After viewing Mitchell Block’s No Lies, one cannot help but think of the ethics involved in documentary filmmaking. Block himself must have had a fairly good understanding of these ethics because he did something to his film that took it from a film that was an invasion of the poor girl’s privacy to something less unscrupulous. He added credits to let the viewer know that the film was fiction. In doing this, the viewer can feel a little jilted if they had sympathy for the rape victim in the story, but they end up feeling relieved that it didn’t really happen to her. What would have been the reaction if there was no writing or directing credit at the end, and it was presented as a true documentary? It seems that the film may have gained more attention, because the controversy involved would have certainly opened more eyes. After that, Block would have to come clean, then be burned at the stake. His credibility as a filmmaker would be lost and he would probably have a hard time finding a job. Perhaps he knew all of this ahead of time and decided to head it off at the pass and just put those credits in the end. It ends up being a subtle shock, but not the public outrage it could have been.
4 comments:
I agree, Block definitely would have been "burned at the stake" had he not disclosed at the end of the film that it was "fake" and people found out on their own. I think the film gained more attention, though, as it was and not as it could have been because the "fake out" was so controversial, but at the same time from what I read audiences at the time transferred all of their anger that this woman had been raped to anger at the filmmaker for being emotionally manipulative and for presenting what they then considered to be "a lie". I think it took alot of analysis and dialogue to get back to the real point of the film. As far as Block goes, I'm not sure he was thinking too far beyond "I'm in film school and I'm a smart*ss and I'm going to do something controversial and clever that will piss off such and such professor that I hate" or "that will impress the hell out of such and such professor". He didn't really go on to do anything else that I could find, so I think it's a rather brilliant fluke whether he meant it to be or not.
Steve Mccann makes a good point in his blog on No Lies. Director Mitchell Block’s no holds barred approach to this subject matter is what keeps the viewers interested, appalled even. I agree if there weren’t the credits at the end, Block would have been burned.
Hey I am a media student in India. I want the documentary no lies but its not available here. Can you please help me in any way
This article I wrote might be helpful: ttp://docunomics.blogspot.com/2008/12/truth-about-no-lies-if-you-can-believe.html
Mitchell Block
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