A+complete+history+of+my+sexual+failures+-+Group+1B

This is the page for those who are presenting on A complete history of my sexual failures from group 1B

Patrick Roberts Presentation. __**INTRODUCTION.**__

My presentation focused on the representations of reality in 'A Complete History of My Sexual Failures' directed by Chris Waitt 2008. I tried to apply some of the theory found in Bill Nichols' Representing Reality: issues and concepts in documentary (p107-133)

__**DOCUMENTARY FACT OR FICTION?**__

It is important to know exactly what 'representation' means in the context of documentary. Nichols describes representation as:

“The action of placing a fact, etc, before another or others by means of discourse;a statement or account, especially one intended to convey a particular view or impression of a matter in order to influence opinion or action.” Nichols (1991)

From this quote we can see that 'representation' in this context refers to the way that a film maker constructs the documentary in order to influence opinion. Nichol's insists that no documentary can effectively represent reality as “any privileged access to a reality 'out there', beyond us, is an ideological effect” Nichols (1991). Furthermore Nichols believes that “the world as we see it through a documentary window is heightened,telescoped,dramatized, reconstructed, fetishized,miniaturized, or otherwise modified.”

From this we can surmise that no documentary, no matter how well intentioned or made, can represent a reality 'out there'. However, there are varying degrees to which the documentary maker can manipulate the representation of reality in order to convey a particular view about the world. These are examined in some detail later.

Bill Nichol's stresses the similarities between documentary and fiction with the following quote:

“Documentaries are fictions with plots, characters, situations and events like any other. They offer introductory lacks, challenges, or dilemmas; they do all of this with reference to a “reality” that is a construct, the product of signifying systems, like the documentary film itself.” Nichols (1991)

From the opening minute of the 'A complete history of my sexual failures' in which Waitt gives an overview of his disastrous history with women, the “characters, situations, introductory lacks and challenges” are set out with reference to the reality which we is Chris Waitt's love life. This helps to establish a strong narrative which is sustained throughout the documentary through Waitt's use of filmic devices. Among these are a heavy use of the voice over to drive the narrative, “diary camera” shots which help to convey meaning and authenticity, and the powerful position that Chris Waitt is in as both protagonist and director.

Nichols says that “Insistence on narrative, constructed basis to documentary under-cuts claims for the moral superiority of documentary to fiction” (1991). Chris Waitt's film adopts a 3 act structure which is common to most screenplays. This helps the development of a constructed narrative but does not help convey the view that the text is documenting a reality from the historical world.

The main way Nichols says that fiction differs from documentary is that:

“At the heart of documentary is less a story and its imaginary world than an argument about the historical world.” Nichols (1991)

The argument made in the film is that Chris Waitt is hopeless in relationships. __**PERSPECTIVE AND COMMENTARY**__

According to Nichols the documentary maker constructs his argument through perspective and commentary. Perspective is described as:

“the way in which documentary offers a particular point of view through it's depiction of the world...this is asking to what style is to fiction.....the argument is implied, sustained by rhetorical strategies of organization.” (1991)

Commentary is described as:

“How a documentary offers a particular statement about the world” Nichols (1991)

Whereas perspective is conveyed tacitly, commentary is a more overt, and direct form or argument. An example of perspective in the film is the implication that Waitt is scruffy and disorganised. This is implied and sustained by “rhetorical strategies of organization” which include: camera shots focusing on Waitt's ripped jeans, “diary camera” shots with Chris Waitt's toes poking through his socks at the foreground of the shot, and the general condition of the film makers flat, which forms the backdrop to much of the film. This is tacitly conveyed in the film. An example of commentary on this would include for example Waitt's mother's disgust at the mess in his flat, his ex-girlfriends commenting on how unpunctual he was, and the vox pops te film maker conducted in which he was told by a group of youths that he needs to “dress smarter”. This is a more direct, overt form of argument.

According to Nichols there are four areas in which perspective and commentary are conveyed. The first of these is 'Degree of Knowledge' which refers to how much knowledge the people on screen have? Who is in possession of the facts and how are these facts presented? As Waitt is the director and protagonist he has a high degree of knowledge, he is in possession of the facts and the film is merely a vehicle for presenting these facts. It is interesting to note that in the film with about ten minutes to go Waitt comments “I wasn't sure exactly what I had learned from the whole experience”. This is little wonder since he was in possession of most of the facts anyway.

The second area in which perspective and commentary are conveyed is through 'Subjectivity'. This refers to “the extent to which we experience the inner thoughts and feelings of characters or share their perspective” Nichols (1991). There are a number of devices the film maker uses to invite us to share his thoughts. Among these are the voice over, this is a particularly important element to the film as it is used to drive the narrative but also to convey Waitt's inner thoughts. It is also effective in providing the audience with background information on his relationship with particular ex-girlfriends. Another way that Waitt invites us to share his perspective is through the use of “diary camera” shots. These are used sporadically during the film in an attempt to convey intimacy and honesty. Nichols says that subjectivity enters the documentary mainstream via the preference for people, or “social actors” who can be themselves in front of a camera in an emotionally revealing way. This preference exists because “expressive individuals heighten the possibility for empathetic identification on the part of the viewer” Nichols (1991). At the beginning of the film the film maker tells us that he has been dumped by about 50 women and yet only a handful of these girlfriends are interviewed. This suggests a careful selection of interviewees that are “good social actors”. Indeed the interviewees are expressive and forthcoming and do indeed “heighten the possibility for empathetic identification on the part of the viewer”. However, we know from the end credits that some of the interactions with Waitts ex-girlfriends have been reconstructed. The end credits read:

“ At their own request, a number of ex girlfriends' names have had to be changed. There were a few relationships that the film maker wished to include in the film, but could not, as his attempts to persuade them to help him nearly induced legal proceedings. This threat meant that, in a few instances, certain elements of the film maker's interactions have had to be reconstructed to avoid legal liability yet provide as complete a history of his sexual failures as possible” End Credits of A Complete History Of My Sexual Failures, Chris Waitt, 2008.

This admission severely damages the films integrity as a text that “represents reality”.

The next area in which perspective and commentary are conveyed is in the 'Degree of Self Consciousness' which is “the extent to which an expository agency acknowledges itself such that the viewer senses, “An argument is being present to me” Nichols (1991) I believe there is a high degree of self consciousness on Waitt's part. The audience are clearly aware that an argument is being presented to them, both tacitly through perspective and in a more overt, direct way in the commentary.

The final area is the 'Degree of Communicativeness' which is “the extent to which the exposition reveals what it knows” Nichols (1991). An example of Waitts 'degree of communicativeness' (or lack thereof) is in the film makers meeting with his first ex-girlfriend Julia. Waitt fails to tell the audience that they were in a relationship when they were 11 years old. This is a vital fact in the context of the film but Waitt chooses not to tell the audience this. This creates comic effect when Julia makes this admission some minute into the interview, but does not invite the audience to take the film maker seriously or engage in the film as a representation of reality.

__** RECONSTRUCTING REALITY. **__

Brian Winston's 'Reconstruction Continuum' is a useful tool for gauging a documentaries representation of reality. If we were to apply 'A complete history of my sexual failures' to this scale then we would probably place the film toward the bottom third of the scale. From the end credits we can see that “certain elements of the film maker's interactions with his ex-girlfriends have had to be reconstructed to avoid legal liability”. The audience are not told which girlfriends this concerns, and so a large portion of the film could contain 'actors' who are merely acting out scripts or scenarios as instructed by the director.

Much of the footage and interaction in the film comes through the medium of telephone. This gives the film maker greater freedom to edit or even fabricate conversations to create a more entertaining narrative.

As both protagonist and director, the film maker has almost exclusive control over both perspective and commentary and therefore exclusive control of which “reality” the audience see. Waitt can control the perspective through his direction, in what Nichols calls the “rhetorical strategies of organization”. He also controls the commentary through the use of voice over and as director editing the material.

I think the music is also significant as the film begins with a fairly bombastic rock song and progressively moves towards a mellower soundtrack. This could be seen as an attempt to sense of honesty about the emotional odyssey the film maker has been on.

__** CONCLUSION. **__

In conclusion it is clear from applying Bill Nichols' theory to the film text that a number of devices are employed by the film maker to reconstruct or fabricate reality in order to make the film more entertaining.

Bibliography

//Nichols, Bill, Representing Reality:issues and concepts in documentary, Indiana University Press, c1991 (p107-133)//

//Winston, Brian, Lies Damn Lies and Documentaries, BFI Publishing, 2000 (p102-107)//

//Ward, Paul, Documentary-The Margins of Reality, Wallflower Press, 2005 (p31-48)//

Waitt, Chris, A Complete History of My Sexual Failures, 2008.