Reviewed By Jason LockardWhen we think of great directors most of us would think Alfred Hitchcock, Billy Wilder, Stephen Spielberg, Stanley Kubrick. Probably none of us would think of the name Alice Guy-Blaché. But she was a pioneer in filmmaking.
Now in the new DVD release from Zeitgeist Films and Kino Lorber are bringing us an amazing documentary that tracks the life and times of this forgotten film legend. Who is really the reason we have films as we know them.
Director Pamela Green dedicated more than eight years of her life in research to tell the real story of Alice Guy-Blaché (1873-1968). Alice Guy-Blaché was hired by Felix-Max Richard in her home country of France, to work for a camera manufacturing and photography supply company as a secretary. She was only 21 years of age.
While films were being made to show people other parts of the world and interesting events, most people believe motion pictures were not going to last. Alice seeing the way films were being made thought why not tell a story! So she asked for and was given a camera and in 1896 she made her first film "La Fée aux Choux" or "The Fairy of the Cabbages", about babies being born in a cabbage patch. She became the first female filmmaker. Many of the techniques that filmmakers use to this day were invented by Alice.
Alice made 1,000 films, including 150 with synchronized sound during the ‘silent’ era. Her subjects included comedies, westerns, and dramas. She was also groundbreaker, using subject matter such as child abuse, immigration, Planned Parenthood, female empowerment and even made a film using an all black cast.
Many of her film have been lost and this documentary was a way to try and track them down. As Alice was never able to recover all her films during her life.
Pamela Green interviews Patty Jenkins, Diablo Cody, Ben Kingsley, Geena Davis, Ava DuVernay, Michel Hazanavicius, and Julie Delpy and many many more. The film is masterfully narrated by Jodie Foster. This visuals used in this film are stunning and the story of Alice's life is an inspiring one.
Her life was one of such accomplishment. Yet she never got her just due! Maybe with this documentary people will begin to discover some of her amazing work and just her the respect this film pioneer truly deserves.
So if you're a film history fan or a documentary lover I highly suggest this film for your collection. Pick up Be Natural: The Untold Story of Alice Guy-Blachéby heading over to KinoLorber.com or Zeitgeistfilms.com.
Audiences: Teens and Adults
Objectionable Nothing offensive
DVD Length: 1 Hours 43 minutes
Genre: Documentary
DVD Value Rating: A
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