Is it a Documentary, a Biopic or a Docudrama?

Some Clarifying FAQs for Movie Buffs

Nov 17, 2009 Gil Mansergh

Michael Moore almost single handedly made documentary movies "sexy" (meaning profitable), but his confrontational style has made many ask "What exactly is a documentary?"

Michael Moore, the celebrated filmmaker who won the 2002 Documentary Oscar for Bowling for Columbine, has expanded the documentary genre in several controversial ways and made people ask “What exactly is a documentary.”

To make things a little clearer, here are some answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs):

Q. What is a Documentary?

A. The term "to document" means "to record events as they transpire for future reference." This can be writing, photography, motion pictures or other permanent media. On Suite 101, documentaries are classified as a movie genre which ostensibly records true or actual events and creatively presents them in an accessible fashion.

Originally applied by the French to all "non-fiction" films, the first time the term was used in English was in a written review of Robert J. Flaherty's 1926 Polynesian film Moana. (In contrast, Flaherty's famous 1922 film Nanook of the North was marketed as a "travelogue”).

In addition to “travelogues,” other descriptive terms which have been used to describe documentary-style films are:

"actuality films"
"scenics"
"environmental films,"
"Kino-Pravda" (movie truth in Russian)
"cinema-verite" (movie truth) in French
"direct cinema"
"compilation films,"
"reality TV"

Michael Moore's Impact

To include “reality TV” and classic fly-on-the-wall, “cinema-verite” films under the same umbrella means that the umbrella has opened wide. Many believe that this is a direct result of Michael Moore making documentaries sexy, (meaning very profitable at the box office). But Moore has legions of detractors. The late film critic Pauline Kael argued that Michael Moore’s films are not true documentaries because he shows scenes out of chronological order, and the acclaimed cinema-verite filmmaker Albert Mayles (Gimme Shelter, Gray Gardens), criticized Moore for putting himself in front of the camera.

Shortly after Moore won his Oscar, a campaign to take it back was formed (some say because the National Rifle Association was upset with Moore’s portrayal of NRA President Charlton Heston). The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences only fueled this debate when a spokeperson admitted that Moore would not have been chosen under the previous, very limited, rules for documentary nominations. (Read more about Michael Moore’s impact on the documentary genre on Suite 101).

Q. What is a Biopic?

A. The term biopic was created from a blending of the words "biography" and "pictures." Films listed as biopic dramas on Suite 101, are limited to fact-based movie biographies which reveal significant portions of the lives of interesting individuals. This is in contrast to a “docudrama," which only focuses on a specific thematic event or series of events in someone's life.

For example, Helen Mirren's 2007 Oscar-winning portrayal of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II in the movie The Queen, is a docudrama but not a biopic since it only depicts the ten day period following Princess Diana's death. In contrast, Philip Seymour Hoffman's 2005 Oscar-winning performance as Truman Capote in the film Capote, is a biopic since it portrays a significant portion of the author's life.

Q. What is a Docudrama?

A. As the name implies, a docudrama is a marriage of documentary filmmaking and drama. It was originally used in the USA to describe television movies such as the 1971 “movie of the week,” Brian’s Song. Using actors following a script, this popular sports drama was a primarily factual interpretation of Chicago Bears football star Brian Piccolo’s struggle with cancer. Other shows followed, but the term’s application was stretched greatly when used for the 1977 miniseries Roots. Based upon Alex Haley’s popular book about generations of African Americans descended from Kunta Kinte, a slave who was captured and originally sold in Africa, the story was speculative fiction. As such, it did not meet the primary test of being a docudrama, which is:

• An accurate recreation of actual historic events.

Therefore, docudramas are categorized as historical films on Suite 101.

The copyright of the article Is it a Documentary, a Biopic or a Docudrama? in Documentary Films is owned by Gil Mansergh. Permission to republish Is it a Documentary, a Biopic or a Docudrama? in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

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