49 Up
2006. Documentary. Directed by Michael Apted.
"I think this film is extremely important. It's important to me, but it seems to be important to other people as well. That doesn't make it an easy thing. It's an incredibly hard thing to be in. And I can't even begin to describe how emotionally draining and wrenching it is just to make the film and do the interviews - and that's even when I'm pretending that nobody else is watching it."
Those seven year olds that were captured on film in 1964 and revisited every seven years since are about to turn fifty. We have watched them grow and change, face obstacles and find success. Their stories, put together in this film series, are a profound reflection on our own. The dvd contains a half hour interview by Roger Ebert of director Michael Apted and in it, they ponder that you can't tell what events will happen to a person but perhaps by age seven you can see how that person will respond when those events occur. It is an interesting thought. The Up Documentaries are an engrossing and fascinating film experience. The latest installment does not disappoint. We find Nick divorced and Tony happy to be a grandpa. Jackie gets very frustrated with Apted on camera and I found that fascinating as well. One of the new elements of 49 Up is that being in the film series becomes an open focus of the interviews and becomes a very interesting topic. In that interview with Ebert, Apted states, "It dignifies the ordinary life." Their challenges, mistakes, and achievements are all preserved, and you understand the difficulty that they have in participating, but all but two continue to do so. By becoming involved in their lives through the film, we are offered countless insights into ordinary life in all its frustration and glory.
My grade: A
"I think this film is extremely important. It's important to me, but it seems to be important to other people as well. That doesn't make it an easy thing. It's an incredibly hard thing to be in. And I can't even begin to describe how emotionally draining and wrenching it is just to make the film and do the interviews - and that's even when I'm pretending that nobody else is watching it."
Those seven year olds that were captured on film in 1964 and revisited every seven years since are about to turn fifty. We have watched them grow and change, face obstacles and find success. Their stories, put together in this film series, are a profound reflection on our own. The dvd contains a half hour interview by Roger Ebert of director Michael Apted and in it, they ponder that you can't tell what events will happen to a person but perhaps by age seven you can see how that person will respond when those events occur. It is an interesting thought. The Up Documentaries are an engrossing and fascinating film experience. The latest installment does not disappoint. We find Nick divorced and Tony happy to be a grandpa. Jackie gets very frustrated with Apted on camera and I found that fascinating as well. One of the new elements of 49 Up is that being in the film series becomes an open focus of the interviews and becomes a very interesting topic. In that interview with Ebert, Apted states, "It dignifies the ordinary life." Their challenges, mistakes, and achievements are all preserved, and you understand the difficulty that they have in participating, but all but two continue to do so. By becoming involved in their lives through the film, we are offered countless insights into ordinary life in all its frustration and glory.
My grade: A
posted by Keith Allison at 5:04 PM
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