We touched on this in class a bit, but elaborate here on some of the cinematic and narrative differences and similarities between these two films. Talk about the filmmakers' choices and why you think they chose this way in terms of the subject matter.
Cinematically, both movies use similar styles of filming, often employing hand-held cameras for an up-close-and-personal feel. In Harlan County, USA, Barbara Kopple uses a lot of close-ups to establish an emotional connection with the people and their fight for workers’ rights. The camerawork, while relatively steady, has that slight shake to it that lets the audience know this is an ongoing event as it's being filmed, and that they, through Kopple's lens, are being put right in the middle of it. With Grizzly Man, Werner Herzog combines the hand-held footage from Timothy Treadwell's adventures with his more traditional steadicam or mounted camerawork. The difference in styles is mainly is because this documentary was made posthumously and both filmmakers had very different styles and visions for the film. Herzog may have been a constant narrative presence in the film, but he usually stayed out of the frame, like Kopple did. When he's in the frame, there isn't as much movement as in Treadwell's shots so as not to take away from the deceased man's footage. On the other hand, Timothy Treadwell uses a combination of hand-held and mounted, all either capturing close-up shots of his beloved bears or framing him within the wilds of their habitat. He did this to first make the audience sympathize with the grizzlies and second to reinforce his own image as the Guardian of the Bears, a man more like a bear living watchfully among his kin.
ReplyDeleteIn terms of the narrative, Harlem County, USA has a relatively straight-forward plot line, again because all this is being filmed as it happens. The audience finds out information as the subjects of the documentary. Barbara Kopple provides no narration, letting the stories of the workers speak for themselves. This is not so in Grizzly Man. Herzog essentially lays out the entire framework of the narrative near the beginning, then goes through the events filling in details with voice-over narration almost the whole time. For him, it's as much a documentary about what Timothy Treadwell saw and did as it was about Herzog's spin on the events that transpired, a spin taken after Treadwell's story had finished.
Harlan County, USA and Grizzly Man have a plethora of noticeable differences, besides them both being documentaries. Although some similarities can most definitely be found between the two, Harlan County, USA and Grizzly Man are deeply unique for one mainly lacks a commentary, something employed into countless documentaries, and the other works its commentary through footage of the film’s subject, creating a narrative from not only the subject himself and his loved ones, but from the director, Werner Herzog. Therefore, there is a vast difference in narration styles. Harlan County, USA follows a situation which unfolds right before the camera lens. The director, Barbara Kopple, makes the choice not to intervene. The film’s power comes mainly from the interview aspect. Close-ups not only give focus to the words said by those interviewed, but to their expressions, showcasing their sincere feelings of pain and heartache and their dedication to the Harlan County Strike. Kopple gives her subjects a platform to express their thoughts and opinions while keeping her own thoughts and opinions hidden. Werner Herzog and his film Grizzly Man, however, lies more towards the opposite end of the spectrum. He takes Timothy Treadwell’s footage, and some footage of his own of interviews, and manipulates it to tell the story in which he wants to tell. He is indeed telling Treadwell’s story, but as he is doing so, he presents his own thoughts on Treadwell through the voice-over narration. Grizzly Man is a documentary which displays something that has already happened, while Harlan County, USA showcases something as it is happening. Grizzly Man is a reflection. Harlan County, USA leaves no space for reflection.
ReplyDeleteHarlan County, USA is a very personal, down to earth documentary that is very in-the-moment, giving the viewer a very "current news, what's gonna happen" feel, even though we know it's in the past. Grizzly Man, on the other hand, feels much more like a character analysis or a memoriam (which, in a way it is,) with the narrated presentation of Timothy Treadwell's life through his recordings. Harlan takes us into the moment, showing us event-by-event in a very chronological manner what happened in the strikes and and struggles for miner's rights. We get to feel almost as if we are in the moment due to being shown all of the moments in a very personal manner without the interference of a narrator or other crew, getting to feel as if we are there ourselves along with the subject s of the picture. Contrast this with Grizzly Man, where Treadwell's recordings, which do feel somewhat personal, being intercut frequently with narration from the director of the picture and interviews with personnel who knew Treadwell but weren't actually there with him or in his recordings.
ReplyDeleteHarlan County USA and Grizzly Man both fall under the genre of a documentary film. They are both non-fictional films that create a factual record/report of a subject. On the other hand, they have completely different styles and execution when it comes to telling their individual stories.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, Grizzly Man is special because the filmmaker (Timothy Treadwell) is directly involved in the documentary and is relatively important character in the story that was being told. Treadwell’s footage by itself could almost be compared to a vlog. As a result, in Grizzly Man, although Treadwell’s filmmaking was to document the bears, his involvement led to us learning more about him than the bears. Harlan County USA’s execution is completely opposite. Barbara Copple does not really have any presence in Harlan County’s story and as a result, this documentary feels more objective as the audience sees the events of Harlan county through a third person lens instead of a first person. This makes it easy to empathize with the residents of Harlan County. The documentaries are also different as one documents the life of Timothy Treadwell, a singular person, while the other documents the lives of a collective of people.
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ReplyDeleteDespite being within the same genre, there are certain individual characteristics within "Harlan County, USA" and "Grizzly Man" that exhibit the gulf of narrative potentiality within the art of documentary filmmaking. The way a documentarian approaches their craft speaks volumes into the style, substance and communicability of the final product, as well as giving greater insight into the intent behind the work in the first place. In Harlan County, for example, Barbara Kopple ensured that her presence was kept to a minimum for nearly the entirety of the film. The struggle of the mine union and their standards of daily living were kept largely untainted by the crew of the film, as the purpose of the movie was to expose it to the wide audience of uninformed people around the world of this exact situation occurring without their knowledge. So, they kept the filming in largely chronological order and stuck largely to a "fly on the wall" strategy of shooting. Its narrative simply emerged from what they were shooting already.
ReplyDeleteCompare to Werner Herzog and Grizzly Man. Herzog found over 100 hours of Timothy Treadwell's expedition footage and found himself so enamored by his tale of foreseen consequences that he wanted to share it with the rest of the world. And it's important to remember, almost half of the shots in the documentary were Treadwell, who was essentially attempting to create a video journal of his travels-except, he wasn't, because he was also trying to preserve an image of himself as a noble renegade of nature and protector of bears, and would retake shots with the pedantic stubbornness of a director himself. Herzog's footage was interviews, landscapes, discussions, some of which were natural and some, such as the scene with the mortician, emanated the preciseness of a novice script. And this is on purpose. The film is edited together to form a narrative entity all on itself, complete with Herzog himself as a sort of deutragonist as he pieces Treadwell and himself together. Herzog saw Treadwell and created a larger narrative, partially on his own thoughts, partially on the world, and partially on the nature of documentary filmmaking itself. For something to be the "real thing", how real could it possibly be?
Barbara Kopple's "Harlan County, USA" and Werner Herzog's "Grizzly Man" were both very powerful documentaries, however each directer approached capturing these stories in very different ways. They used vastly different cinematic and narrative styles.
ReplyDeleteBarbara Kobble filmed "Harlan County, USA" herself, yet we see very minuscule almost zero presence of her in the film. We almost forget that she is there except for when someone told her to "get the cameras out of their face". This way of filming takes the narrative completely from the viewpoint of Harlan County citizens and mine workers. We are apart of the protests and meetings that go on throughout the film. Kobble didn't want her presence to interfere with the story of the mine workers and their specific experiences. She chose to film it this way to let the audience gather their own opinions as fellow outsiders of Harlan County. Who better to tell the story of the mine workers than themselves?, certainly not Kobble.
Werner Herzog, although similar in letting Timothy Treadwell tell his own story by using old personal film clips, inserted himself many times throughout this documentary. The viewpoint of this narrative is similar to that of a memoir/ biography of Timothy Treadwell, but we are watching it on the outside. Herzog adds his own ideas and opinions of Treadwell's experience and life. He comments on the journey, as well as interviewing many people who knew Treadwell. He uses his personal commentary to deepen sympathy and praise for almost for Treadwell , and also to sway the audience to feel the same way. He wants the audience to feel the importance of the "grizzly man's" journey and goal, even if we don't necessarily agree with what he did. He creates a larger narrative based on Timothy Treadwell, but with his own ideas.
There are numerous ways to approach a documentary in terms of narrative. Some documentaries choose to simply let the camera tell the story, while others will insert their own narrative to the point where the film is as much about the narrator's interpretation of the subject matter as it is about the presentation of the subject matter.
ReplyDeleteBarbara Kopple's "Harlan County, USA" details the struggle of coal mine workers in Harlan County, Kentucky to become unionized. While the film has a narrative structure, there is no narrator to guide the audience throughout the film. Rather, Koppel acts as a "fly on the wall" and refrains from interfering for the most part. The most that Koppel does in terms of framing the narrative is ask certain workers of relatives of workers simple questions that help to propel the narrative forward. This approach to documentaries allows for natural, unfiltered, and authentic discourse and unfolding of actions. A disadvantage to this method, however, is the fact that the narrative can often be sloppy and difficult to follow. That said, "Harlan County" still maintains a clear and focused narrative.
Werner Herzog's "Grizzly Man" details the story of Timothy Treadwell, a man who traveled to Alaska every summer to live among the grizzly bears of that region for many years until he was eaten by one of these bears. The vast majority of the footage used in the film is footage that was shot by Treadwell himself while in the forest, often accompanied by narration by Herzog. Rather than letting the camera propel the narrative, Herzog's narration gives the audience arguably as much insight into Treadwell as the footage does. Some even argue that "Grizzly Man" is a documentary more about Herzog's experience than it is Treadwell's.
Harlan County USA and Grizzly Man are both documentaries with many differences in cinematic style and narrative elements. One of the most notable differences between the two films is the role of the narrator. In Harlan County USA, Barbara Kopple rarely inserts herself or her opinion, to the extent that the viewer barely notices her presence. This style of filmmaking seems very raw and in the moment, making the audience feel as if they were really there. In Grizzly Man, however, narration is much more prevalent. The majority of the footage was collected by Timothy Treadwell himself, including many shots where he directly addresses the camera to discuss his life in the wild. However, the filmmaker Werner Herzog offers a significant amount of voiceover narration, in which he reflects on and tries to make sense of Timothy Treadwell’s lifestyle. One similarity between the two documentaries was the use of interviews periodically throughout the film. Barbara Kopple interviewed the leaders of the strike, whereas Werner Herzog collected interviews from people who knew Timothy Treadwell and wildlife experts.
ReplyDeleteThere are also noticeable differences in the cinematic styles of Harlan County USA and Grizzly Man. In Harlan County USA, Barbara Kopple uses a handheld camera almost exclusively. This shaky handheld footage emphasizes the increasingly chaotic nature of the mine workers’ strike. By comparison, Grizzly Man uses a variety of filming techniques, including handheld, steadicam, and stationary camera, depending on the situation. The majority of the handheld and stationary shots were collected by Timothy Treadwell himself, in which he either addresses the camera or attempts to showcase the animals that he encounters. The steadicam shots by Werner Herzog were mainly used to show the audience the landscape of the national park where Treadwell died. The framing of these steadicam landscape shots was very open when compared to the cinematography of Harlan County USA. Most shots collected during the strike clearly showed the crowds of workers on strike, resulting in a more closed frame.
The main difference between Harlan County USA and Grizzly Man was how present the filmmakers were. In Harlan County USA the primary goal seemed to be to capture the grit of the working class, so the filmmakers are almost absent from the film itself. To me the film felt more like watching the prequel to The Hunger Games than watching a typical documentary. Barbara Koppe doesn’t often speak, instead using interview answers to setup the scenes authentically. The entire movie seems to function on a show not tell basis. Very similar to the Hunger games Scenes featuring overworked miners, techniques such as a constant shaky cam and eye level shots are heavily employed. The focus of the film seems to be entirely on capturing the struggle of the minors, not documentation of the event. However in Grizzly man, the filmmakers are more present. Not only does Treadwell speak to the camera, but the focus is more on the event itself than the conditions of the subject. Unlike in Harlan County USA, the camera shifts from handheld to steady, voiceovers from are heavily employed. Essentially Grizzly Man keeps close to the typical style of a documentary while Harln County USA is a lot more stylized through tone.
ReplyDeleteHarlan County USA and Grizzly Man both consist of similarities but yet have their own differences respectively. They are both quite evidently documentaries, and portray a different type of narrative where the film becomes a sort of documentation of a certain event rather than a theatrical type film. For example, both documentaries show events that have occurred or are occurring. They become a portrayal of a reality that someone has lived, whether it be focused on one singular person such as Treadwell or on a group of people such as the mining workers and their families in Harlan County USA.
ReplyDeleteIn Grizzly Man, the director in a way becomes a part of the narrative of the documentary as he manipulates the viewer into seeing the version of the story that he is creating. He is able to do that through the voice-over narration as he is the one doing them. He showcases footage that Treadwell has filmed himself and also exposes Treadwell's life to create a specific character in his documentary. Out of all the hours of footage Treadwell filmed of himself, the viewer really only sees what Herzog wants the viewer to see and thus pushes the narrative he wants forward.
In Harlan County USA, the director breaks herself up from the narrative of the play. She does not directly play a role in what is happening nor does she interfere on screen. It is mostly the subjects in the documentary who are pushing their narrative forward and the Barbara Koppe mostly records the things that are happening to document it. It is also different that Grizzly Man because the events portrayed in Harlan County USA are happening as the viewer watches whereas in Grizzly Man, the viewer mostly knows the gist of the narrative and what the documentary will be showing.
Harlan County USA and Grizzly Man are very similar in that they’re both documentaries and they both tell a story. But, the way they do those things are very different. Narratively, I feel as though Harlan County USA is discussing an event that’s occurring at the time of filming and is very in the moment, while Grizzly Man feels like more of a memorial for a man that used to do all of these wild things. Timothy Treadwell’s personal footage was taken in the past, years before, and people are interviewed about him and how he was before passing away. Cinematically, a lot of the shots seems to be very steady and static in Grizzly Man, from the interviews of Treadwell’s peers to Treadwell’s personal footage that he took himself, both used a tripod for most of the film; making the film feel very calm and just another story to listen to. In Harlan County USA, almost all of the shots are a handheld moving camera, because it’s meant to build the tension and suck in the audience to really feel the energy and emotion at that very moment.
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