Review of A Decade Under the Influence

This three-part documentary was produced for the Independent Film Channel and is about the American film industry during the late 60s to about 1980--give or take. It's clearly much more than a single decade despite the title. The first part is about the context for change in American films with the rise of international cinema and its influence on young filmmakers. The second about the freedom of the 70s and the gritty social dramas. And, the final portion is about the changes that brought about the death of this sort of filmmaking and a rise to giant corporately produced blockbusters. It's all very interesting and features not only directors but writers, producers and actors and I marveled at the large number of interviewees used in making the documentary. In fact, it really excels in an area in which most film documentaries fail--it gives plenty of time to the subject and you don't feel short-changed. My only real complaint is that although the people and films are OFTEN identified, this is not always the case--and unless you are very familiar with these people, you may forget who is who. This is not a problem for advanced film students and cinemaniacs like myself, but for the more casual viewer it might pose a minor inconvenience. Still, it's like sitting in an advanced film class where you learn at the feet of the masters. Fascinating throughout.

By the way, although this film was clearly not intended for kids, I should warn the viewer that there are LOTS and LOTS of obscenities in the film---LOTS. So, for the very sensitive sorts, perhaps this isn't the film for you. Also, there are no close captions or DVD captions--which is a shame, as my deaf daughter could not enjoy this documentary.