Capturing the Friedmans
Regardless of how moved, outraged or provoked you are by the film itself, this is probably the best DVD on the market at the moment. Probably the best this reviewer has seen in fact. It has a huge array of fantastic extras on its second disc that adds just as much to the film itself, concerning possible questions that you may be considering after watching the film, that I sat just as pinned to....
Regardless of how moved, outraged or provoked you are by the film itself, this is probably the best DVD on the market at the moment. Probably the best this reviewer has seen in fact. It has a huge array of fantastic extras on its second disc that adds just as much to the film itself, concerning possible questions that you may be considering after watching the film, that I sat just as pinned to the same spot on the sofa as I did when I was watching the film itself. And, there are not many DVD’s on the market that you can say that about. What is even more intriguing, is that the film itself is a documentary, and beyond that a film about a paedophile who tears his family apart (with able assistance from the American Sex Crimes Unit and small town hysteria).
The film interviews most of the key people involved with the 1988 witch hunt in the Jewish American community of Great Neck in the good old US of A. It pieces together the case carefully and with great respect to all concerned, with its key selling point being that the film makers had access to 50 hours of the Friedman families home movies, specifically 25 hours that chronicle the families breakdown after all the arrests had been made. I do not want to give a blow by blow account of what happens but a traversty of justice did take place, so it seems, in relation to what happened to Arnold Friedman’s (the dad and paedophile) son, who due to the nature of bad police work and the ensuing witch hunt, served nearly 15 years in jail, just because his dad was his dad.
The film is fascinating due to the way that it allows the weight of the case to be told from the perspective of the prosecutors and then as it progresses, the doubting voices slowly filter through contradicting what we have already been told. Indeed the skill with which it is edited makes the unfolding story seem quite effortless in its narration. The nature of the story may not be of immediate appeal to everyone but the film does illuminate on the nature of single minded arguments and the nature of communities who believe the hype and start a witch hunt. Recalling both the Mcarthy witch hunts in the USA that virtually destroyed any open voice of decent within the artistic and indeed Journalistic communities, as well as the current Terrorist witch hunt taking place in the same Country and the hysteria that is spreading around the world, it is hard to watch this film without contemplating the former 2 examples (even though the film makes no such comparison).
As I mentioned the film is a 2 disc set. On disc one is the film itself, which I have already mentioned is a gripping piece of film making, a 30 minute interview with the film maker Andrew Jarecki and an audio commentary by Jarecki and Editor/Co-Producer Richard Hankin . During the interview, the director answers a number of questions in relation to the Friedman family and the nature of documentary film making. He offers considerate, thoughtful answers that never fail to involve, especially after you have seen the film. The commentary is another interesting addition to the film itself that covers so much ground that I can do nothing but suggest that you listen to it yourself. Even after watching the rest of the extras, which I shall outline shortly, the commentary doesn’t fall flat like most of the big budget Hollywood commentary’s. There is only so much of certain films you can take BUT this is not one of those turgid DVD commentary’s where the director is fondling himself underneath the table he is sat at, this never fails to provoke, due to the nature of the film itself.
So the Bonus disc. In relation to the film, this is the best bonus disc you could hope for. Not only is it all well set out but the quality of the material is also fantastic. The extras are split into 5 main categories (THE DISCUSSION, UNSEEN HOME MOVIES,THE CASE, THE FAMILY and THE SCORE), all with a number of options to select from each. Also included for DVD-Rom compatibility only are 8 other key pieces of information that the researchers found during the films on going research process.
THE DISCUSSION
This comprises of 4 sections. The first is called ‘an altercation at the New York premiere’ and is 19 minutes of arguments between people who appeared in the film, debating and supporting what they said and the way they were portrayed in the film, during a post viewing discussion.
The next is called ‘the judge speaks out at the Great Neck premiere’ and involves the trial judge trying to defend herself in a climate of some understandable hostility from fellow attendees, including someone else who was not in the film but attended Arnold Friedmans computer class where all of the sexual abuse is supposed to have taken place.
‘Answers to frequently asked questions’ is a 10 minute compilation of questions that were most asked when the film was discussed after particular screenings. Again this is another fascinating section and an essential, in hindsight, addition to anyone as captivated by the film as I was.
The final part of this section is a 20 minute interview with Andrew Jarecki by Charlie Rose (the American interviewer who looks like a cross between Droopy and a Dope smoking Whisky holic).
UNSEEN HOME MOVIES
This is the shortest of the sections but includes 3 segments of home movies entitled ‘Passover Seder’, Grandma Speaks and ‘Jesses Last Night’.
THE CASE
For the most part these are deleted scenes and an essential for anyone who wants additional information, e.g. scenes with another person who was arrested for the crimes and more shocking evidence of poor police work. Some of the scenes are so powerful that it was probably difficult for the film makers to delete these sequences from the final cut. These are just as essential to see as the film itself and if you saw it at the cinema, you ain’t seen nothing yet till you’ve seen these scenes. It is a tribute to the film makers even handedness and respect to all the people who agreed to take part in the filming that they didn’t include these scenes in the finished film. It appears that their investigative work was so poor that they really are sitting targets, waiting to be slaughtered. They sections are called ‘The Investigation’ (7 mins), ‘Additional Suspects’ (7 mins), ‘Great Neck Outraged’ (4 mins) and ‘A Principal Witness for the Prosecution’ (4 mins). In this final section it is frightening to listen to a witness, who recalled his abuse after under going hypnosis, recalling some very disturbing events that the 2 accused Friedmans allegedly made him do. Even more frightening because as a member of Arnold Friedmans computer class he never had any cause to complain until he was hypnotised and the police suggested his ‘recalled abuse’ to him through leading questioning during his hypnosis. Now this witness believes that this did in fact happen to him. Very disturbing. And he will live with these implanted memories for ever (wait until you hear what they are).
THE FAMILY
This section is split up into 6 segments that all include 1-3 parts. There is 1 segment for each family member and an additional one called ‘Audio Scrapbook’ which actually didn’t come with any ‘Audio’ on my disc.
Within ‘Davids’ section is a 20 minuite documentary by the film maker Jarecki. We have already been told in another section that Jarecki only fell upon the film ‘Capturing the Friedmans’ when he was making another documentary called ‘Just a Clown’ about professional children’s birthday clowns in New York. His focus was on the no1 Birthday clown called ‘Silly Billy’ who it turned out was David Friedman. Upon interviewing him he noted some pent up anger in the interviews and sought to investigate him further. Capturing the Friedmans came out of it. However this documentary about clowns is the original one and is quite bizarre to say the least. Of note I would like to have seen a focus on the children’s entertainer double act called ‘Marsha The Musical Moose and Cosmic Ken’. At one point we see Marsha the Musical Moose eating flowers in a field in her Moose suit. Very Bizarre.
Within ‘Jesses’ section, the son who went to jail for along time for a crime he quite clearly didn’t commit, we have 3 segments, including a video diary of his first few days of his release from jail and one on how he is slowly integrating back into the life that was cut so dramatically short . Essential viewing.
THE SCORE
This is a 7 minute diary of the Director and Editors visit to Italy to record the films music. The person responsible for the music is Andrea Morricone, and yes he is…his son. This is a more mild relief extra than the other emotionally engaging extras and is a welcome relief.
Although, I am sure that some people have an an version to watching a documentary about a paedophile, this is essential viewing and it is about much more than that simplistic summary. We are told that as this case never even went to trial, due to plea bargaining, this film serves as a partial trial that never happened. It took 3 years to make and is a very intimate portrayal of a dysfunctional family that on face value may even represent the ‘normal’ family. The DVD is the best one on the market (maybe Lord of the Rings excepted) and deserves to be seen by all and owned by nearly as many. As soon as you get a chance, do yourself a favour, order it, buy it or steal it. This one will sit pretty in the collection. This is an essential DVD and a bench mark for all others to come. Can’t recommend it enough!
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