Louis Theroux’s weird weekends Religion TEXTUAL AN ALYSIS
PRESENTER • L o u i s T h e r o u x ’s p r e s e n t i n g i s a ke y e l e m e n t i n m a k i n g h i s d o c u m e n t a r i e s a s u c c e s s . H e u s e s h i s ow n c o m i c p e r s o n a l i t y t o a l l ow t h e a u d i e n c e t o c o n n e c t w i t h h i m , a l l ow i n g t h e a u d i e n c e t o t h e n b e o n b o a r d w i t h a ny p o i n t s h e i s m a k i n g . • During this specif ic episode Louis explores religion in America. I n a l l t h e i n t e r v i ews s h ow n , h e c o n st a n t ly r e l a t e s t h e q u e st i o n b a ck t o h i m , m a k i n g t h i s a p a r t i c i p a t o r y d o c u m e n t a r y. H e a l m o s t b e c o m e s t h e s o l e fo c u s .
SO U ND • T h r o u g h o u t t h i s d o c u m e n t a r y t h e s o u n d t r a ck t h a t i s u s e d i s u p b e a t a n d , a t t i m e s , a p p e a r s o u t o f p l a c e . H oweve r t h i s t h e n a d d s a n e l e m e n t o f h u m o u r t o t h e s u b j e c t m a t t e r. I t a l m o s t m o c k s t h e p e o p l e i n t h e d o c u m e n t a r y, w h e n a e x p l o r a t i o n o f s o m e o n e ' s d e e p r e l i g i o u s fa i t h i s b e i n g s p o ke n a b o u t o n s c r e e n , a h u m o r o u s t r a ck i s ove r l a i d .
CAMERA WOR K & S HO T T YPE • H a n d h e l d c a m e r a i s u s e d t o fo l l ow L o u i s a r o u n d , a t y p i c a l c o nve n t i o n o f a d o c u m e n t a r y. T h e s h a k y c a m e r a wo rk a l l ows t h e a u d i e n c e t o fe e l a s a p a r t o f t h e d o c u m e n t a r y. • D u r i n g i n t e r v i ews , m i d s h o t s a n d c l o s e u p s a r e u s e d t o h e l p p o r t r a y t h e fa c i a l r e a c t i o n s o f t h e p e r s o n b e i n g i n t e r v i ewe d . Aga i n t h i s i s a n o r m a l fe a t u r e o f documentaries.
O PENING • Similar to ‘Inside the KKK’ this documentary opens with a clip f r o m a n i n t e r v i ew ( s e e n i n f u l l l a t e r i n t h e d o c u m e n t a r y . ) • U s i n g a c o n t r ove r s i a l i n t e r v i ew c l i p i n c r e a s e s t h e a u d i e n c e’s d e s i r e t o c o n t i n u e wa t ch i n g a n d h e i g h t e n s t h e i r i n t e r e st . • •
• L o u i s T h e r o u x u s e s n a t u r a l l i g h t i n g w i t h i n h i s d o c u m e n t a r y. T y p i c a l ly t h i s i s u s e d i n d o c u m e n t a r i e s a s i t ke e p s t h e r e a l i st e l e m e n t a l i ve . • Minimal editing is used here and, similar to the lighting, it helps the d o c u m e n t a r y t o fe e l r e a l . I t a l s o d o e s n o t d i st r a c t t h e a u d i e n c e fo r t h e s u b j e c t m a t t e r.