1969
Directed by Frederick Wiseman
I actually saw this movie in a film class I took freshman year of college. I am quite glad I did, since this seems to be a hard one to get a hold of. While I wouldn't say that this is a favorite movie, I am certainly glad I saw it.
This is a documentary on a typical high school day in 1969. We see many of the mundane events that make up a day in high school, including a gym class, an assembly, a sex ed class, and a creepy male teacher that stared a little too long at girls doing jumping jacks. As someone who came from a high school where there were quite a few sex scandals, I can relate.
I love books and movies that really show how shitty high school is. I am not talking about movies that show a pretty girl in glasses being made fun of by a slightly less pretty girl in a cheerleading outfit. I am talking about showing the cruelty of some teachers and portraying the feeling of complete helplessness that you have everyday. Can you tell I did not enjoy high school?
It was amazing to me how little has changed since this film came out. Definitely a must see film.
RATING: ****-
Interesting Facts:
One of the first direct cinema documentaries.
