«
»
ReelPolitik
A blog about film and politics, and the politics of filmmaking.
Anthony Kaufman is a film journalist and critic, who has written for the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, the Chicago Tribune, the Village Voice and Slate, and contributes regularly to Variety, indieWIRE, the Wall Street Journal Online and the Utne Reader.
[Email Me]
Articles
- "Piracy May Be an Indie Filmmaker's Best Friend" (Indiewire, October 2011
- "The Decline of Indies on Netflix" (indieWIRE, Sept, 2011)
- "Secretariat" Isn't Hollywood's Only Secretly Conservative Blockbuster" (IFC News, October 2010)
- "Absurdistan: The New Iraq War Cinema" (Village Voice, April 2008)
- "Is Foreign Film The New Endangered Species?" (New York Times, January 2006)
ReelPolitik
The Political Uses of Archival Material in "Argo," "Zero Dark Thirty" and Chile's "No"
- By Anthony Kaufman
- |
- February 7, 2013 9:23 AM
- |
- 1 Comment
I'm not sure if anyone has called it out specifically, but archival news material made a comeback in the Hollywood feature film recently, with the most high-profile examples coming in this year's Oscar nominees "Argo" and "Zero Dark Thirty." (You can bet that if broadcast news journalists coverered the American Civil War, Steven Spielberg would have included a few excerpts during the end credits of "Lincoln," too.) For my most recent Docutopia column, I wrote about the various uses of news and documentary clips in those two bigger movies, compared with those in "No," Chilean director Pablo Larrain's more self-aware look at a tumultous moment in his own country's history.
In Tale of Migrants, Gael Garcia Bernal Traces Path of "Dayani Crystal"
- By Anthony Kaufman
- |
- January 18, 2013 12:16 PM
- |
- 0 Comments
Of the many issue-oriented docs at Sundance this year, the first day's screenings brought the world premiere of "Who is Dayani Crystal," a well-crafted documentary about the plight of Latin American migrants. Produced and featuring Mexican star Gael Garcia Bernal, I was initially suspicious about his role in the documentary. But as the film unfolded, I found the actor's easygoing presence to be a helpful guide into the lives of the thousands who make the often ill-fated journey to cross into the United States each year.
Latest Tweets
-
@antkaufman I admire his work even appreciate its sensationalism but consistently his films are too long and that decreases their impact.
Posted 3 hours ago -
What is the key ingredient to Alex Gibney’s success? My latest Docutopia column: "Serious Sensationalism" http://t.co/tRg4D0qVdz
Posted 4 hours ago -
Serious Sensationalism—The Alex Gibney Doc Factory | Docutopia http://t.co/zIJoCZtbdk
Posted 5 hours ago -
“For the last 20 years, every director in China has faced a kind of tremendous torment & that torment is censorship,” http://t.co/uJIfxrts3Z
Posted 1 day ago
Most "Liked"
Most Comments
- In Defense of "Frances Ha": Why Middle-Class White Angst Is Angst, Too12 comments
- Baz Luhrmann's Glitzy "Great Gatsby": Out of Step with America's 99%9 comments
- Abrams' New "Star Trek" Loaded with Political Parallels: Kirk as Obama8 comments
- Is Gael Garcia Bernal the Most Progressive Force in World Cinema?2 comments
Recent Comments
If you tried to tone it down, you'd lose the essence of the book. Yes, the story might not
It all boils down to the fact that there's not a real market for "middle class angst"
Anthony sir, you're an idiot probably because you have a brain of a 5 year old kid... Thank you
C'mon---with all the critical hype that MEDICINE FOR MELANCHOLY got, Barry Jenkins should have
This is such an embarrassing article. "All this is to say, I guess, that white people can have
wow, Thor. I think you are the one that is bitter. I'm so not obsessed by race---it seems
@kaffeeklatsch "How many years ago did those movies get made?" 5 and 7, but what is your
Discussing issues of race, especially when the article in question is the one that brings up the
Hadn't thought about this film from such aspects.
By the way, why is everyone so racist here? White people this, white people that? Anyway, just so