The thing that sticks out most to me in the film “Nobody’s Business” is the use of sound. There are many sound effects that have been added to the film such as ticking and ringing that add an extra “umph” to the film. Alan Berliner has a very clear idea of how he wanted his film to look. Whenever there was an argument with his father (and there are many), there is a boxing scene interlaced into the film. The purpose of the documentary was to talk to his father and to find out information about him, their immediate family, and their extended family. However, Oscar, his father, is very stubborn and very resistant to many of the questions his son asks him.
I really like the dynamics between the interviewer and interviewee. Since the interviewer is the interviewee’s son, the interviewee feels very comfortable and open in showing his unwillingness to answer many of the questions posed by his son. Alan is pushing extremely hard to open his father up and in a sense stop him from being a Berliner for an hour to really share some information. Oscar Berliner kept saying that he was no one special and that he had nothing interesting to share and that no one would want to watch the film. I cannot agree with Oscar Berliner. I see something special in Oscar, something that Alan, his son, saw as well.
Oscar was an extremely strong person and I laughed many times throughout the film even though it was not meant to be a comedy. I was so charmed by how unfriendly and un-charming he was acting. Many times old people are stubborn and set in their ways and have strong opinions. While this was frustrating for Alan, I found it almost endearing. All Alan wants to do is to get his dad to care about what he cares about. Although Oscar is bitter and stubborn even through the credits, we see glimpses of emotion from Oscar throughout the film. There are many times when I did not buy Oscar’s grouchy act. Finding out about the divorce between him and his wife and how he wanted to remain married answers many questions. Oscar is lonely and his son recognizes this. As much as Oscar resisted the interview, it made him feel special and like he had a purpose and that he was loved. Even if the film had gone nowhere, it would have been beneficial for him and his family. But it did go somewhere and people did care, including me, and that is the beautiful thing about documentary.
I agree with everything you said Brenna. I also thought Nobody’s Business was a fantastic example of how a film can make the audience like someone who may be grumpy or unlovable at first glance. One of my favorite aspects of the film was the honesty. Oscar didn’t try to censor himself for the camera. He said what was on his mind. If he wanted to, he swore. If he was angry or annoyed, he wasn’t afraid to show it. In response to his son’s statement, “You should be honored,” he answered, “I’m not.” He was blunt and raw.
ReplyDeleteI also liked how Alan chose to include shots and sequences that some filmmakers may have considered a mistake to use. Since Oscar couldn’t hear one of the questions, Alan asked him repeatedly why he had recorded home movies. Then they proceeded to have a short conversation about his hearing aid and how it worked. It was very interesting that he chose to keep these shots and conversations and it helped us learn about their relationship as father and son and how they interacted.
The editing also demonstrated Oscar’s stubbornness. The film didn’t seem long, because it was edited in a way that allowed us to watch the story of his life unfold. The more time we spent with them, the more we learned and because he wouldn’t open up immediately, obtaining information about him and from him was a long process. He had experienced difficulties in life and avoided certain things in order to escape disappointment. Yet, for us to learn these things, we had to take the journey with Alan, which I think might be one reason behind why he chose to show the entire process of working with his dad to obtain these crucial story elements.
Since this is the only post I've seen about a doc that I've actually seen, I'm gonna comment on this one. This is by far one of my favorite doc of all time, one of the reasons is the subject, he's so awesome. I think the reason why he is so likable because he doesn't actually want to be. Actually I just realized something as I'm writing this. I think the reason why I think he's so awesome because he's like the crazy but cool guy in a fictional film, where it wouldn't be to please to meet in real life... like Jack Sparrow, or Clint Eastwood in Grand Tornio . ... I'm not sure what else I should say... except maybe someday I'll end up as cool and crazy as him...
ReplyDeleteThe only thing I've seen of this film was what Brad showed us in class that one day, and I remember also being really intrigued with the sound design. The clip was an amazing example of how you can use sound to your advantage! Sound design and using things like the "pings" and the boxing ring sounds are not easy to get away with unless you're consistent, which it seems like he is. I've seen plenty of movies where there are random sounds but they aren't consistent so I feel like I was pulled from the movie for that moment for no reason at all. Films that can successfully use unique sound design and get away with it are amazing pieces of work.
ReplyDeleteAs far as the character of Oscar, I can totally understand how you loved him even though he's a bitter old man. Every time I watch "A Christmas Carol" I can't help but love Scrooge in the beginning because he's just a sarcastic, awful man and who CAN'T relate to those types of people? Everyone has been in that spot emotionally where they just hate the world and all the people in it. I definitely find the content of the film interesting, but I can easily see myself loving the movie more for the characters than what it was saying. That's a big part of a documentary: having interesting characters.
Thanks for your review of the film! It's currently on my Netflix instant queue and I can't wait to check it out in it's full glory!