Definition of Documentary:
The first definition of it would be a film that contains a message, a presentation of one's life. Another definition of it by John Grierson, quote: "the creative treatment of actuality." Despite the fact that there are no definite definitions of a documentary, there are a few elements for a film to be considered as a documentary. (Eitzen, D, 1995)
The Six Modes of Documentary:
1) Expository Mode: This is similar to the classic documentary, where it is based on portraying an argument through images. This is less aesthetic, as the director's target is the audience. Therefore, they tend to use titles and phrases to scribble images and to tell the idea of the objectives and argument.
2) Observational Mode: The director is able to record reality without being involved in the actions of people when they weren't looking into the camera. This enables a unique approach towards the subject matter and the directors focuses on a spontaneous and direct observation of reality.
3) Participatory Mode: This mode portrays the relationship between the subject of the film and the filmmaker. Therefore showing it from a director's point of view. This is also where the director plays a detective role in figuring and investigating different parts of the film to gain experience and reflection.
4) Reflexive Mode: This increases the audience's awareness of the representation and the devices that have given it authority. This film is not an open window of the world, but it is a representation of it.
5) Poetic Mode: This mode pursues to produce a certain atmosphere and tone, instead of providing the viewers with information. This is linked to some artistic elements of avant-gardes.
6) Performance Mode: This focuses on one's expressiveness and poetry instead of the desire for a realistic image. This is to signify the qualities of the text instead of its representational capacity.
My Personal Review:
After watching the film, I would say that it does not fit in any of the modes of a documentary except performance mode. This is due to the fact that she (Ariana Grande) was mostly dancing and the title says "Excuse me, I love you" is because she wanted to send a love letter to her fans. However, I would say very little expression was portrayed in the film, as it was mostly performances from the Sweetener world tour in London. But, nevertheless, I got to watch a concert during a pandemic and I still admire her very much.
References:
Types and styles of documentaries The Documentary Genre Origins & Style. (n.d.). [online] . Available at: http://faculty.salisbury.edu/~axsharma/MyWebs/HistoryDoc/Documentary%20Types.pdf.
Ilchi, L. (2020). Ariana Grande Netflix Film: What to Know, Release Date, Trailer. [online] WWD. Available at: https://wwd.com/fashion-news/fashion-scoops/ariana-grande-netflix-concert-film-sweetener-what-to-know-1234673742/
Eitzen, D. (1995). When Is a Documentary?: Documentary as a Mode of Reception. Cinema Journal, [online] 35(1), p.81. Available at: http://www.columbia.edu/itc/film/gaines/documentary_tradition/Eitzen.pdf
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