The issue raised here was that Vanda previously refused to tell Watson about her childhood, so only let it out when she was drunk, which one could argue is unethical as she is under the influence of alcohol so she is probably saying things she doesnt want to say. The edit involves numerous repeats of dialogue from the patients, which is played at random and juxtaposing episodes, some even without the visuals which make it seem part of the dialogue (for example, when Vanda slams the phone down in anger). Whats offensive? Where the film-maker Watson talks about his film and the challenges that faced him when he was doing it and was it right what he was doing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjy8Z1hK2wY fromSchindlers List, Set to music, shot in thegorgeous shadows of black and white, and perfect balanced frames. Critics also believe that the tragic scene of when Nigel dies in front of the camera is too much to be shown to the public eye and that he took full advantage of the emotional situation for his own benefit. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/newsnight/7140605.stm. On his first admission to hospital, where we see him in the film, he was given a 50:50 chance of survival. Also, later on the film when he asks of the liability of the life experiences she has told him, I felt it was very unnecessary to show her breaking down. Kath now struggles on a severely limited income. I feel as though Watson was trying to be as ethical as possible, baring in mind his need to capture this shocking footage in order to create the Documentary. In order to inform and have an impact on the audience, enough to make them think before undergoing any dangerous activity illustrated in the documentary, the use of empathy is crucial. Throughout the documentary there are cut ins of Watson discussing ethical implications during the filming process. The intrusion before we learn of sexual abuse is fitting because it prepares us for the horrible, rather than let the scene with Vanda play out suddenly for shock value. Thats exactly what I think about the film: it is extreme and crude in some scenes but this cannot be translated as exploitation but as accurate and careful explanation and evidence of a serious phenomenon such as alcoholism. From a documentarians point of view, Watson did a remarkable job of exploring the brutality of a taboo subject, but from a moral standpoint, the filmmaker may not have been exploitative in his actions but he was definitely extreme. Nervous about designing and ordering your card online? Before i didnt know that alcoholism could lead to such a terrifying state and even death. Rain in my Heart Documentary which follows four alcohol abusers - Vanda, aged 43; Mark, 29; Nigel, 49 and Toni, 26 - from the impoverished Medway towns of north Kent. Sometimes during the film I felt like I wanted to intervene in order to stop what the interviewees were struggling with while telling their stories. Read about our approach to external linking. Documentary, TV Movie. Probably. There were moments where I felt the subjects may have been exploited by Paul Watson but, this being said, I dont see a way around this problem. There is one point I dont like about Watsons technique. This shows how relationships are built up when filmmaking and how subjects and even the interviewer forms attachments. Nigel, 49, has been dry for ten years, but the damage he has inflicted on his liver is irreversible. If we are to look at films that exploit horrors/suffering then we must idenfity the certain aesthetics and language that are used to do this. Other examples are when he continuing to film Nigels wife as she said goodbye to her dying husband in the hospital and when Vanda told a deep secret about the reason she became an alcoholic. Nonetheless, I think that Paul Watsons work is justifiable and I do not consider him to be selfish. The Facebook link I posted was created by Nigels son. In all of these I recognise issues which could be perceived as exploitative. Although he felt a great need to capture this real footage, it was only when he almost invaded the subjects personal space (their homes) knowing they would be under the influence of alcoholic beverages, did they begin to open up emotionally and share extremely personal experiences. However, we can all agree that sometimes happiness is simply taking a walk or dancing in the rain. Property surveys are public records and you can request a copy of any existing surveys from your county or local municipality. A prime example of this in the documentary was when Vanda (under the influence of alcohol) decided to share her demons and reasons for her addiction. Mr. Stark was okay, although he still had scars from the snap. In comparison to other hard-hitting and eye opening documentaries and coverage of alcohol/substance addictions, I think that Rain In My Heart is hardly exploitative at all. Whilst considering the methods that Watson used to gain the footage and despite my previous comments being slightly negative, i do believe he was being somewhat ethical. Rain in my Heart(TV Movie) Opinion Awards FAQ User Reviews User Ratings External Reviews Metacritic Reviews Details Full Cast and Crew Release Dates Official Sites Company Credits Filming & Production Technical Specs Storyline Taglines Plot Summary Synopsis Plot Keywords Parents Guide Did You Know? Paul Watson has a lot to answer for (The Family probably started the reality trend) but Rain in my Heart made up for a lot. Although we see Paul telling Vanda that he will ask her later whether he should use this footage in the film, we do not know if he actually did it. Men's Journal is a rugged and refined lifestyle publication covering the coolest new gear, luxury and adventure travel, food and drink, health and fitness, and more. Secondly, Watson must have gone through a pre-planning stage where he would have had to choose the subjects he wished to include, therefore it couldnt have been as completely objective/unbiased as it seemed. So I didnt think that he has exploited his subject at all as this is what we as viewers needed to see. (LogOut/ How could you go, my love Without a thought BBC - Rain in My Heart Watch now This powerful documentary from fly-on-the-wall pioneer Paul Watson provides a raw account of four alcohol abusers from the impoverished Medway towns of north. Rain In My Heart is a 2006 documentary about alcoholism. Watsons past experience in using the observational documentary style in his films means that he is well adjusted to the style. That we cant see others be in such a position because we wouldnt want ourselves to be shown in such a state. I definitely agree with Watson in this respect, in order to open up our eyes to this destructive disease we must see the worst of it. The subject is not exploited as she has consented Watson to film her in her most tragic state and all of this psychological revealing is not only for Watsons own good but for the audience as they are being warned off the overuse of alcohol. I personally believe that the word exploit is quite a harsh word to put on the filmmaker without full justification, its made clear that the subjects wanted to be filmed, Watson treats this permission with a good amount of respect both for the subjects and the topic of the documentary whilst at the same time sustaining his role as the stand back and sympathetic-ear presence. She was healing. Alluding to the culture of exploitning woman, as well as Spielbergs film being a commercial (and one which ends with a very colourful, affirming ending) intent makes it a machine absording actresses and horrors for the output of satisfying drama. However in the documentary there is a shot of him asking Why am I asking you to watch Nigel die? and he then says that Nigels wife, Kath, had wanted it to be shown so that the audience would be made fully aware of the consequences of alcoholism. I think that I am pretty satisfied with his attempts of dealing with the subject of alcoholism, he has shown a shocking but well-needed documentary to educate all kinds of audiences the effects of alcohol. The fact that two of participants died during filming is grim testimony to the illness of alcoholism. There is also the repetitive clip of when Vanda says her monsters are in her head. As with his other films, Watson established a relationship with the subjects during filming. Synopsis. The documentary follows four alcoholics in an observatory manner. This is also made clear later in the film when he spends some time filming at one of the female patients, Vandas house. Its an accrtate reflection of the film, filled out with music (sometimes exciting rock) atmospheric and stylized dramatic reconstruction of events, and many many many self-conscious and elaborate shots. In addition, it appears that Watson is aware of the delicate nature of the documentary and embraces this by stating that all the filming was agreed by the sufferers, in order to shy away accusations that he is exploiting the individuals which he observes. Anyway, audiences (including us) will always question whether a subject who is having their whole life pried open for viewing could be a victim of exploitation. So all these people dont mind being shown in their most vulnerable state on national TV and even Watson at times ask the subjects if they would like him to turn the camera off. Listen to Rain In My Heart on the English music album America by Modern Talking, only on JioSaavn. He witnessed some horrific scenes throughout filming and only once (that I can recall) did he step in to hand Mark a sick bucket and express disappointment to Venda for her choosing to buy a bottle of vodka. Firstly, if you are an Alcoholic to the extent the four patients were, it is not possible to have a clear judgment or make a legitimate decision. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); http://www.theguardian.com/media/organgrinder/2006/nov/05/sheffielddocfestaredocument, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1661761/, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjy8Z1hK2wY, http://www.newyorker.com/culture/richard-brody/taking-it-off-for-the-holocaust, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2LuFOX0Sy_o. There were some scenes in which the people he was filming were obviously out of it and not at all in a healthy condition, physically or mentally. Filmed in 2006 the film. Chapter 1. By making such a real and baring all film, he is raising awareness about the reality of alcoholism and hopefully opening the eyes of alcoholics watching it and even doctors watching it, who can see how to help alcoholics in earlier stages. Dee3 Posts: 10. If he had interfered then he could have been potentially saving lives. Hes film is an observational style and he stand back from the nature, but he needed to concern how he react when he encounter with ethincal problem. However, as I mentioned previously, Watson neither encourages nor halts the emotional stress of the patients, he simply asks them questions about their mental state and at times even asks the patients if they would prefer the camera to be turned off. However, although Watson reveals his inner moral debates, it does not stop him using his observational and interview style to get footage and shots that exploit the subjects. This scene is perhaps one of the more uncomfortable in the film as Watson is merely documenting Vandas relapse back to alcohol and the range of mood swings she encounters. But theres a film within and around the film, one that Steven Spielberg didnt make but that he or someone else should have made: Spielbergs List, the story of the casting call for the actresses who would be getting undressed and going into the gas chamber that turns out to be a shower. Paul Watsons attempt to defend himself and his arguments against the accusations do make sense. One of them, Nigel Wratten, was shown unconscious, dead in all but name, while his wife made her final farewell;. Sign-in or Try it free for 3 months. I also believe Watson tried his best to tackle these accusations, baring in mind that overdoing it throughout the documentary could appear to undermine the actual traumas of the patients and their families. I find it hard to imagine a way Watson could have made this film without the, sometimes unjust, use of the subjects. I also think that it is not Pauls fault that these people after having a huge amount of alcohol could not control themselves: their speech, actions and emotions. I would not have the heavens fair, She then replies with a smirk, Obviously. Rain In My Heart is not an easy documentary to watch. An example being Vanda and the way he gets to know her and in the end explores her painful past. About the same age as Vanda, Kath has spent more than a decade caring for an alcoholic. Even all knows that subjects were vulnerale and needed a help. So yes, as we saw during the screening, he was primarily affected by alcohols effect on his father and then consequently, his entire family. 100. Directed by. I realised after I posted this! In many instances Watson reflects on his project and notes the issues he is creating by making this documentary; however it does not effect his ability to complete the film. This is getting a lot more personal. I felt connected to him because he was allowing us, the audience; to see that he too was going through an ethical debate about whether what he was filming and the position he was taking was morally right. Most Popular Now | 56,514 people are reading stories on the site right now. There are many intimate moments within the documentary, such as the funeral of one of the subjects that had passed due to the abuse of alcohol. To this statement Vanda agrees and understands the relationship between the two of them. On the other hand, he showed the subjects at their worst, but almost continuously. The subjects and the families were happy to be filmed and it was unlikely that the film was going to bring more harm than good it was important that he looked at the whole picture and the awareness he could spread with such a film. Here I refer to when he would talk to the viewer/camera about how he felt at certain points of the film it drew away from the importance of what he should have really been filming and instead became self indulgent within the context. The seriousness of the topic in the documentary is emphasised through the filmmakers intimacy and relationship with the subjects. Whats exploitation? Watson himself has said that he received criticism for not helping his subjects; this could be an argument of him exploiting his subjects. From your county or local municipality him asking Why am I asking you watch. Position because we wouldnt want ourselves to be shown in such a position because wouldnt... 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