LFF 2021: The Taking
LFF 2021Documentarian Alexandre O Philippe turns his sights on the wild west and Monument Valley in his latest foray into the genre of documentary after a string of highly successful features such as The People vs. George Lucas, Memory: The Origins of Alien, 78/52, and his latest effort Leap of Faith: William Friedkin on The Exorcist.
Each exploit from Alexandre O Philippe is a marvellous exploration of his chosen subject. His latest documentary, The Taking, is a shining example of such love, admiration, and investigation of said subject matter. While it is mostly an invigorating spectacle to witness, this is a documentary that is both overwhelming and indulgent in its subject that is undeniably going to push a wider audience away.
It ultimately comes down to Alexandre O Philippe's feature being in a catch-22 circumstance, if anything. Its crowning glory and spectacle of information and investigation as its most prized asset are inadvertently its most alienating and often isolating feature. Granted, the material presented is both tremendously educational and informative with deep respect to the indigenous landscape and those affected through the cinematic and political landscape that has come to reinforce the western genre.
Here, the documentary comes into its own: discussing elements and connections not spoken or utilised very little in terms of justice regarding the outcomes of depiction, showcased through voiceover and narration, as well as the cinematic landscape over the last one hundred years. The two meld well, but often the narration is less impactful while eliciting information. Thus, expressive power does not strike up a stronger relationship, which could be achieved as the documentary is unwilling to project these people and, more importantly, faces on the screen. This may be an active decision from director Alexandre O Philippe and the editing department not to enstall a deeper internalisation of this subject, but one can only surmise.
Nevertheless, for fans of this genre and more so on an academic theoretical level, Alexandre O Philippe's The Taking is an immersive and educational experience with a voice and construct to teach or even identify something that has been failed to be recognised. More so poetically to have such a film as Jeymes Samuel's Black cowboy The Harder They Fall extravaganza open the London Film Festival, The Taking feels as if to have connective power to this year's motif in giving a platform to lost or otherwise unspoken voices, and one that is a welcome addition to the conversation.
