 |
I'll admit that
while I'm not really a fan of people in
general (I think there are to many of us
and most take the world we live in for granted),
but individually I think they're fascinating.
I often find myself people watching when
I'm out and about, and more than just entertaining
myself with some of their quirks (or shopping
habits), I wonder what their lives are like.
Or in the case of older people and rude
jerks, I wonder what there lives were like.
The former because they lived in a time
so much different from mine and the latter
to perhaps make me understand what happened
in their lives to make them rude jerks.
Years ago, I heard of a film series where
director Paul Almond interviewed around
fourteen 7-year old kids. They came from
all walks of life and from different parts
of England. They were asked about how they
viewed their lives and what they though
the future would hold for them.
|
By its description it might seem on the surface
to be little more than a version of Art Linkletter's
'Kids Say the Darndest Thing", but in reality
it was much, much more. Seven years later, director
Michael Apted (who was a researcher on the original
film) took the helm of a follow-up film and interviewed
the same children at 14. But that wasn't the end.
Every seven years, Apted returned again and again
and interviewed the same people (no longer children)
at 21, then 28, then 35 and so on. The most recent
of these films is called "49 Up" and
it is being offered on DVD this month.
But in order to get into the newest film, I had
to go back and watch the first six films, which
are also available in a 6-disc DVD set. The series
offered a fascinating and fast-forward look at
the lives of real people as they are growing up.
Each film allowed us to see the changes as their
opinions and feelings become more mature. Some
of the later films became even more poignant by
dealing with the disappointment and disillusionment
a few of the subjects felt when faced with the
reality that their lives did not go as they planned.
Over the course of the series a few of the interviewees
drop out, mostly because they did not wish to
be a part of such a strong social commentary and
others simply because they began to prefer their
privacy and anonymity. To be honest, I don’t
know if I could have been a part of something
like this, but there are times that I wish more
parts of my life were recorded in order to track
my own changes. I imagine myself at 14 and feel
that I am no different now than I was then. More
'grown up' to be sure, but with a lot of the same
opinions that I had then. But since I don’t
have that, watching these films has made me a
little more aware of my own dreams as a child
and a little more critical of those I did not
follow. Fortunately, there is a bright side where
I can enjoy the ones I did follow.
In some ways, this documentary series is a lot
like a precursor to the reality shows of today…
but with one difference. They are interesting,
and not in any way staged. When you hear that
these are real people, they really are. Where
some American viewers might have a problem is
that life in England has a lot of differences
from life here. Some may find it difficult to
identify with some of the changes these people
go through that is based on England's somewhat
strict caste system. What they fail to realize
is that we live under the same type of nonsense
here, with all sorts of social castes affecting
the psychological development of some children.
Another rather interesting thing for more in watching
this series is it also gives viewers the opportunity
to see how the filming style changes over the
years. The earlier films were rather rough, with
each movie improving in terms of film stock and
style.
With the release of "49 Up", we are
reintroduced to the 14 (of 21) subjects who chose
to continue with the series. This new film is
no less interesting (especially if you had the
chance to see the earlier films) in that we see
where the focus of these people's lives are heading
as there ages near the half century mark. Some
are quite happy with the direction their lives
have taken, while you can see that the weight
of the world appears heavily on their shoulders.
They are all more aware of their own mortality
and this viewpoint is quite profound when compared
to their feelings at age 7.
"49 Up" is the longest of the films,
coming in at a little over two hours, but with
a subject this compelling two hours almost doesn’t
seem like long enough. The new DVD also turns
the camera on the director and offers an interview
with Apted conducted by noted film critic, Roger
Ebert.
I cannot recommend any of the films of "The
Up Series" enough if you are even remotely
interested just in the evolution of 'a man' as
opposed to the evolution of man as a whole. Apted
has been behind the camera on some of the 20th
century's best films, like "Gorillas in the
Mist" and "Coal Miner's Daughter",
but this series will serve as a legacy unlike
any that any other filmmaker has ever offered.
Directed by: Michael Apted
Extras: Interview with Michael Apted by Roger
Ebert, Director Biography, Photo Gallery
Specifications: Color & B/W
Studio: First Run Features
Release Date: 10/14/2006
Region: 1
MPAA Rating: NR
Website
We'll give 49 Up an A.
|
