In the beginning

Abstract

ABSTRACT This article examines how documentary films begin. Narrative theory has identified the opening sequences of a narrative as where a lack calls for a response which then propels the hero to undertake various tasks to resolve problems posed by the lack. This often involves a quest and the construction of a complex course laden with obstacles and graced with assistance that allow the narrative to conclude by resolving the original lack. Attention, though, has focused both on narrative fiction and on the central portion of the narrative, where issues of gender, on the one hand, and focalization or voice, on the other, have received much attention. The beginning has received relatively slight scrutiny, especially in documentary. This paper addresses two primary questions: how exactly the beginning scenes in documentaries launch a narrative trajectory by altering our sense of time, and how these beginnings stress different narrative qualities from identifying a problem to establishing a mood. The article stresses the centrality of narrative to documentary and the vital role of the beginning plays to draw the viewer into a particular perspective on the historical world.