Be Natural: The Untold Story of Alice Guy-Blache

Alice’s Vindication
In March, month dedicated to women, I was pleased to see this documentary that gives a select overview of the life and work of French filmmaker Alice Guy (also known as Alice Guy-Blaché, by her married name), her place and most significant contributions to the evolution of cinema.Narrated by Jodie Foster, I was surprised that director Pamela B. Green rightfully recognizes the appearance of Louis Lumière’s cinematographe in 1895 as the moment in which cinema was born with technical strength and the ability to communicate, inform and entertain. It was Alice’s turn as a young worker at the Gaumont company to make «The Cabbage Fairy» in 1896, the first fictional film made by a woman that is known to this day; experimenting with sound and painted film, prioritizing the motto “Be natural” as a method of acting among performers adept at posing in front of the cameras, becoming a powerful businesswoman in the United States, pioneering in directing an all-African-American cast in a movie, and introducing a feminine vision in her stories, as in her successful «The Life of Christ» (1906), in which she privileged the relationship of Jesus with the women around him.However, Alice Guy died without having received the recognition she deserved for her work in France and the United States. In 1920 she made her last film, she divorced Herbert Blaché and returned to France with her two children. A decade in the United States was enough to be forgotten in her native country and gradually her name was erased from the history of the Gaumont studios and, worse still, from the history of cinema, a situation aggravated by the crediting of some of her films to male directors and the loss of many of her movies. Until her death in 1968 Alice Guy tried to find them, but she died without rectifying the denial of her merits, without publishing her memoirs or recovering her place in the history of cinema. “My youth, my lack of experience, my sex,” she once declared, “all conspired against me.”The documentary is often fascinating, following director Green’s search for lost memory, traces, letters, photos, audio recordings, videotapes in disuse (such as U-Matic), film clips, testimonials from relatives, friends, specialists and colleagues, on both sides of the Atlantic…Alice Guy would be very pleased.

Fascinating with one flaw
Enjoyed it but had to keep subtitles running and one hand on the volume slider. Why? Because of the highly inappropriate boogy-beat behind the narration during certain scenes, for example the reading of a NY paper’s description of the Ft. Lee studio. I didn’t mind the pacing, about which one reviewer complained – it didn’t feel over-the-edge jumpy to me at all. Perhaps because I just liked Alice and wanted to know all about her life as a very high-energy, determined and creative person.

Fantastic documentary of a woman who was completely ignored by history.
The short clips shown of her movies are beautiful and artistic, and make me want to watch her films. She was a giant of the early motion picture industry and completely ignored only because she’s a woman. This documentary points out that many other early female directors have also been ignored. She said she was not aware of her female peers at the time. Just speaks volumes. She’s an amazing woman and I’m so glad this documentary was made.

Biographical documentary desperately needs editing
I love film history, and now that I’ve attempted to watch Be Natural: The Story of Alice Guy-Blanche, and couldn’t get through it, after having the same issue with Dawson City – Frozen Time, I’m convinced documentaries distributed by Kino Lorber lack editors. Alice is a fascinating topic, and Jodie Foster a good narrator, and it is a plus that Foster is clearly fluent in French. Be Natural is well-researched and includes good archival documentation and media. Unfortunately, the film meanders, is not linear, and includes way, way too many cameos and quotes from film scholars and people in the film industry that distract from the story. Pamela B. Green’s love of the subject is admirable, and if she re-edits the film to focus on the life and films of this extraordinary film pioneer in a way that is accessible to those of us who aren’t in the film industry, this would be a great film.

Etonnant que ce soit une anglophone qui vante les mérites (mal connus) d’une française. Il a fallu attendre la montée du féminisme pour les reconnaître ! La fuite des cerveaux existait aussi du temps de Méliès !

This Documentary is quite extraordinary Рa massive undertaking, and revelatory about Alice Guy Blach̩. A must for any filmmaker.

To anyone interested in cinema history this is a marvellous idea as Alice Guy Blache needs to be better known. But this production is appallingly self indulgent and pretentious with a continuous barrage of momentary shots and tricksy editing effects that never resolves into mature story telling. The editing style resembles an especially inane pop video run at triple speed and the pity is that buried in this unwatchable rubbish is a fascinating and vital story that can’t escape.AS THIS IS THE ONLY REVIEW PRINTED AND FOR THE ABOVE REASONS I’VE GIVEN IT ONE STAR, MAY I ASK HOW YOU HAVE A FIVE STAR REVIEW LOGGED BUT THAT REVIEW OR ANY OTHERS ARE NOWHERE TO BE FOUND?