------
Grace Paley: Collected Stories
Biographical documentaries can easily turn into a laundry list of accomplishments presented simply in chronological order. This doesn’t exactly make for a thrilling movie. Grace Paley: Collected Stories, a documentary on the American writer/activist, escapes this fate with a unique presentation that mixes home movies and interviews with readings of her poetry and stories. The decision to intersperse the story of her life with these readings allows the audience to go beyond the surface of her storied career, and adds a level of depth to this multi-faceted character.
Paley’s lifework demonstrates the extent and variety of her passions, making it especially difficult to assign any label to her. She was simultaneously a plain-spoken urban writer, a dedicated advocate for peace, a voice for the Jewish diaspora, an icon for feminists nationwide, a doting wife, a loving mother, a teacher and a friend. But more than that, she was a person who maintained a well-grounded sense of humor, if only to sustain her through tough personal and political battles.
This portrait runs a little long at times, but her life contained enough milestones and anecdotes to keep the audience interested. Furthermore, it’s unfortunate that the Paley we see in the film is a fragile, elderly woman at the end of her time. Yet the selection of readings used to supplement her life story shows a strong and fiery critic that juxtaposes wonderfully with the image of the one-time dissident seemingly at peace.
This film honors the memory of Grace Paley in it’s ability to convey all sides of her multi-dimensional persona, but also by staying true to the writer’s philosophical and stylistic singularity.
Biographical documentaries can easily turn into a laundry list of accomplishments presented simply in chronological order. This doesn’t exactly make for a thrilling movie. Grace Paley: Collected Stories, a documentary on the American writer/activist, escapes this fate with a unique presentation that mixes home movies and interviews with readings of her poetry and stories. The decision to intersperse the story of her life with these readings allows the audience to go beyond the surface of her storied career, and adds a level of depth to this multi-faceted character.
Paley’s lifework demonstrates the extent and variety of her passions, making it especially difficult to assign any label to her. She was simultaneously a plain-spoken urban writer, a dedicated advocate for peace, a voice for the Jewish diaspora, an icon for feminists nationwide, a doting wife, a loving mother, a teacher and a friend. But more than that, she was a person who maintained a well-grounded sense of humor, if only to sustain her through tough personal and political battles.
This portrait runs a little long at times, but her life contained enough milestones and anecdotes to keep the audience interested. Furthermore, it’s unfortunate that the Paley we see in the film is a fragile, elderly woman at the end of her time. Yet the selection of readings used to supplement her life story shows a strong and fiery critic that juxtaposes wonderfully with the image of the one-time dissident seemingly at peace.
This film honors the memory of Grace Paley in it’s ability to convey all sides of her multi-dimensional persona, but also by staying true to the writer’s philosophical and stylistic singularity.
No comments:
Post a Comment