Primary, 1960, 53 minutes, directed and filmed by Robert Drew and Richard Leacock initiated a documentary style in which the filmmakers became observers. This form of documenting actuality became known as “Direct Cinema.” According Richard Leacock, the style of filmmaking used in Primary is not Cinema Verite, which he equates with the notion of a constantly moving camera.

One of the key differences between Direct Cinema and Cinema Verite is that Direct Cinema is about observing and not interfering with events. The subject and events are observed, recorded and later edited into a story.  Cinema Verite in many instances provokes events and involves the filmmakers in the actuality in hopes of finding some truth as an outcome of that involvement. Both approaches were facilitated by the invention of lightweight, portable camera and sync sound equipment that was developed after World War II.

There is no clear style of Direct Cinema or Cinema Verite in Primary. It seems like Robert Drew, the director, was still experimenting with various techniques based on a number of innovations. The first innovation was sync sound shooting. Drew and Leakcock, with the help of others, developed lightweight equipment that would allow them to record picture and sound synchronously (sync sound). It was Drew’s basic idea to record events without asking questions or doing interviews. To simply record events as they happened. In the editing room they would structure story out of this footage “directly” recorded and not interfered with in anyway.

But Drew was making Primary for television so a number of concessions appear to have been made.  The film opens with a voice over, third party introduction. It then intercuts actuality footage of both Hubert Humphrey and John F Kennedy campaigning in Wisconsin in a lead up to the Primary elections in that state. This footage is observationally recording events and action. A number of times it is obvious that an interview question has been asked of someone. There are man-on-the-street interviews and interviews in the poling place on Election Day. Probably for legal reasons the interviews in the poling place are heard voice over shots of the feet of people at counters filling out ballots.

Primary is an interesting documentary in that it captures the campaign process from behind the scenes in both camps. It does not favor either candidate. What it does show by simply recording actual events is the basic “rock star” status of JFK as he makes the rounds as opposed to Hubert Humphrey pounding the pavement passing out cards to prospective voters and their families. The film covers the campaign right up to election night with scenes of John F Kennedy and Hubert Humphrey listening to the election results as they come in. Viewing Primary fifty years after that election shows that some things have not changed and others have changed quite a bit.

Much of the footage was shot hand held but it is not jerky or moving around all the time. It’s shot in an intimate, spontaneous fashion. In addition to the sync sound camera, non sound cameras were used to get additional footage to be used in editing.
As a documentary, breaking new ground,  Primary is well worth watching. There are some interviews and commentary included on the DVD in which the filmmakers explain what they were trying to do and how they got started.

JRMartin

INTERVIEW AND TRAILER PRIMARY

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BOB DYLAN – DON’T LOOK BACK – 1965 – 96 minutes – Produced by Leacock-Pennebaker Inc – Directed and Edited by D. A. Pennebaker is, by American standards, a “Direct Cinema,” or in a broader context, Cinema Verite documentary.  For example in the opening scene, Dylan is standing in a back alley as he flips through a large number of cue cards with some of the words to Subterranean Homesick Blues on them. He flips them over in sync with the song being performed voice over.  Alan Ginzberg can be seen in the background having a conversation with someone. The idea to do the scene for the film was Dylan’s. The filmmakers agreed to film it.

From the time Dylan arrives in London and throughout the documentary there is a sense that we are there with Dylan and his entourage as they meet news reporters and fans. D.A. Pennebaker’s camera work is intimate and observational. This approach is internal rather than external. The camera is observing from the POV of the subjects rather than from the outside or a third person perspective.

In Don’t Look Back there are no interviews conducted by the filmmakers. However, Dylan is interviewed by a number of reporters. These observed interviews become part of the story and are recorded from Dylan’s POV. At one point a reporter representing Time Magazine attempts to interview Dylan. Dylan turns the interview around and basically interviews the reporter when he’s not lecturing him.

At this point in his career Dylan is essentially known as a folk singer whose songs are socially relevant. Dylan on several occasions rejects the notion that he’s a folk singer, that his songs have a message or that he is angry about anything. When he sits down to be interviewed by a patronizing BBC reporter he is asked how he got started and if he felt any hostility because of his humanitarian stand and songs about racism. Before we can hear the answers there is a dissolve to footage of Dylan singing The Times They Are A-Changing to some migrant farm workers. As the workers applaud him the scene dissolves to a concert performance in England where the audience applauds his singing the song as well.

Don’t Look Back has a great blend of concert footage and many moments behind the scenes as Dylan and his staff deal with fans, reporters and schedules. Also times relaxing, attending a party or listening to Joan Baez singing “Turn, Turn Again” in a hotel room as Dylan types something on a typewriter. Dylan and Baez have just finished a tour together and she was visiting his tour of England. At one point Dylan meets up with Donavan, a popular Scottish folk singer. Dylan’s manager negotiates an appearance with an agent and BBC in another scene.

The notion to observe and not interfere with the action yields and intimate and spontaneous feel to the characters and the story.  This is achieved through an observational Direct Cinema documentary approach. While inserting a film crew into any situation cannot help but have some influence on the participants, this style of documentary filmmaking tries to make itself as invisible as possible thereby brining the viewer into the story as if they were there too. The ability to do this was made possible by the introduction of lightweight camera and sound equipment.

JRMartin

SCENE FROM BOB DYLAN DON’T LOOK BACK

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SALESMAN – 1968 – 91 minutes – A film by Albert Maysles, David Maysles, Charlotte Zwerin – Janus Films – Criterion Collection – Salesman brings the viewer face-to-face with what it’s like to be a traveling, door-to-door salesperson, in this case selling bibles. Salesman goes beyond the notion of selling bibles and knocking on doors. The film is a first hand experience of what it’s like to be a salesperson under any circumstance.

The story begins with one of the salesmen, Paul Brennan, nicknamed “The Badger”, in a living room trying to sell a bible to a woman. Her young daughter yawns as Paul makes his pitch. It’s pretty clear he’s not going to make this sale as the young girl plunks the keys of the piano. Another salesman, Charles Mc Devitt, “The Gippper,” is introduced knocking on a door and being turned away. Each of the four Irish American salesmen, from Boston, are introduced before they meet back at the Pleasant Valley Motel where they are staying. The four salesmen exchange the days up and downs and how many sales they made that evening. After a short time the scene dissolves to a sales seminar where the salespeople are lectured about how to sell. After the sales meeting it’s back on the road following up on leads in a new territory.

The Maysles brothers, David and Albert, describe their technique of making documentaries as  “Cinema Direct” a process by which they film the subject purely as observers. The only thing asked of the subject is permission to record them. They do not ask people to sit or come in the door a certain way. They record what is there with no attempt to “arrange” things. All of the handheld camera work is excellent with a variety of shots and coverage. Shooting appears to have been done with one film camera and one audio recorder that are in sync. No interviews were conducted.

Albert Maysles feels their style of documentary filmmaking is different from Cinema Verite in that they do not presume to be filming “truth;” in their view assuming this would be pretentious and arrogant. The Maysels’ feel their recording of the subject is subjective since they choose what to shoot and how to shoot it.

Once the filmmakers get into the editing room there is another layer of subjectivity apparent in deciding what footage to use. During the editing process the filmmakers look for the story and the meaning of what has been observed and recorded.  The unique aspect of “Cinema Direct,” is that the footage, being edited, is purely observational, nothing has been staged.

As the film progresses the four salesmen are observed back on the road, driving in the snow, making stops with no results and moving on. During these scenes you begin to see what their life is like and how they go about selling the bibles. Their routine is going from home to home making a pitch, having conversations with their clients, and as they have lunch or take a break talking about their experiences.  At times it’s like you’re sitting in the car driving with Paul as he sings, “Wish I were a rich man…,” on the way to the next lead, then trudging through the snow to the next door and next pitch. The salesmen all use various sales devices in their presentations that may go a bit far in persuading the prospects to buy a very expensive book by 1968 standards. One salesman seems desperate as he persuades a housewife to buy a bible without waiting to talk it over with her husband .

The style of filming is intimate, giving the viewer the feeling of actually being there and experiencing the days and nights with these salesmen. Part of the Maysels’ technique is that the filmmakers are unobtrusive enough that the subjects appear to forget they are being recorded. Even so, there are times when it is obvious that the subjects are performing a bit for the camera. In one scene a husband turns on some music which almost drowns out the conversation of the salesman and the wife buying the book. The salesmen make inside jokes while selling that only the filmmakers would understand.

In the case of Paul, and his decline emotionally after not making enough sales, Salesman may be the real life version of “Death of a Salesman.” Salesman is a study in what it takes to be a salesperson, and what it costs emotionally to be involved in selling people something they may not really need and possibly may not be able to afford. The salesmen in the documentary deal with rejection and other issues in this classic American “Direct Cinema” Documentary. Salesman, as a documentary about being a salesperson, offers a timeless glimpse into some aspects of that profession.

JRMartin

TRAILER SALESMAN

Tags: Bob Dylan, cinema verite, direct cinema, Documentary Film Review, Political campaign, Salesman

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