Documentary Modes

The Poetic Mode: Associated with 1920’s,  'were a sort of reaction against both the content and the rapidly crystallizing grammar of the early fiction film.'

It moved away from 'continuity editing' and instead organised images of the material world by means of associations and patterns, both in terms of time and space.(http://girishshambu.blogspot.com/2006/12/six-types of-documentary.html)

Example: Joris Ivens- Regen (1929)

Joris Evens is a good example of a documentary film maker who uses this mode. It is described as a, ‘A poetic meditation on the transformation of a city by rain.'

A day in the life of a rain-shower. As a city symphony Joris Ivens films Amsterdam and its changing appearance during a rain-shower. A very poetic film with changing moods, following the change from sunny Amsterdam streets to rain drops in the canals and the pouring rain on windows, umbrellas, trams and streets, until it clears up and the sun breaks through once again.

REGEN (1929) http://www.ivens.nl/film29-5.htm

The Expository Mode: This is the use of 'Voice of God' narration, where social issues are tackled within an argumentative frame. This is a mode where tough situations are captured and shown to the audience to make them understand things like the scale of poverty or peoples poor living conditions. 

'The images of expository documentaries merely illustrate what the narrator is saying and appear to emphasise the 'objectivity' of that commentary; the images seem to show the voice-of-god is speaking the truth'. Bill Nichols (1991)

The Human Planet is a great example of the Expository mode: The voice of god invites the audience to interpret behaviour in human terms, which is often used in the wildlife documentaries as well. 

The Participatory Mode: The encounter between the film-maker and the subject is recorded. The film maker actively engages with the situation they are documenting. i.e. Interview, questions.

An Example of these modes:

Connie Field's documentary 'Have you heard from Johannesburg' is an example of the use of the Participatory and Expository mode.  It is 'seven documentary stories, produced and directed by Connie Field, chronicling the history of the global anti-apartheid movement that took on South Africa’s entrenched apartheid regime and its international supporters who considered South Africa an ally in the Cold War.' http://www.clarityfilms.org/joburg/

Political Reflexivity: Develops the audience’s awareness of the issue.

Example: Michael Moore's Roger and Me (1989)

This is a good example of how problems such as ‘corporate downsizing’ and other issues are shown in a ‘fresh and distinctive way.’ (Bill Nichols)

The Reflexive Mode: Awareness of the process. Acknowledges the presence of the viewer.The aim of the reflexive mode is not only to represent its subject but to demonstrate itself in the act of representing; in other words, the mode draws attention to its own codes. A documentary about, say, an election campaign, is also a documentary about making a documentary about an election campaign!

In a sense this is the direct opposite of the expository and observational modes, both of which attempt to convince us that we are not watching a carefully constructed documentary but rather have access to a 'window on the world'. The reflexive mode problematises what we are seeing by acknowledging the medium. 

The Man with a Movie Camera is an excellent example of the reflexive mode. Ertov's self-reflexivity (a modernist characteristic) consists of a number of techniques which draw attention to themselves.

Vertov is even self-reflexive about the cinema experience: his film opens by showing an audience entering the theatre and watching the film begin. (Documentary- Trigger sheet, Modes or types of documentary truth)

The Performative Mode: Acknowledges the emotional and subjective aspects of documentary and presents ideas as part of a context, having different meanings for different people, often in autobiographical in nature.

Nichols added this mode in 1994 and it refers to documentaries with on-screen investigators like Michael Moore , Nick Broomfield or Donal Macintyre. This a progression from 'objectivity' to 'subjectivity.'

The Observational Mode: A less intrusive manner of filming. Social actors are free to act and the documentarists are free to record without interacting with each other.

Example: The boy Mir:Ten years in Afghanistan (2011)

This is a great example of a documentary that uses the decisive moment to capture natural footage. For example, there is surprisingly personal footage where Mir’s parents are bickering about money and emotional issues such as Mir’s future and how they are going to cope. He films in an unobtrusive way, by being involved in their lives more like a ‘brother’ than someone filming them. He can speak their language which helps him to bond with the family and take a back seat to just watch their lives with a camera rather than actively ‘filming’ them.  This is further evidence of the observational mode. However, there are parts within the documentary where the participatory mode is clear, as there are encounters between the film maker and the subject. For example, when the boy asks questions directly to the camera we become aware of the presence of the film maker.

WILLIAM EGGLESTON

'Eggleston's early photographic efforts were inspired by the work of Swiss-born photographer Robert Frank, and by French photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson's book, The Decisive Moment.' 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Eggleston

I like how he represents 'man' in the image, as he uses litter rather than in a literal sense. It is shown through the mess that people have left behind in scenic landscapes. I love his use of colour, as it is quite ironic because  usually colour is used to show something in a positive way, whereas a photograph like the above would usually be a bit desaturated to show the negativity of the subject. 

HENRI-CARTIER BRESSON

Behind the Gare St. Lazare, Paris: Image from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Photo_cartierbresson_europe.jpg

‘Henri-Cartier Bresson was a French Photographer considered to be the father of modern photojournalism. He was an early adopter of 35mm format, and the master of candid photography. He helped develop the "street photography" or "real life reportage" style that has influenced generations of photographers who followed.’http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henri_Cartier-Bresson

He was one of the founders of ‘The decisive moment’ as he captures life as it is. I particularly like the image above as he has captured the light and dark elements in the moment really well. This photograph is one with many hidden representations, and one that people always recognise. I think that he has purposefully captured elements of it such as the shape of the fence, representing a trapped element, whereas the ladder represents trying to escape. The horseshoe shape on the floor could mean luck as this boy may succeed in trying to escape his current surrounding, or maybe just trying to escape society?

WALKER EVANS

Walker Evans made his first serious photographs in 1928, at the age of twenty four. 'His attempt to become a photographer seems to have been almost a wilful act of protest against a polite society in which young men did what was expected of them.' http://mastersof-photography.com/E/evans/evans_articles3.html

Although many of his photographs are of people aware of their photo being taken, I still think that this captures their lives as it is, and shows the harsh reality of a family living in poverty. It is not something that they can hide, even if they were better off.

The reflexive mode is clear in this image as they are aware of his presence.