Review of David Holzman's Diary (1967) by Rhett P — 25 Mar 2012

The film that first opened my eyes to the art of film was David Holzman's Diary. I re-watched it recently and once again was captivated and creatively inspired by it.

There's always a danger when you are nostalgic about a film you have seen so many years ago, that you might ruin a good memory by not enjoying it as much as you did initially all those years ago. But this was not the case with this film.

FILM IS TRUTH 24 FRAMES A SECOND.

This is a quote by Jean-Luc Godard, and is used as the basis of the film. David Holzman is trying to solve the mystery of everyday life, trying to make sense of it. So he figures if he captures it all on film and watches it back it may make more sense and he can pick up on things that would normally pass him by. So he begins obsessively filming all aspects of his life, until it starts to unravel before him and he finds even less answers.

It's still so relative to today, in the age of reality television. There's a great monologue in one part of the film where a character explains that nothing that is in front of the camera and aware of the camera is natural, because of the conscious presence of the camera.

All in all though, I love the feel of the film, its shot in this brilliant black and white and the sequences where he films sweeping through the streets of 1960's new york just makes you feel like you're there, opening up and diving into an era so long gone.