Five Fantastic Filmmaking Documentaries

Documentaries about film-making are one of my favorite kinds, and I have George Lucas to thank for that.  “Star Wars” was a seminal cinematic event from my childhood, and I was mesmerized when the first “making of” special that aired on television.  My passion for film documentaries was ignited and still burns to this day.  As the process of making films is often as epic as the films themselves, I anticipated each succeeding entry with just as much excitement.

The five films profiled below are all excellent, in-depth examinations of the travails of filmmaking.  It’s not an easy business, and anyone who’s ever picked up a Super 8 camera knows that you can never fully anticipate the amount of work involved until the final cut flickers across the screen.  The journey may begin simply, but finding the path to the end may cost more than money.  However, if the final result is a film like the ones examined below, is the price really too high?

Directors often have periods of suffering and doubt during the course of their careers.  Some endure psychological torture on the level of a Lovecraftian protagonist.  However, it’s rare for such experiences to be filmed, and even more unlikely for that material to eventually comprise a theatrical release of such power that the documentary rivals the original film in its cathartic intensity. I can think of no better cinematic example of art imitating life than “Hearts of Darkness.”

Francis Ford Coppola’s wife Eleanor shot a lot of home movies during the making of “Apocalypse Now.”  She also secretly recorded her husbands’ conversations with herself as well as his many arguments over the phone with nervous studio execs.  What emerged years later in the editing room is likely the greatest film about filmmaking.  “Hearts of Darkness” chronicles Coppola’s descent in the green hell of the Philippines, and the emotional and psychological torment of the struggle to complete “Apocalypse Now” suffuses every frame.

The combination of heat & humidity, cost overruns, script rewrites and borderline insane actors was dangerously volatile, and the production constantly teetered on the verge of collapse.  Only the sheer force of Coppola’s will kept things moving forward.  “Apocalypse Now” is a remarkable examination of the futility of war, and alongside “Hearts of Darkness” both films are testaments to the ability of the human spirit to survive in the midst of absolute chaos.

James Cameron’s passion for telling epic stories is rivaled only by his absolute commitment to making them as best he can.  Cameron’s vision for “The Abyss” was daunting to say the least, and his insistence on shooting as much of the film with real equipment, submersibles and sets resulted in one of the most famously arduous productions in Hollywood history.

The largest underwater set was actually constructed inside an unfinished nuclear reactor chamber, and it is no small irony that the long grueling hours everyone spent submerged created almost as dangerous a situation as a radioactive core on the brink of meltdown.  The emotional challenges were already enough to exhaust even the most seasoned professional.  Combine that with the physical drudgery of suiting up in real deep sea diving gear and going through descent and decompression on a daily basis and you’ve got a harrowing experience that few could face, much less see through to the end.

Cameron’s unswerving focus on finishing the film despite all the drastic setbacks is tremendously admirable, and it resulted in one of his best films (Director’s Cut only!).  As for the actors, you can hear the pride in their voices when they recount their stories.  All of them passed through a major crisis in their lives and emerged with a more profound sense of self.  They survived their descent into “The Abyss.”

Director Ridley Scott’s early film career contains many accomplishments, but “Blade Runner” is one of the most significant.  This movie is regarded by many as one of the greatest science fiction films of all time, and it certainly set a benchmark that has yet to be approached, much less surpassed.  Scott’s steely determination to realize this dark vision of a possible future was by turns a source of inspiration and exasperation for all involved.

“Dangerous Days” is one of the most thorough documentaries of its kind, and it’s blessed by having a wealth of archival material to use.  The documentary is a feast of behind the scenes photos and video footage of conceptual paintings, sketches, set construction and props created to realize the dystopian world of Los Angeles in 2019!  The cast and crew were subjected to many long night shoots, often under the icy spray of rain machines.  Sets were constantly being built, detailed and repaired, and there were repeated delays.

The anecdotes and stories from the director, actors, writers and prominent production designers contrast a warm, human center against the cold, amoral world of “Blade Runner.”  Though the theatrical feature is a decidedly bleak rumination on the value of human life, it is not without hope, and “Dangerous Days” further shows us that these somber stories are necessary, especially when they demonstrate that if we can work together through dark times that, brighter, less dangerous days will come.

The backstreets and alleys of Hollywood are littered with human failures, but Tinseltown is not the only city where would-be stars have fallen to Earth.  Every town in every state has an “I coulda been somebody” story, but it would be a rare thing for the teller of the tale to confess that it was their own hubris that brought them down.  Troy Duffy will never admit it, but that’s exactly what he did.

Boston native and bartender Troy Duffy had an extraordinary stroke of luck.  He wrote a script about two gun-slinging Irish brothers who take on the mob called “The Boondock Saints” and the Weinstein brothers of Miramax wanted a piece of the action.  What is more incredible is that the Weinsteins agreed to let Duffy direct the film and for his band of actual brothers to compose the soundtrack!  It was the most generous and exclusive deal ever offered to an unknown, and that’s when the swelling started.

Troy Duffy’s ego soon rivaled the Rock of Gibraltar in its mammoth size and absolute unwillingness to budge for anyone or anything.  Duffy’s delusions grew to such mythical proportions that he saw no harm in taking the entire monetary advance from the Weinsteins and blowing it all on a bender in Vegas!  Despite this, Duffy was able to finish the movie on a drastically reduced budget.  The film did not fare well in theaters, and Duffy became a pariah.  “Overnight” has two major lessons to impart: don’t let money and fame go to your head, and don’t forget who your friends are.

In case you were wondering, there was eventually a sequel!  “The Boondock Saints” developed a strong cult following on home video, and ten years later Duffy was approached to write and direct.  And the exact same scenario played out again.  He blew his entire advance and again had to finish the second on a much smaller budget.  After a decade to reflect on his wrongs, Duffy had learned nothing, and apparently, neither had the studios!  Once bitten, twice dumb?

I had not seen this famous film until very recently, and the experience was quite surprising.  It took Werner Herzog more than four years to make “Fitzcarraldo” because of logistical problems, major cast changes and unpredictable weather.  Shooting on location in the Peruvian jungle was threatened by an impending conflict with the neighboring nation of Ecuador.  “My Best Fiend” showed what a histrionic madman actor Klaus Kinski could be become.  With all this, I expected “Burden of Dreams” to be a maelstrom of frustration, rage and suffering.

Instead, this documentary reveals a serene atmosphere of stoicism much like its main character.  While there are heated discussions, setbacks and lots of starting over from scratch, Werner Herzog maintains a calm that would earn the admiration of Buddhist monks everywhere.  This is partly because Les Blank, who made the documentary, chose not to include certain fiery scenes.  Kinski’s explosive tirades against Herzog were so volcanic that the Peruvian natives approached Herzog and offered to kill Kinski for him!  Yet, none of this is in the film.

What emerges is a meditation on the value of patience and determination.  Narration provides some details of the onscreen action, but there also many shots of the river or the jungle and the creatures that live there which have little to do with the film production.  The visual parallels are delightful.  Like ants, the tiny humans scurry through the mud, relentless in their desire to get the ship over the mountain.  When the goal is finally achieved, it is not a monumental moment.  Rather the viewer comes to realize that the time and effort it took to reach the end of this long journey is the more valuable part.