After watching American Teen and reading director Nanette Burnstein's comments on the film, it becomes clear that her ultimate goal was to tell a story. Now, while I believe American Teen succeeds in this regard, there is a broad gap between what the film wants to be and what it turns out to be - and this is where its criticisms stem from.
The title and premise of American Teen paint a picture of an unadulterated glimpse into high school life in middle America. Viewers and critics alike probably initially went in with expectations of an episodic, thematic documentary as opposed to one that tells clear-cut narratives. I also think that this is the mood Burnstein wanted to achieve - but it clashes when introduced to the three or four primary students. While this story-driven aspect alone doesn't necessarily lower the quality of the film, it does hurt it in the long run by being much more susceptible to perceived contrivances (stereotypes such as the popular girl, gamer nerd, jock, etc.). In addition, each of these subjects must say or do things that propel their arcs and keep things from getting boring - which creates the other problem of possible premeditated dialogue.
All this said, I personally think that American Teen achieves truth, at least in part. Granted, much of what is going on in the students' lives is dramatized, whether through additional dialogue, editing, or complex animated sequences - and yet, the students' performances (if they can even be called that) are so natural, so nuanced, and intimate that I can't help but believe that they mean every word they say. At times, I often wondered why the filmmakers even bothered to artificially enhance the events.
Had I directed a film such as this one, I would have kept my camera focused on a bigger picture than just several people - it is called American Teen, after all. While there's nothing wrong with individual narratives, one of the film's drawbacks is its struggle to draw out certain students' stories for its entire duration. I would have perhaps alternated through many students (which would also invite diversity, something American Teen sorely lacks) who could supply anecdotes, sound bytes, and other such means of thematic support. My film would offer a look at the tiny fish in a big pond rather than big fish in a small one, and I think that this approach invites many more opportunities for unfiltered realism.
What you say about how you'd do it sounds good, but.... how would you make it interesting? A focus on violence? Focus on low test scores? YAAAAWN. It's all been done. How would you make a film about the "American teenager" interesting without focusing on some American teenagers in depth? Won't anecdotes get old after the 40th one?
ReplyDeleteI agreed with the majority of your points, but I take some issue with your last one. Focusing on a bigger picture as you say, in my opinion, would detract greatly from the depth of exploration. If you're going after the american teen "experience" then it isn't helpful to take events out of context. And with a broader picture it would be difficult to not have a fair number of scenes out of context. Although I may not totall agree with how Burnstein made her movie, I do agree with the number of students she focused on.
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