DVD review: Film: The Living Record of Our Memory
Kino Lorber has released, on DVD, this very important documentary on film preservation. Interviewing filmmakers, historians, archivists, and technicians, the documentary explains the importance of preserving the moving image.
A large percentage of film from before 1930 is now lost. Some were melted down for their silver. Others were lost in fires due to the flammable nitrate stock. Often they just simply weren’t cared for, and were allowed to decompose.
Despite film being possible to preserve, there is a mainstream belief that movies are immediate entertainment with no significance beyond that level. One of the archivists even states that in the classic Hollywood era, nobody thought to preserve a Fred Astaire movie (for instance) because another would be coming along eventually. The historical significance and cultural impact over time and generations was not considered. Only a few from that era (such as Henri Langlois) thought to collect and preserve films.
This isn’t only about the preservation of early silents. The documentary explains that it was after a restoration of the 1954 A Star is Born, where long lost scenes were returned to the film, that cinema preservation began to be taken more seriously. This was as late as the 1980s. And there are discussions of more recent film restorations, such as George Romero’s Night of the Living Dead, which was duped and sold by many cheap video distributors because of its public domain status. George Romero was alive to take part in the restoration of that film, with proper aspect ratio, sound, and enhanced visual quality.
Filmmaker Wim Wenders talks about how one of his films, The Goalie’s Anxiety at the Penalty Kick (1972), was out of circulation because it contained music on the soundtrack by the likes of Elvis Presley and The Rolling Stones for which he did not secure the rights. The film was eventually restored replacing the background music so it could be seen again.
One of the key things the documentary addresses is the fact that just because a movie is on DVD or bluray, this does not mean it is “safe.” Digital formats do not necessarily survive like film elements, which, if stored properly, can last centuries.
For film historians, this documentary is fascinating and important. The DVD is most highly recommended for libraries, research centers, and anyone interested in the history or technology of cinema.
The DVD can be ordered at this link: FILM