Film on Film: Five great movies about movies
Inspired by critic Kent Jones' Hitchcock/Truffaut, we pay tribute to those great ouroboroi of cinema: films about film. Below are five of the best, from a doc about one German filmmaker going crazy in the Amazon to a 15-hour paean to the moving image.
It is perhaps hardly surprising that film and all its various elements have often proved to be fascinating subject matter for reflective and reflexive filmmakers. The magic of cinema is what draws many to their chosen profession and many of them eventually turn their camera inwards to celebrate their most abiding passion; some weaving this into the fabric of a narrative, others employ a non-fictional framework. With Hitchcock/Truffaut – the new documentary about the week-long 1962 conversation between the Master of Suspense and the key Nouvelle Vague personality – playing at Glasgow Film Festival, we wanted to turn our own loving eye to some of the other great documentaries about the movies.
Burden of Dreams (1982)
In the wake of the DVD revolution, behind-the-scenes documentaries have become ten-a-penny, giving film lovers additional tidbits of flavour about their favourite movies. The towering achievements of this subgenre, however, are those that witness the chaos of the most infamous productions and Les Blank's Burden of Dreams is one of the greatest examples. The story of Werner Herzog's slow descent into his own brand of madness behind the camera of the magnificent Fitzcarraldo, it's an extraordinary and unflinching account of art and life imitating each other, even during the creative process.
Jodorowsky’s Dune (2013)
Alejandro Jodorowsky's aborted plans to film an adaptation of Frank Herbert's Dune are the stuff of the wildest 'what if...' daydreams. Frank Pavich's 2013 doc Jodorowsky's Dune was a glorious opportunity to revel in the near-miss of what might have been a cult classic from a true cinematic visionary. It was set to be a heady concoction: H.R. Giger and comics artist Moebius were set to design a film featuring a cast peppered with the likes of Orson Welles, Salvador Dali and Mick Jagger. The doc even goes as far as to question whether this almost-film would have changed the landscape of blockbuster cinema forever. Even if not, it's a fascinating glimpse at the charismatic director and his grandest ambitions.
Side by Side (2012)
The rise of digital technology is arguably the most important development in cinema in the last 90 years and this subject gets a thorough, informative and entertaining treatment in Side by Side. Directed by Christopher Kenneally and produced by Keanu Reeves (who also acts Side by Side's tour guide and interviewer) the film explores various aspects of the process shift from celluloid to digital and the future of filmmaking with a veritable panoply of fascinating and engaged talking heads. Among those discussing whether digital cinematography is evolution or disaster include directors such as Martin Scorsese, David Fincher and David Lynch, and cinematographers like Anthony Dod Mantel, Wally Pfister and John Mathieson.
Electric Boogaloo: The Wild, Untold Story of Cannon Films (2014)
Coming from a similar angle as Alex Stapleton's doc Corman's World, Electric Boogaloo is a hugely enjoyable ride through the potty history of Cannon Films and its head honchos, Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus. "It's hard to say the words 'Cannon Films' without laughing," chuckles one of the talking heads as Mark Hartley's film careens through the studio's enormous, zeitgeist-capturing success and their over-reaching downfall. All the while, the documentary is punctuated with clips and images from the vast array of bizarre and hilarious titles – from Breakin' to Superman IV: The Quest for Peace via too many vehicles for the two Chucks (Norris and Bronson) to mention.
The Story of Film: An Odyssey (2011)
There could hardly be a more comprehensive love letter to the medium of film than Mark Cousins' 15 hour voyage, The Story of Film. It was described as the cinematic event of the year by the Telegraph when it first screened as a 15 episode television mini-series in 2011. Guided by the narration of Cousins’ own Ulster lilt, it’s a glorious journey through film's past and present that seeks to reframe audiences' perceptions of what has come before and challenge the myopic, westernised view of cinema history. Cousins’ incredible breadth of knowledge and his unwavering passion for cinema make this an absolute 'must watch'.
Hitchcock/Truffaut screens at Glasgow Film Festival: 25 Feb, GFT, 3.45pm (read our review)
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