Interesting concept and through its combination of archival footage and reenactments, this documentary gets across the point that life for teenagers was very different at various points of the 20th century, in case that that wasn't understood already. Maybe this was geared for teenagers, and I was simply not the target audience. To me, the way the overall film was executed was quite frustrating, as it was like a structure-less blob that didn't go into meaningful depth anywhere. It gives us insipid, banal commentary on everything it touches, and didn't even have a clear objective as it meandered along.
Voiceover narration is often provided over the images, apparently quoting from various source texts, but they're never attributed, so it's impossible to know whether we're listening to someone from the past or a scripted imagining. It's the same with the lack of a distinction between archival footage and reenactment. Additionally, the film tells us history from the perspective of the young without filling in any of the larger context, or providing any other type of knowledgeable commentary, even from these youths from the past now as older people. Lastly, it's truncated in every possible way, for example, historical era covered, race, culture, or even the broader gamut of teenage emotions.
Sure, seeing some of the old footage was enjoyable, but good lord that can and should be done elsewhere, it's not that hard to find. Watching this incomplete drivel for 77 minutes was a chore.
Voiceover narration is often provided over the images, apparently quoting from various source texts, but they're never attributed, so it's impossible to know whether we're listening to someone from the past or a scripted imagining. It's the same with the lack of a distinction between archival footage and reenactment. Additionally, the film tells us history from the perspective of the young without filling in any of the larger context, or providing any other type of knowledgeable commentary, even from these youths from the past now as older people. Lastly, it's truncated in every possible way, for example, historical era covered, race, culture, or even the broader gamut of teenage emotions.
Sure, seeing some of the old footage was enjoyable, but good lord that can and should be done elsewhere, it's not that hard to find. Watching this incomplete drivel for 77 minutes was a chore.