“Crude” Editor Constructs an Elegant Documentary Climax
As I recently blogged, my girlfriend Lynn and I walked out of Crude to see No Impact Man, an entertaining documentary about one man’s quest to live sustainably. However, I went back the next day to see Crude with my girlfriend Erin (a crusader for the little guy) and was pleasantly surprised to find that what I thought would be a depressing documentary was actually quite entertaining and uplifting!
Director Joe Berliner’s David and Goliath story of a humble Ecuadorian lawyer taking on big oil (Chevron) reached its climax in a cleverly constructed concert scene featuring pop star Sting. Edited by Alyse Ardell Spiegel, the climax is worth a closer look. As an editor and story consultant I generally steer clear of using big public events such as weddings, concerts or performances for a documentary’s climax scene. While many first-time directors naturally gravitate toward the grandiose nature of such spectacles for their film’s crescendo, the problem is that these scenes usually lack tension, and thus fall flat. Unless you’re writing the screenplay for The Graduate, in which the Dustin Hoffman character turns the betrothal ceremony on its head in pursuit of his true love, weddings, for example, lack the “darkest hour” quality required in a climax. A great climax calls forth the protagonist’s deepest reserve. (I’m actually consulting on a film in which we’re experimenting with how to use the wedding as a climax…move to come on that.)
Back to Crude: the reason Sting’s concert scene works as a climax is twofold. First, the huge performance is the culmination of efforts on the part of the lawyers, activists and Sting’s wife, prominent human rights activist Trudie Styler to call attention to a serious injustice. Second, the scene is constructed as a montage, woven together with Sting’s “I’ll send an s.o.s. to the world” lyrics as the soundtrack. During this montage, editor Spiegel reveals important plot points, including the fact that the independent researcher in the case has sided in favor of the protagonist. After a long hard struggle, victory is in the concert air, and the madly applauding crowd bolsters this sense of imminent justice. Then, in a sudden reversal, we learn that the judge has left the case, and it may be ten years before a verdict is ever reached.
Director Berliner effectively ends his epic environmental tale on an abrupt note. But even though the outcome makes plain that the bad guys are still on the loose, Crude is a well-constructed documentary that inspires rather than depresses film viewers. Using a big event (such as a concert) to construct a climax montage that will reveal important plot developments is a brilliant storytelling strategy to pack in your own structural toolkit.
