore adopts the performative mode in a lot of his work. 

 

An example of the performative mode is Morgan Spurlock's "Supersize Me" (2004).

  The Reflexive Mode

The reflexive mode recognizes the constructive attributes of the documentary, but does not hide it. It admits to the viewer that this is not necessarily the "truth" but an accurate representation of it -"a" truth not "the" truth.

The artifice of the documentary is not hidden, the audience is well aware of the editing, sound, recording and reconstructions - many of which, are often used in this mode. There are even times where see the film being constructed within the film.

Dziga Vertov's "Man With A Camera" (1929) presents the industrialization of Soviet life in the late 1920's. The mechanical camera and the cameraman become part of the content.

The Observational Mode

The Observational mode of documentary film making is best exemplified by the Cinema Verite (aka the Direct Cinema Movement) which developed in the late 1950's/early 1960's in an attempt to record objective reality as accurately as possible, with the film maker as an unbiased observer. The film maker is a witness rather than a participant.

The filmmaker is hidden behind the camera, does not interact with the characters being filmed and is ignored by the subjects. The filmmaker does therefore not influence the actions of the subjects and the events being captured.

In the observational mode, nothing is staged or set up and the camera has to rush sometimes to keep up with the action-taking place. This sometimes results in shaky, amateur looking footage, a great disadvantage to using the mode of documentary making.

 

A good example of this mode is Frederick Wiseman's "Hospital" (1970), which aimed to capture the daily drama of a hospital as accurately as possible.

Richard Pennebacker's "Don't Look Back" (1967) is also a good example of this mode, in recording Bob Dylan's 1965 tour of Britain.

The Participatory Mode:

In total contrast to the observational mode, the participatory mode embraces direct interaction between the filmmaker and the characters of the documentary

The filmmaker openly becomes part of the events being captured. The filmmaker's influence on the events is acknowledged and is often also celebrated.

Michael Moore often adopts the participatory mode in his work, he openly engages with the characters, and essentially becomes a character during the filming.

Martin Bashir's "Living With Michael Jackson" (2003) is an example of the participatory mode being used.

As is "Kurt and Courtney" (1998) by Nick Broomfield (who often adopts the participatory mode in his work.)

Louis Theroux antagonizing everyone he comes into contact with while making his documentaries is another example of the participatory mode. 

 

"On the other hand..."

As is John Sweeney huffing and puffing during filming "Scientology and Me" appearing to be trying to blow the interviewee's house down.

"YOU SHALL NOT PASS!!!"