There are two kinds of peoÂple in this world: those who recÂogÂnize the phrase “corny diaÂlogue that would make the pope weep,” and those who don’t. If you fall into the forÂmer catÂeÂgoÂry, your mind is almost cerÂtainÂly filled with images of bleak MidÂwestÂern winÂters, modÂest trailÂer homes, hoodÂed figÂures smashÂing an already-junkÂyard-worÂthy car, and above all, one man tryÂing — and tryÂing, and tryÂing — to put anothÂer man’s head through a kitchen cabÂiÂnet. If you fall into the latÂter catÂeÂgoÂry, it’s high time you watched AmerÂiÂcan Movie, Chris Smith and Sara Price’s docÂuÂmenÂtary about a hapÂless aspirÂing WisÂconÂsin horÂror filmÂmakÂer Mark BorÂchardt that has, in the 25 years since its release, become a minor culÂturÂal pheÂnomÂeÂnon unto itself.
AmerÂiÂcan Movie rightÂfulÂly occuÂpies the top spot in the new CinÂeÂma CarÂtogÂraÂphy video above, which ranks the fifÂteen greatÂest docÂuÂmenÂtaries of all time. The list feaÂtures well-known works by the most acclaimed docÂuÂmenÂtary filmÂmakÂers alive today, like FredÂerÂick WiseÂman’s TitiÂcut FolÂlies, which capÂtures a talÂent show at an instiÂtuÂtion for the “crimÂiÂnalÂly insane”; Errol MorÂris’ The Thin Blue Line, which proved instruÂmenÂtal in solvÂing the very murÂder case it examÂines; and WernÂer HerÂzog’s GrizÂzly Man, which deals in HerÂzog’s sigÂnaÂture heightÂened yet matÂter-of-fact manÂner with the ironÂic fate of an eccenÂtric bear enthuÂsiÂast.
DocÂuÂmenÂtary film has expeÂriÂenced someÂthing of a popÂuÂlar renaisÂsance over the past few decades, beginÂning in 1994 with Steve James’ AcadÂeÂmy Award-winÂning Hoop Dreams (which comes in at numÂber sevÂen). More recent examÂples of docÂuÂmenÂtaries that have gone relÂaÂtiveÂly mainÂstream include Joshua OppenÂheimer’s The Act of Killing (numÂber three), in which parÂticÂiÂpants in IndoneÂsiÂa’s mass politÂiÂcal vioÂlence of the nineÂteen-sixÂties recall their own bruÂtalÂiÂty in detail, and O.J.: Made in AmerÂiÂca (numÂber five), which revisÂits the “triÂal of the cenÂtuÂry” now so close and yet so far in our culÂturÂal memÂoÂry. There are also intriguÂing films of a much lowÂer proÂfile, like William Greaves’ chaotÂic SymÂbiopsyÂchotaxÂiÂplasm: Take One and the late Jonas Mekas’ epiÂcalÂly but modÂestÂly autoÂbiÂoÂgraphÂiÂcal As I Was MovÂing Ahead OccaÂsionÂalÂly I Saw Brief Glimpses of BeauÂty.
If you watch only one of these fifÂteen docÂuÂmenÂtaries, make it AmerÂiÂcan Movie, which repays repeatÂed viewÂings over a quarÂter-cenÂtuÂry (as I can perÂsonÂalÂly conÂfirm) with not just its comÂeÂdy — intenÂtionÂal or uninÂtenÂtionÂal — but also its insight — again, intenÂtionÂal or uninÂtenÂtionÂal — into the nature of creÂation, friendÂship, and human exisÂtence itself. “If ever, in your creÂations, there’s doubt, or you ever feel like you’ve lost your way, if there was ever a film to watch, to realign yourÂself, it is AmerÂiÂcan Movie,” says The CinÂeÂma CarÂtogÂraÂphy creÂator Lewis Bond. Even those of us not dedÂiÂcatÂed to any parÂticÂuÂlar art form could stand to be remindÂed on occaÂsion that, as BorÂchardt memÂoÂrably puts it, “life is kinÂda cool someÂtimes.”
RelatÂed ConÂtent:
50 Must-See DocÂuÂmenÂtaries, SelectÂed by 10 InfluÂenÂtial DocÂuÂmenÂtary FilmÂmakÂers
PorÂtrait WernÂer HerÂzog: The Director’s AutoÂbiÂoÂgraphÂiÂcal Short Film from 1986
The 10 GreatÂest DocÂuÂmenÂtaries of All Time AccordÂing to 340 FilmÂmakÂers and CritÂics
Based in Seoul, ColÂin Marshall writes and broadÂcasts on cities, lanÂguage, and culÂture. His projects include the SubÂstack newsletÂter Books on Cities, the book The StateÂless City: a Walk through 21st-CenÂtuÂry Los AngeÂles and the video series The City in CinÂeÂma. FolÂlow him on TwitÂter at @colinmarshall or on FaceÂbook.
These movies are only about men and vioÂlence.