Capturing the Friedmans

Release Date: 2003
Distribution Company: Magnolia Pictures
Director: Andrew Jarecki
Run time: 107 minutes
Seen on: Netflix DVD
Website: http://www.capturingthefriedmans.com/
Tone: Contains graphic descriptions of child abuse and language

I decided to watch this film for two reasons. First, it is number 20 on "50 Documentaries to See Before you Die."  Second, I plan to see 16 Acres at the Maryland Film Festival next week.  Richard Hankin is the director of that film, and he was the co-producer and editor for this film.  I hope by seeing other works by the directors, it will give me a better sense of the documentaries.

"Capturing the Friedmans" uses interviews and home footage to tell the story of Albert and Jesse Friedman, father and son, residents of Great Neck, NY in the 1980s who were both charged and plead guilty to child molestation.  The father, Albert, plead guilty first, in hopes of sparing his 19 year old son.

The interviews are of judges, lawyers, prosecutors, police detectives, students, parents, and immediate family members.  The film is remarkable for telling the story both from within and from without the convicted's family.  All those interviewed seem reliable, however, their reliable stories contradict one another.  The film also contains home videos from the Friedman family, which shows both a loving relationship between brothers and a conflicting parental relationship.

The film is graphic, containing descriptions of abuse, strong language, and fighting.  It is a powerful film, which causes one to consider several opposing views.

The film may be best described by Washington Post columnist Desson Howe, writing, "It's testament to Jarecki's superbly wrought film that everyone seems to be, simultaneously, morally suspect and strikingly innocent as they relate their stories and assertions...This is a film about the quagmire of mystery in every human soul."

Of Dolls & Murder

Release Date: 2012
Director: Susan Marks
Run time: 70 minutes
Seen on: Netflix Watch Instantly
Website: http://www.ofdollsandmurder.com/
City Paper: The Art of Murder

A small, doll-sized room.  Full of details such as window coverings, rugs, and a bloody hammer hidden near a chair.  This is the idea behind "The Nutshell Cases of Unexplained Death."  These were created by Frances Glessner Lee, an heiress to the International Harvester fortune.  Frances Glessner Lee was born in 1878 and with the time period, not allowed to attend college.  The "Nutshell" dioramas were a reaction to the constraints of her time.

I first read about Of Dolls and Murder in an article in City Paper last year (link above).  I was intrigued by the premise of the film as well as the fact that it was narrated by Baltimore icon John Waters.  It seems that anything Waters is affiliated with is dark and more than a little twisted.  I was glad to see that the film is offered on Netflix Watch Instantly.

The film shows the dioramas on permanent loan from Harvard to the Maryland Medical Examiner's Office in Baltimore.  The dioramas are not open to the public, but are regularly used for their intended use of training law enforcement.

While it is a relatively short film at 70 minutes, it maintains a nice balance between the story of Frances Glessner Lee, a look at some dioramas, and their impact on pop culture.  I recommend this film, but it is not for the faint of heart.  WARNING: The dioramas themselves are not cute, cuddly dollhouses, but the film also includes footage of crime scenes as well as the Body Farm, a facility in Tennessee for the study of the decomposition of human remains.

The Thin Blue Line

Release Date: 1988

Distribution Company: Miramax Films

Director: Errol Morris

Run time: 96 minutes

Seen on: FLIXe, Channel 170, also available on Netflix streaming

I have had The Thin Blue Line on my DVR since January and finally got around to watching it last week.  This film by Errol Morris recounts the murder of a Dallas police officer in November 1976.  The film combines reenactments with interviews.  The same scenes are reenacted several times during the documentary.  They are showed from different perspectives and with different information from witnesses.  This technique helped to illustrate the differing viewpoints and clashing information.

They do not list the interviewees by names during the film.  I found this to be an interesting and effective technique because it made you pay attention to what the person was saying, not who they are and how they fit into the puzzle.  It definitely made me focus more on the film.

It was somewhat disturbing hearing how it appeared that the cops and DA railroaded a conviction.  The film showed both sides of the story, but you could see what the cops and DA were wrong.  Some witnesses appeared unreliable, with suspicious motives or memory problems.

This is another case of how a documentary can create new interest in a case and effect the individuals involved.   I won't ruin it for you, but you can Google it if you are interested.

It had a great use of music.  The cuts between scenes are silent, almost like the film ends each time.  I had enjoyed Morris' techniques in the film Tabloid  and I am looking forward to watching Fog of War.  It has also been sitting on my DVR, so hopefully look for it soon.

 

The Art of the Steal

Release Date: 2009

Production Company: 9.14 Pictures

Director: Don Argott
Run time: 101 minutes
Seen on: Netflix Instant, Sundance Channel

Recommended: Highly

Next Air Date: Wednesday, 7/18 9:00-10:45AM, 4:15-6:00PM on Sundance Channel, Baltimore Comcast Channel 165

Website: http://www.ifcfilms.com/films/the-art-of-the-steal

The Art of the Steal tells the tale of the Barnes Foundation in Merion, PA.  Located less then 5 miles from downtown Philadelphia, the Barnes held one of the best collections of Impressionist and Modern masters in the world.  Barnes Foundation was founded in 1922 as an educational institution. 

The purpose of the art was to teach students, not pander to the cultural elite.  His collection was exhibited to the public in 1923 and denounced as "primitive."  Paintings were hung for its aesthetic value alongside furniture and art from around the world.  Dr. Albert Barnes shunned the "elite" of Philadelphia and what they stood for.  "Philadelphia is a depressing intellectual slum."  "The Philadelphia Museum of Art is a house of artistic and intellectual prostitution."  Dr. Barnes was determined to keep his art out of the hands of the downtown interests.

Dr. Barnes' will was written to ensure the preservation of the school in perpetuity.  The commerical value would be removed if they were never sold or lent.  After Barnes' death in 1951, the Foundation was kept intact.  The Foundation and will was not weakened until 1988, upon the death of Violette DeMazia, Barnes' "Last Living Apostle."

The Art of the Steal chronicles the struggle of educators and polticians to "control" the Barnes Collection.  The argument was made that the original structure in Merion, PA was unfit for the collection.  To preserve it, one must move it to a proper location, perhaps in downtown Philadelphia as part of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.  It makes you realize that the fantastic, earth-shatteringly important collection was used as a pawn of politicians and charitable trusts. 

This film not only sheds light on an important and outrageous cultural struggle, but also presents it in a compelling way.  The news clips are shown on an old tv.  Newspaper clippings and photos are presented on a cork board, much like a detective would show his suspects.  The use of music is compelling and heightens the drama.  But above all, there are compelling stories from past students and educators which draw you into the film.  Once you realize what the Barnes stood for, you are that much more outraged at what they tried, and unfortuantely ultimately succeeded in doing.  The Barnes on the parkway opened in Philadephia in May 2012.  Tickets are sold online for this collection.  Tickets and online museum store are sold in direct contradiction to a man's wishes and will.  I urge you to watch this before your next trip to Philadelphia.

"It is the greatest act of cultural vandalism since WWII."

"This is the scandal of the art world in modern America."

"The name of the game is, if you're going to leave your paintings somewhere, don't let there be a politican within 500 yards."

"It's fair to say that there was a vast conspiracy to move the Barnes."

"One man's conspiracy is another man's political consensus."

"It's about whoever controls $25 Billion worth of art and everything else is bullshit."