Angels, stones, hunters: murder, celebrity and direct cinema
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Date
2011
Authors
Taylor, Aaron
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Taylor & Francis
Abstract
Direct cinema’s attempt to withhold itself from the world is ethically problematic.
The helplessness of documentary subjects and audiences is underscored by this
observational style. In Gimme Shelter – a concert film by Albert and David
Maysles and Charlotte Zwerin about the Rolling Stones and the fatal violence at
the Altamont Speedway Free Festival – social actors are forced to submit to a
representational frame they cannot ‘see’, let alone access. Moreover, the
audience’s own distance from the pro-filmic events is doubly assured: the film
maker’s policy of non-interference precludes and/or renders moot a viewer’s
impossible desire to intercede on the subjects’ behalf.
Description
Sherpa Romeo green journal. This is a pre-copyedited version of an article accepted for publication in Studies in Documentary Film following peer review. The definitive publisher-authenticated version is available through Taylor & Francis.
Keywords
Direct cinema , Ethics , Documentary , Murder , Celebrity , Power
Citation
Taylor, A. (2011). Angels, stones, hunters: Murder, celebrity and direct cinema. Studies in Documentary Film, 5(1), 45-60.