Documentaries and Subjectivity

In our world today, documentaries have become a great way for our society and it’s filmmakers to communicate their ideas about the world and how it functions, and we often assume that this communication is done objectively. Quite frequently, this is the case, as it can be very challenging to develop an opinion on the ecosystem of the Mediterranean Sea, which is ultimately based solely on facts. A man by the name of Jack C. Ellis, a film professor at Northwestern, maintains that, “documentary film has to be subjective in order to entertain audiences, make money, and bring about change”. While the claim Ellis makes may be somewhat extreme, the underlying idea he presents is largely accurate. Although it is not impossible for an un-biased, opinion-free documentary to gain a resonable amount of attention, such as the documentary covering the ecosystem of the Mediterranean, there is unquestionably a large amount of factors preventing it from making the impact that it’s opponents would, specifically opponents that take a step toward providing an argument to be put under speculation. It may very easily be said that documentary films that fail to restrict emotion will be rejected, because audiences do not like receiving a one-sided story. However, while this is a widely supported position, it could also be said that the emotion or opinion added to a documentary often serves as a focus for the piece, or a jumping off point to get things started.

The world of documentary films is extremely large, and in fact the genre itself is constantly expanding. Films of this sort cover topics ranging from life in the ocean to life in the prison camps of Hitler during World War II. When delving into a genre of films that is so vast, a subjective presentation is practically imperative to personalize each film and connect it to the audience. The lines between films would be horribly blurred if not for the opinions of their creators that work to strengthen the functionality of a piece, and in effect show the audience how the creator truly feels. When imagining a documentary film, an action-packed scene full of stunt doubles and dramatic appearances is not the first thing that comes to mind. Films that fall into the documentary category often lack the special effects often seen in adventure and sci-fi movies that draw an audience in. Covering a topic, especially a topic widely recognized as controversial, would be nearly pointless without some form of opinion, and could easily be misconceived as inconsequential. A documentary film that focused on the prison camps perpetrated by Hitler in World War II would be quickly dismissed if it were to simply state the facts of the events that took place in these terrible places. The author would come off as inhumane and incapable of empathy, while the families of the millions killed, and even the audience themselves, would be left feeling empty and unfulfilled. Documentaries like this are the reason that being subjective can be so essential to the success of a documentary. They give a purpose to an otherwise dull or futile endeavor and bring closure to views that might otherwise be left feeling lost.

The films that the word “documentaries” spark in our mind are notoriously focused on topics like the fish of the Atlantic Ocean and Italian culture, which very rarely develop a strong opinion on the part of the audience or the filmmaker, and leave the imaginer thinking of a presentation that could not possibly be anything but objective. More and more in our society, documentaries have become known to tackle some very controversial issues, namely issues that are widely debated by people around the country. These issues are not to be taken lightly and require a strong person to take the backlash. Documentaries that focus on tougher subjects, such as gay marriage or the terrorist