Grierson’s definition of documentary
This assignment requires you to write a 3-4 page, double-spaced analytical essay on the film Moana (1926) to delve into the complex and fluid natures of the documentary genre. To show your understanding, you should apply ONE of the main ideas that we have so far learned in your analysis of the film. Through the lens of the selected concept, you are asked to approach your analysis through THREE different angles/elements/aspects, to support the key idea of your essay. For this assignment, I am interested in your understanding of the documentary genre after learning the different approaches to digesting its nature and characteristics.
For this purpose, I suggest that you proceed with this assignment by following these steps:
Watch the film Moana (1926) on Youtube:
Read the recommended reading regarding the film’s production background.
Excerpts from “Moana and the Pacific,” by Paul Rotha in Robert J. Flaherty: A
Biography on pages of 57-66, 68-69, 71-73, and 74-77 [Available on Canvas under File tab – Reading for Assignment #1]
Choose ONE of the following ideas as the central topic of your analysis:
Grierson’s definition of documentary
The ambiguous distinctions between documentary and fiction genres
Realistic characteristics of documentary genre
Filmmakers’ creative treatment of reality in their films
Documentary as evidence, including the indexical qualities of documentary images and sounds
Documentary as rhetoric
Rhetorical functions of images and sounds in documentary films
Nonfiction discourse of documentary rhetoric
Principal strategies of nonfiction discourse
Watch the movie again and take detailed notes on specific scenes that you might want to use as examples in your paper.
Organize and present your ideas in an analytical essay of about 1000-1200 words, broken up into 5 paragraphs with approximately 200-240 words per paragraph.
Format: double spaced, 12 pt., standard fonts and margins, name and SIS ID on first page.
More detailed requirements for the essay:
Your paper should be organized around a key, coherent idea, which should be explained in the opening paragraph of your essay. In the first paragraph, you should also provide a brief introduction to the film, and then explicitly identify the key concept you will use to analyze the film, and then explain the meaning of the concept in your own words. The opening paragraph should also provide a succinct overview, introducing the THREE different angles/elements/aspects that you will use to approach your analysis in ensuing paragraphs.
In the body of the essay, you should focus on an individual angle/element/aspect in each paragraph. For instance, if you choose to discuss how the idea of documentary as rhetoric is embodied in Moana, you may want one paragraph to concentrate on the analysis of Flaherty’s proposition in making the film, another paragraph explaining his deliberate selection of certain cinematic elements in support of his proposition, and a third paragraph interpreting his emphasis on particular aspects of Polynesian people’s living styles, which should be related to Flaherty’s rhetorical purpose. Note: you don’t have to follow this exact analytical approach, it simply shows what I expect for the organizational structure of your paper.
In your concluding paragraph, you might want to wrap up your approach by doing one or more of the following: a reiteration of the key concept that you have used to analyze the film, a summary of the key ideas that you want your readers to take away from the essay, a clarification of the complexities or subtleties of the documentary genre as reflected in this film, and/or the ways that your analysis of the film might contribute to readers’ understanding of the genre.
Your analysis should be specific and go deeper than a surface level description of the film. You can choose to conduct a detailed textual analysis of specific scenes from the film, as examples to illustrate your analysis. Also, you are required to cite ideas from the recommended reading to support your opinion as they are relevant. Be sure to include either footnotes or endnotes if any information is cited from the reading.
When crafting your paper, some questions you can ask yourself include: What is the main idea you want to communicate with this essay? How does the selected concept give you a unique perspective in developing a deeper understanding of the film? Which aspects of the film and its production process verify your main idea? What specific examples from both the film text and the reading can be used to illustrate your ideas?
Budget your time. You will need to watch the film several times, first for comprehension and later to take more detailed notes. You will also need sufficient time to read the two recommended reading closely and then draft your essay. Therefore, start working on this assignment as early as possible.
I strongly recommend that you outline your paper before you begin writing. An outline forces you to think about structure and sequence, about which ideas belong where, and about how they can flow smoothly.
Keep your tone objective and scholarly: this is not about whether you personally like or dislike the film. Opinions and assertions need to be backed up by evidence and analysis.
Before turning in your paper, PROOFREAD YOUR WORK. Repeated occurrences of typos or grammatical errors will affect your grade for this assignment.
Any AI generated content included in the paper will fail you in this class.
The creative treatment of actuality
The film Moana (1926) offers a distinctive glimpse into the Polynesian cultural world, inviting viewers to embark on a visual journey that unfurls the rich traditions, daily life, and the symbiotic relationship between the islanders and their breathtaking natural surroundings. According to Grierson, the concept of the creative treatment of reality explains what documentaries entail and the use of factual information and facts to produce a film for the world. In his production of the 1926 film Moana, Flaherty provides distinct details of the film to the public on the lives of the villagers in Samoa. The major consideration is the actual lifestyle of the community, hence the representation of an actuality. Flaherty’s perspective is that the details of the film should collaborate in illustrating the people’s connection to the real world. The three major elements embody the creative treatment of actuality evident in the Moana film are Flaherty’s point of view, the use of actual footage, and the selection of cultural phenomena in the film.
One of the elements representing creative treatment of actuality significant in film analysis is the filmmaker’s point of view and representation. Flaherty’s recording of Moana was due to an interest in understanding the community and the people’s lives. In his proposition to shoot the film, Flaherty explained to the chiefs that he admired the life of Samoa (Rotha, 2015). He was confident that it would be possible to achieve the patterns of the Nanook of the North while in Samoa. Setting up his laboratory in the village allowed Flaherty to shoot important aspects that would result in the efficient creation of the film. An example of the film’s adequate view and representation of the Samoa village is Pea’s climbing up a towering coconut tree and Moana and his brother hunting a wild boar and fishing (Moana, 1926). Other relevant examples of the shots by Flaherty that allowed him to have adequate details to create the film included the farming period, hunting, and festivals. Throughout the period he stayed with the community, Flaherty could select the contexts to display. Films should not be evaluated as simple records as post-structuralism theorists were quick to estimate (Plantinga, 2005). Instead, the major focus should be to interpret the meaning and context of the film in understanding the involved subjects. Thus, the element of point of view and representation is evident in the film as it helps elaborate Flaherty’s perception.
The other element exemplifying the creative treatment of actuality relevant in the film is the use of actual recordings of the actual people in their real living situations. Moana is filled with all the relevant raw, unedited images, videos that Flaherty observed during his stay in Samoa. Flaherty would spend time in his laboratory making the necessary video edits. According to Rotha (2015), Flaherty believed that using minimal industrial processes would make the film more pure. Examples of these pursuits in the film include the surf ridings, Igbo buildings, and the capture of a turtle. Additionally, Flaherty had footage of food harvesting and preparation that included the native foods of the Samoans, such as the taro root, which was their bread (Moana, 1926). Although documentary-making was not common during the shooting of the Moana scenes, Flaherty ensured to capture all the actual details in the community. Griffiths (1999) identifies that the ethnographic travelogue represented filmmaking when ethnographic film was not invented. In Moana, using actual recordings, including sound, was relevant in exhibiting their far-away life that the rest of the world knew little about. In any case, photos, videos, and sounds in films are symbolic representatives of the filmmakers’ intentions (Plantinga, 2005). The intention of Flaherty when making the film was, therefore, to recreate the life of the Nanook of the North through the Samoans. Using actual recordings of the people and the Samoa community was relevant in achieving the creative treatment of actuality in Moana.
Implementing the cultural phenomenon element in the creative treatment of actuality aims at understanding the social life of the involved people and subjects. The interaction with the Samoa community during the shooting period allowed Flaherty to interact with the Samoans to understand and interpret the cultural aspects of the people. Cultural traditions in a community are essential in explaining their way of life. Samoans were known for engaging in festivals that would bring the society together. At the film’s end, Flaherty highlights the cultural rituals distinctive to the Samoan community. the community having a tattooing ceremony. The ceremony was a representation of the customs of the society. A young man in the film undergoes the painful tattoo tradition (Rotha, 2015). The tattoo ceremony represented the community’s tradition to allow the men to connect with society, grow to manhood, and be masculine. Flaherty uses the tattoo ceremony to indicate the relevance of the customs and traditions to the life of the Samoans. The ceremony would be an indication of the factual information about the community. His idea to showcase the ceremony at the end of the film was a creative way to conclude the cultural representation of the life of the people in Samoa. The filmmaker relied on selected cultural phenomena, such as the tattoo ceremony, to illustrate the significance of the creative representative of actuality.
In conclusion, as Grierson explained, the creative treatment of actuality tries to elaborate on the use of actual details in films. Flaherty utilized his cinematographic skills when making Moana to ensure that he captured details and aspects, demonstrating his creativity and ability to show actuality. The major aspects crystallizing of the creative treatment of actuality as represented in the Moana film include the filmmakers’ point of view, the use of actual recordings, and the incorporation of cultural phenomena. The key idea from the analysis is that Flaherty was able to implement the opportunity he had in spending time with the Samoans to bring out details showing the lives of the community members. The primary consideration was using the film to present the Samoans’ culture to the public. Thus, the creative treatment of actuality is evident in Flaherty’s Moana film by incorporating factual details.
References
Griffiths, A. (1999). ‘To the World the World We Show’: Early Travelogues as Filmed Ethnography. Film History, 11(6),
Moana (1926) [with Sound (1980) ] – Robert Flaherty. [Video].
Plantinga, C. (2005). What a Documentary Is, After All. The Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism, 63(2), 105-117.
Rotha, P. (2015). Moana and the Pacific. In book: Robert J. Flaherty: A Biography. University of Pennsylvania Press.
The creative treatment of actuality
The film Moana (1926) offers a distinctive glimpse into the Polynesian cultural world, inviting viewers to embark on a visual journey that unfurls the rich traditions, daily life, and the symbiotic relationship between the islanders and their breathtaking natural surroundings. According to Grierson, the concept of the creative treatment of reality explains what documentaries entail and the use of factual information and facts to produce a film for the world. In his production of the 1926 film Moana, Flaherty provides distinct details of the film to the public on the lives of the villagers in Samoa. The major consideration is the actual lifestyle of the community, hence the representation of an actuality. Flaherty’s perspective is that the details of the film should collaborate in illustrating the people’s connection to the real world. The three major elements embody the creative treatment of actuality evident in the Moana film are Flaherty’s point of view, the use of actual footage, and the selection of cultural phenomena in the film.
One of the elements representing creative treatment of actuality significant in film analysis is the filmmaker’s point of view and representation. Flaherty’s recording of Moana was due to an interest in understanding the community and the people’s lives. In his proposition to shoot the film, Flaherty explained to the chiefs that he admired the life of Samoa (Rotha, 2015). He was confident that it would be possible to achieve the patterns of the Nanook of the North while in Samoa. Setting up his laboratory in the village allowed Flaherty to shoot important aspects that would result in the efficient creation of the film. An example of the film’s adequate view and representation of the Samoa village is Pea’s climbing up a towering coconut tree and Moana and his brother hunting a wild boar and fishing (Moana, 1926). Other relevant examples of the shots by Flaherty that allowed him to have adequate details to create the film included the farming period, hunting, and festivals. Throughout the period he stayed with the community, Flaherty could select the contexts to display. Films should not be evaluated as simple records as post-structuralism theorists were quick to estimate (Plantinga, 2005). Instead, the major focus should be to interpret the meaning and context of the film in understanding the involved subjects. Thus, the element of point of view and representation is evident in the film as it helps elaborate Flaherty’s perception.
The other element exemplifying the creative treatment of actuality relevant in the film is the use of actual recordings of the actual people in their real living situations. Moana is filled with all the relevant raw, unedited images, videos that Flaherty observed during his stay in Samoa. Flaherty would spend time in his laboratory making the necessary video edits. According to Rotha (2015), Flaherty believed that using minimal industrial processes would make the film more pure. Examples of these pursuits in the film include the surf ridings, Igbo buildings, and the capture of a turtle. Additionally, Flaherty had footage of food harvesting and preparation that included the native foods of the Samoans, such as the taro root, which was their bread (Moana, 1926). Although documentary-making was not common during the shooting of the Moana scenes, Flaherty ensured to capture all the actual details in the community. Griffiths (1999) identifies that the ethnographic travelogue represented filmmaking when ethnographic film was not invented. In Moana, using actual recordings, including sound, was relevant in exhibiting their far-away life that the rest of the world knew little about. In any case, photos, videos, and sounds in films are symbolic representatives of the filmmakers’ intentions (Plantinga, 2005). The intention of Flaherty when making the film was, therefore, to recreate the life of the Nanook of the North through the Samoans. Using actual recordings of the people and the Samoa community was relevant in achieving the creative treatment of actuality in Moana.
Implementing the cultural phenomenon element in the creative treatment of actuality aims at understanding the social life of the involved people and subjects. The interaction with the Samoa community during the shooting period allowed Flaherty to interact with the Samoans to understand and interpret the cultural aspects of the people. Cultural traditions in a community are essential in explaining their way of life. Samoans were known for engaging in festivals that would bring the society together. At the film’s end, Flaherty highlights the cultural rituals distinctive to the Samoan community. the community having a tattooing ceremony. The ceremony was a representation of the customs of the society. A young man in the film undergoes the painful tattoo tradition (Rotha, 2015). The tattoo ceremony represented the community’s tradition to allow the men to connect with society, grow to manhood, and be masculine. Flaherty uses the tattoo ceremony to indicate the relevance of the customs and traditions to the life of the Samoans. The ceremony would be an indication of the factual information about the community. His idea to showcase the ceremony at the end of the film was a creative way to conclude the cultural representation of the life of the people in Samoa. The filmmaker relied on selected cultural phenomena, such as the tattoo ceremony, to illustrate the significance of the creative representative of actuality.
In conclusion, as Grierson explained, the creative treatment of actuality tries to elaborate on the use of actual details in films. Flaherty utilized his cinematographic skills when making Moana to ensure that he captured details and aspects, demonstrating his creativity and ability to show actuality. The major aspects crystallizing of the creative treatment of actuality as represented in the Moana film include the filmmakers’ point of view, the use of actual recordings, and the incorporation of cultural phenomena. The key idea from the analysis is that Flaherty was able to implement the opportunity he had in spending time with the Samoans to bring out details showing the lives of the community members. The primary consideration was using the film to present the Samoans’ culture to the public. Thus, the creative treatment of actuality is evident in Flaherty’s Moana film by incorporating factual details.
References
Griffiths, A. (1999). ‘To the World the World We Show’: Early Travelogues as Filmed Ethnography. Film History, 11(6),
Moana (1926) [with Sound (1980) ] – Robert Flaherty. [Video].
Plantinga, C. (2005). What a Documentary Is, After All. The Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism, 63(2), 105-117.
Rotha, P. (2015). Moana and the Pacific. In book: Robert J. Flaherty: A Biography. University of Pennsylvania Press.
Collepals.com Plagiarism Free Papers
Are you looking for custom essay writing service or even dissertation writing services? Just request for our write my paper service, and we'll match you with the best essay writer in your subject! With an exceptional team of professional academic experts in a wide range of subjects, we can guarantee you an unrivaled quality of custom-written papers.
Get ZERO PLAGIARISM, HUMAN WRITTEN ESSAYS
Why Hire Collepals.com writers to do your paper?
Quality- We are experienced and have access to ample research materials.
We write plagiarism Free Content
Confidential- We never share or sell your personal information to third parties.
Support-Chat with us today! We are always waiting to answer all your questions.
