A real documentary provides a counterbalance to the feature films that purport to reflect contemporary society. “Art imitates life” is the conventional wisdom that supports the claims of the feature filmmaker.
But in real life, an endless repetition of cops and robbers, exploding autos, and attractive actors fails to depict the reality of American society, or any society. The documentary, if it’s well made, offers a contrast to the familiar feature film.
In 1960, Edward R. Murrow and his CBS Reports television staff made a classic documentary, one that is still taught in film classes throughout the United States. This documentary was called Harvest of Shame, and it effectively challenged the popular beliefs of how food was harvested for the best-fed nation on earth. That documentary is now available on DVD.
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