Analysis & Reflection #1 – Question 3

In this week’s lecture, scenes from Scott Ruo’s ‘Four Images’, Brian Hill’s ‘Drinking for England’ and Chantal Akerman’s ‘D’Est’ were screened. Choose one of these, and consider, in a single paragraph, what might have intrigued, interested, displeased or repelled you.

In Brian Hill’s ‘Drinking for England’, what made me question the whole concept of documentary, was that this documentary was a musical. It had singing, choreography, harmony, melody, the works. It kind of made me feel a little alienated, but that’s because musical documentary was and is foreign to me. However, I did find it interesting how the subject matter was something that a lot of men could relate to. As a ‘youth’, I felt like I was looking into some arid future which could be a possibility for myself if I don’t play my cards right in life. It could happen to anyone. This made me feel engaged and somewhat disturbed. It was almost like a Monty Python ‘Always Look on the Bright Side of Life’ skit; just the upbeat tempo and charisma of the music, singing about spending every last dollar he made, right up to his 40th birthday, on alcohol, cigarettes, drugs, and a good time. From an analytical filmmakers point of view, the only thing I can say that I found a bit jading was the fact that in one shot, he was pressed up against a roller door, or wall, in an alleyway, singing along about his sorrows. The bright light and the urban mise en scene, along with his casual pose up against the wall only portrayed a 1980’s N.W.A or MC Hammer kind of feel, rather than an anglo-saxon ‘drowning my tears in a pint of Fosters’ contrasted with a juxtapositional happy musical kind of vibe.