Maysles - 1975
A fascinating film simply by what it shows. formally there is an interesting move in the history of the documentary. As far as form, the Maysles are there, mentioned, seen in mirrors and so on, but provide no voiceover (there is great effort to use newspapers and so on). The camera moves in and out, actually pretty steady a lot of the time, generally making some comment by framing a particular person.
The subject does have moral problems; are we exploiting vulnerable people? There are great images, especially the racoons and the binoculars, but to what purpose? To show a characiatured life? The people are too complex to really allow reduction, and have a wonderful understanding with the filmmakers; their gnomic statements can be read as metaphysical, but I think it's better to analyse them as part of society.
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