Week 2 Screening 1.

Forks over Knives. 2011. Lee Fulkerson.

The introductory documentary scenes that place the viewer into the context of the film is a montage of warnings about the diet of americans. News headlines are used (giving an official but alarmist tone) in a montage that compacts the information in an attemt to consolidate the its force. The same effect is used in the editing; the picture frames moving towards the viewer for greater emphasis, constant foregrounding. Use of illustrative graphics to reinforce what is being said, once again attempting to forground the weight of the information conveyed. Editing is used to emphasize a speech for example, when the footage is magnified for the punchline of the quote. The Style of the documentary is most definately expository, with the emphasis on information and substance over style. For the first 3 minutes and 50 seconds of the introduction there is no original footage used, the entire section is created in post production using resourced footage. Forks over knives takes on the same subject as Super Size Me in an information providing context and with a less populist tone. Pitched as a look at the food eaten by the average american, the producer explores the subject by setting out to interview people who are of the same viewpoint as himself. Only once this position is established do we then hear from someone who is of a different viewpoint, although this is immediately undercut and rebuffed by the information that follows. This gives the impression that the documentary was formatted with a viewpoint in mind, right or wrong it is far from objective. The footage is interspersed with facts and figures that support the pitch of the documentary; the unhealthy diet of americans. Woven into this maelstrom of information the producer inserts a case study of somebody who is feeling the ill effects of having lived on a bad diet. An interweaving of storylines that complement each other giving the overall narative a sense of depth. The editing is regularly structured to reinforce and backup the information being disclosed and the theme. Instead of being an emperical collection of information this reinforcement has the effect of forcing the viewpoint presented. The documentary indicts the western diet but not unlike a lawyer it presents its case with an argument in mind making it hard to disagree. Use of quotes and proverbs that are without substantiation (often anonymous) are indicitave of the bias of the film maker. The director also presents and provides the commentary, this foregrounding of the directors personality colours the documentaries voice. His personal story which begins the documentary, encapsulates it by also ending towards the end of the documentary. Where it began with the problem it ends with the solution, thus providing the narative arc with a formulaic happy ending of sorts.