A Decade Under the Influence-2003

Director Ted Demme, Richard LaGravenese

Starring Francis Ford Coppola, William Friedkin, Ellen Burstyn

Scott’s Review #392

Reviewed April 5, 2016

Grade: B+

Produced by the cable network Independent Film Channel (IFC), A Decade Under The Influence explores the 1970s in film, a decade that was arguably the most creative and liberating decade for filmmakers and audiences alike.

A period in film defined by the directors securing creative freedom instead of the studios, where artists, instead of corporations, finally ruled the roost.

A Decade Under the Influence offers an overview of the era.

Despite some conspicuous omissions, I enjoyed this informative piece a great deal.

The documentary is divided into numerous segments, including sections on women in film, the transition into a different period in Hollywood, and the subsequent close of the decade.

The interviews are plentiful, including a who’s who of stars: Martin Scorsese, Ellen Burstyn, Clint Eastwood, Robert Altman, Julie Christie, Francis Ford Coppola, and numerous other influential directors, actors, and filmmakers.

Each individual describes their perspective on 1970s cinema and shares personal anecdotes about experiences or challenges.

Ellen Burstyn, for example, describes how the success of The Exorcist afforded her a plethora of other film offers, but all of the roles were of prostitutes, dutiful wives, or women in peril.

She needed roles more stimulating than those, so she chose to star in Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, which was a much better-written role.

What I found a bit sad is that there are still limited, layered roles for women in Hollywood, unless one goes the independent film route, which this documentary touts as a savior.

Francis Ford Coppola explains that The Godfather was never expected to be a success, but rather that he was chosen to direct the film merely because he worked cheaply and was Italian-American.

How ironic that the film became such a monumental success and an influence on filmmaking as a whole for generations to come.

The documentary at times seems like an overview of the decade, with many clips of classic 1970s cinema interspersed with talking points.

Despite being three hours long, I still felt there was so much more the documentary could have explored. Not surprisingly, the stars granted interviews were granted heavy screen time for their films.

The documentary was fine, but could have delved much deeper- I could see a multiple-disc set of ten or more hours dedicated to the decade.

One conspicuous omission was Robert Altman’s Nashville, arguably, the best film of the decade. While it was briefly mentioned and a still frame of a scene from it appeared, I felt it warranted more dissection and discussion.

This was more surprising given that Altman was interviewed for the documentary.

Another miss was Halloween or any mention of John Carpenter films. Halloween influenced many horror films to come, and The Exorcist received heaps of coverage, undoubtedly because star Burstyn and director William Friedkin appear at length throughout the production.

Additionally, in the horror genre, Black Christmas (a highly influential horror film) was not mentioned at all.

A celebration of my favorite decade of cinema, A Decade Under the Influence is a documentary that is a basic must-see for fans of 1970s cinema, or film students perhaps immersing themselves into the world of great film for the first time.