50 documentaries to see

Yes, I know that’s not the complete title. But the title is what I like least about Morgan Spurlock’s project 50 Documentaries to See Before You Die. A title like that creates not only a sense of obligation but a sense of impending mortality. It’s not really necessary to say “before you die.” I’m not going to see them after I die, am I?

The upside is that, at least for most us, seeing 50 documentaries is not an impossible task. A motivated person could do it in a month while holding down a full-time job. The same could not be said for projects like the one posed by the book 1,000 Places to See Before You Die.

Various people have complained about notable films that are missing from the list, or about the fact that nearly all of them are American, and quite recent. Like some of the critics, I would have liked to see Hearts and Minds, Harlan County USA, and the 7 Up films included—not to mention Burden of Dreams, which I haven’t seen anyone else mention. But like this PBS reviewer, I think that the interest and discussion the series stirs up makes it more than worthwhile.

The complete list of 50 films is at the New York Times. Although I don’t consider myself a documentary buff, I’ve seen 16 of them, including Hoop Dreams and the rest of the top five, plus some memorable films like Grizzly Man, The Fog of War, The King of Kong, Waltz with Bashir, and Inside Job. I look forward to seeing more.