The Reflexive Mode

As I've been writing this blog, it has become more and more apparent to me that perhaps I have trust issues, because I seem to be extremely concerned about the pursuit of truth as presented by documentary. In a way, because of the sometimes theatrical nature of the reflexive mode, it, in a way, wakes up the viewer to a sense of healthy skepticism. The presentational nature of the reflexive mode is probably one of the best tools I’ve seen so far to make viewers participate more actively in the pursuit of truth in these documentaries.

 I first realized this when reading in Nichols, when he mentioned the documentary called “Chavez: Inside the Coup.” Nichols says that documentary filmmakers got media lies on film as police incited violence at a peaceful protest, which stood in stark contrast to what the media reported. To me, this was interesting because the news surely reported this incident in the straightforward, professional way they always do, instilling a sense of trust in their listeners. Because of the mode they told their story in, nobody seemed to question it. If, however, the news story had been portrayed like a scene on “The Office” instead, more than a few eyebrows would have been raised.

 The reflexive mode almost seems to be an invitation to filter through what is true and what is not.  I think Cane Toads did this in a few instances.  Specifically the drug addict raised my eyebrows.  In one shot, I could pretty much see his face, so his identity obviously wasn't super sensitive information, nor was the vibe I got from him an especially serious one.  It felt pretty performative to me, and I thought it was effective.  Errol Morris’ film “The Thing Blue Line”, which I viewed outside of class this week, is a terrific example of this. The juxtaposition of stories from actual players in a crooked murder case in Texas raised public awareness of the situation, which actually led to an innocent man being sent home from death row. The use of reenactments and music brings obvious drama into the situation and helps us more importantly see discrepancies in the story, motivating us to discover the truth. Truth was discovered and an innocent man was set free. Were it not for this mode, it’s possible that an innocent man could have died. To me, the use of drama is really a vehicle to draw the truth of the situation out. Inspiring.