This documentary was very interesting. It had many impactful moments. The documentary did give a sense of being observational but you could also tell that the students and teachers knew that there was a camera. The reason why I say this is because In some scenes of the documentary it seem acted. Furthermore they would stare right at the camera. Other parts of the documentary were very effective for instance the part where one of the girls wears a dress that is way to short to prom. The principle is talking to her and one of the teachers as well. The part that was realistic was what the teacher states. She explains that she doesn’t like to wear the long clothing either but she has to so that she can be an example. She also mentions that her husband just bought brand new suits but he isn’t able to wear them because it is not in the uniform code. The students may have also acted  rebellious because the camera was there. For instance the student on the phone he didn’t listen the first two times he was told to get off the phone. The documentary did feel real and I got a feeling of being in high school again. In this high school you can tell the students had many extra curriculum activities and classes. For instance the fashion class, typing class, language classes. This provides the students with a great chance to succeed that is probably why the students were all in all well behave. You didn’t see many fights unless the filmmaker decided to cut those parts out. If he did the reason why he would cut those parts out would be so that the ending would make sense that the school is united. The fights that were in the documentary were only talked about you don’t get to see them I think If he had gotten moments like that on camera it would have made a difference on the documentary but overall it was great to watch. It had many concpts that worked.
I agree that this documentary was interesting, and that it is not all that is portrayed in this film. The people that were being filmed did know that there was a camera; hence some of them might not act like how they usually act. The adults in this film were also strict and traditional. It seemed really unfair with the way the adults in this film handle certain situations with the students. I believe there is always a better alternative way to handle certain situations with the students. For example, just because you’re a teacher does not mean you are better than the students or always right. Even though everything is not always as it seems in this film, some of the things we do see happen to students in schools, and most people turn a blind eye to these issues. Especially schools in Asian countries, a lot of these situations happen and continues today. People might say is there not a better way to film them, where they don’t know a camera is following them? So it can be more natural and real. However, it comes down to ethical issues, mainly consent.
I do also believe the cameras being around further the observer effect and this plays a big role in the film High school. Ive taken different classes on human behavior for actually this reason exactly. Peoples actions have so many different meanings and influences. Putting a camera in front of them can make them act as if they are a completely different person and it makes you question these sort of films. It also makes you think about if being watched means only good behaviors will be the prominent ones. The kid who wouldn’t get off of the phone could have been trying to look cool and felt powerful with the cameras recording him not listening knowing his friends would later on see it. All of the other kids seemed to be very respectful due to a positive reinforcement of the observer effect other than him.
I feel like when anyone is in front of a camera they alter their behavior to portray the character they want to be seen as. As human beings we are always seeking approval from others. We worry about how we look, what we stand for, we care about what we represent and who we can influence. Especially when it comes to teenagers, they are in a mindset as to where they are still discovering who they are. Leaders or followers ? Pessimist or optimist ?
Thanks both of you for your thoughts on this film. I agree – and along with Juan’s post as well as the comments it generated – that this film does a really nice job putting viewers inside the school experience. It seems to want us to feel and experience along with students, teachers, administrators, and parents.
Yes, some moments feel very unusual to us today given changing cultural norms (the sex-ed classes seemed to show adults striking a wrong note, but at the same time so many schools today simply have NO such courses – clearly that’s not the better course either!) but overall there seems to be a strong sense of caring on the part of the school for the overall development of their students – and this seemed true to me as well in the scenes where the faculty member was issuing detentions to boys who had gotten in trouble. Whatever he meant by “show that you can be a man,” that adult does seem concerned with more than merely punishing the student – he hears out his side of the story.
I wonder if these kinds of details would come out in a film that was produced in a different way than this? In other words, perhaps it’s precisely the observational mode that allows these details to come to the surface in this film.
I agree with the documentary giving off that nostalgia moment of being in high school again. it feels like not too long ago i was in the gym doing those annoying warm ups. The documentary relates to so much of the world now because with the kid in the hallway being told to get off the phone but not listening, is like today’s teachers telling the student to stop texting but the student ignores them. The film was very observational but like Maria states, there are several scenes where the students are staring directly at the camera so it does kinda of take away from the mode but not so much that it impacts the way the film is shown. The scenes in the gym actually made me think of how my grandmother described her days in school. I thought she was just being dramatic when she showed me what she used to do but she was actually serious. This documentary shows how the school system has changed over time. Most of the stuff they had in that time is either gone or just not taken as serious in today’s schools.
The faculty in their interest and as their job taught these young adults how to react and respond in the community. Conformity seemed like a main theme. Men should act this way, women should act this way, some jobs are better than others. and as an example when a girl wanted to go to school for cosmetology, something in a more creative field, she was shot down by a few adults. Mostly adult to student interaction, we see a lot of the office zoom to help see the small details in the person’s expression and feeling in the moment. I think if this film was filmed now, the camera would affect the subjects even more. Some of the topics the film talked about are a lot more educated and amplified. Also people feel more pressure to look good in front of cameras these days. What made the film great were the relatable moments. I still remember when my mother gave me the talk on how to walk like a “woman”