Frederick Wiseman has been making his documentaries about American institutions for decades now. He's made films about hospitals, schools, museums, courts, social services, a boxing gym, a racetrack, and once the New York neighborhood of Jackson Heights. Some have been frightening, some mundane, and all of them thought-provoking. Because of his fly-on-the-wall style and naturalistic pacing, his films are highly immersive. However, Wiseman insists they are meant to be subjective rather than objective, capturing an experience that is not free from bias, often with narratives that are very pointed in their messaging.
Initially, I intended to write this post about "Welfare" or "Juvenile Court," provocative early films showing the dysfunction of our governmental systems, and the plight of the people dependent on them. These features are very powerful and influential, but as a viewer I don't enjoy watching them very much. I tend to like Wiseman's more recent films more. As his stature has grown and his projects have gotten longer, and longer, they've become less like investigative journalism and more concerned with capturing the daily rhythms of a particular place. They fit right into the "slow cinema" aesthetic, and as much as I might grumble about their multi-hour length, I've enjoyed the relaxing, undemanding experience of watching Wiseman films like "Ex Libris" and "National Gallery." I also appreciate that there's really no one but Wiseman who makes documentaries like this - long, slow, absorbing, and almost totally free of commentary.
"At Berkeley" is 244 minutes long, Wiseman's third longest film. It profiles an institution that is quite functional, the University of California, at Berkeley, one of the best public universities in the United States. Wiseman's camera roams all over campus, giving us a macroscopic view of the university. There are plenty of familiar shots of students walking between classes, attending Cal football games, and enjoying the picturesque campus. However, the film mostly consists of Wiseman looking in on various classes, lectures, and meetings. There's a few minutes with former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich, now a professor, delivering a lecture on public policy. There's a segment in a lab with grad students who are busy testing robots and prosthetic limbs. There's a seminar on Henry David Throreau's "Walden." There's a glimpse of rehearsals for "Our Town." No introductions are provided, and no text onscreen clues you in on who anyone is, or what topic you're about to listen to. However, it's almost impossible not to listen, not to form opinions, and not to learn, just a little.
We also get to see parts of Berkeley that almost no one does. Material related to administrators discussing imminent tuition increases and student protests generate the most tension in the film. "At Berkeley" was filmed during a state fiscal crisis, when UC and CSU funding was cut, leading to budget shortfalls. This is a looming existential danger that rears its head many times, in many different contexts. At the same time, it's comforting to see smart people earnestly trying to tackle these problems head-on. I love the scene with university administrators meeting with the local police to plan out security measures for student unrest, with clear-headed and empathetic discussion of the concerns on all sides. In the budget meetings, there is spirited debate on how to preserve the university's diversity and accessibility to low-income students. None of these segments are very long or conclusive, but Wiseman gives them more time to play out than you might think.
As always, Wiseman leaves viewers to draw their own conclusions about what he has presented. You could read the film as a chronicle of the university's decline due to the deprioritization of education by the state, or as a triumph as the staff and educators commit to soldiering on regardless. You could see the efforts of the administration as admirable or cynical as they struggle to preserve the ideals that the university is supposed to embody and promote. I find it notable that where Weisman chooses to focus his efforts is on maintaining a balance - showing both sciences and humanities, arts and sports, the ideal of what the university should be, and the difficult reality of living up to that ideal.
What I've Seen - Frederick Wiseman
Titicut Follies (1967)
High School (1968)
Hospital (1970)
Juvenile Court (1973)
Primate (1974)
Welfare (1975)
Blind (1987)
Boxing Gym (2010)
At Berkeley (2013)
National Gallery (2014)
Ex Libris: The New York Public Library (2017)
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