Non-narrative documentary films can be presented in different types of form, which according to Bordwell and Thompson in Film Art: An Introduction, (2006), pp. 342-370.

Firstly, categorical form. These categories don’t have to be strict and exhaustive, they can blend with each other. These films may have simple and logical patterns of progression – however, they can also risk boring the audience if the categories are too dull. An example cited by Bordwell and Thompson is the film Gap Toothed Women, directed by Les Blank, who has chosen a category that is both interesting and broad enough to include a variety of women.

Rhetorical form is seen within a film where the filmmaker is presenting a persuasive argument. The filmmaker is trying to persuade an audience to have a certain opinion and act on it. There are different types of arguments, including arguments from source, subject centred arguments, and viewer centred arguments.

Abstract form and associational form are characteristic, but not limited to, of experimental film. A good example of abstract form is Ballet Mecanique (1923-1924), which is organised by shapes, colours, forms and music. Ballet Mecanique is interesting for me because it manages to make me feel incredibly uncomfortable – through a combination of discordant sounds and the odd combination of images. It is therefore very successful at shaping my experience of the film.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QV9-l-rXOE

Associational form relies on grouping images together to suggest ideas. Bordwell and Thompson compared some aspects of associational form to poetry, and techniques of simile and metaphor used within that.

I thought these are interesting ways of looking at non-narrative film. Some aspects of this had already been covered earlier in Introduction to Cinema Studies, so it was helpful to have further discussion about this to help me gain greater understanding.