Cinema Expanded: The Films of Frederick Wiseman

This 3-disc Blu-ray set offers a fascinating (and often disturbing) insight into the world of American filmmaker and documentarian Frederick Wiseman, who died yesterday at the age of 96!

CINEMA EXPANDED: THE FILMS OF FREDERICK WISEMAN, is comprised of five documentaries, edited together as if they were gritty and all too realistic movies (only that they depict a slice of the real world) open our eyes and screws with our perceptive as the stuff of daily nightmares seeps into our collective minds. The first docu-film, titled ‘Titicut Follies’ (1967), caused a mighty uproar back in the day, as it depicts the goings-on of the Bridgewater State Hospital for the Criminally Insane in Massachusetts and we make the acquaintance of both staff and patients. Not only does it make for seriously unsettling viewing but we are lucky (if that’s the right word) to actually get to see this film at all, as initially, it had been banned by the local Supreme Judicial Court on grounds of violating the dignity of the inmates despite the late Richard Wiseman having received the ok from all those depicted in the film. One glimpse, and you will be aware that the Bridgewater State Hospital for the Criminally Insane makes Gotham’s fictional Arkham Asylum look like a weekend resort. It’f often hard to differentiate at what point that obvious insanity ends and the violent state of mind takes over (or vice versa). Underneath the despicable characters lurks a tragic figure, while staff try their best to maintain their calm, which was needed if they didn’t want to end up on the other side… It’s brutal without missing out on the human touch.

From Massachusetts we take a detour towards Philadelphia, for it is here where the second docu-feature, ‘High School’ (1968), is set, namely at the Northeast High School to be precise. This one depicts another peep into the daily goings-on at the school, albeit considerably less harrowing. The prime focus here are clashes between figures of authority (teachers) and their pupils - either because the latter group is in trouble having misbehaved (according to the teachers) or due to general clashes when it comes to world-views, that is to say a difference in values and expressing themselves by means of clothing, hairstyles and attitudes. More often than not, the teachers’ ignorant stance towards even trying to understand the younger generation only widens the conflict. And let’s not forget that one year later, Woodstock came along…while at the time when Wiseman made the film, anti-Vietnam protests and the Civil Rights Movement were already in full swing.

‘Hospital’ (1969) is a double-edged sword, as it juggles the shortcomings of a New York hospital (inadequate medical care, staff shortage… does this sound familiar?) with the seemingly never-ending stream of newly admitted patients, patients already admitted and A&E. Patients who od’d on drugs, patients with nasty injuries, patients who look like they are in dire need of end-of-life-care. One young man who clearly od’d on some substances is throwing up his guts all over the floor, it’s like a scene from The Exorcist with Linda Blair spitting out pea soup. It’s tragic, funny and poignant in equal measures, it’s also not for the squeamish due to graphic depictions.
As the title suggests, ‘Juvenile Court’ (1973), doesn’t leave a lot of room for humour and focuses on one Kenneth A. Turner, a judge who presides over the juvenile court of the title with an iron fist. While at first glimpse, he comes across as understanding and compassionate, the truth is that he is actually quite a patronising fella who always seems to be on the side of adults as opposed to the side of juvenile delinquents, as demonstrated when a young lad who had hot oil poured over him by his uncle is being asked idiotic questions by Judge Turner, such as whether he may have done something wrong in order have caused his uncle to pour the hot liquid over him (instead of reprimanding the uncle for his outrageous deed). The more we watch Judge Kenneth in action, the more we grow to dislike him and feel pity for most of the so-called juvenile delinquents. With a system as antiquated as this, is it any wonder yesteryear’s youth rebel-yelled?

Finally, we have ‘Welfare’ (1975) which is the longest of the five films, clocking in a whopping 167 minutes! That said, it’s worth watching every minute, if only for the sheer grotesquery of the many of the characters depicted and their desperate attempts to get on the welfare ladder, while case workers sometimes appear to be struggling with the confusing rules of the benefits system. There’s the the young couple who get questioned by a caseworker why they are not in work, especially the young woman, who then answers that “on doctor’s advice” she was told to take it easy as she’s prone to epileptic fits. When the caseworker asks her whether she can show any medical proof to strengthen that statement, she replies “No, but that’s what my doctor told me”. When the caseworker asks the couple whether they are married, she replies “Yes’ as it would mean more money but when asked where the marriage certificate is, she says she doesn’t have one, to which her boyfriend, in an apologetic manner, points out that his girlfriend is so eager to get married, sometimes she thinks she is already married to him. One doesn’t now whether to laugh or to cry watching the odd couple (personally, this reviewer reckons you can’t help but laugh). Another case worker can’t shake off an incensed man of Asian Indian origin who is convinced he doesn’t get benefit money due to his ethnic background, with the increasingly frustrated caseworker pointing out that the reason he doesn’t qualify is because repeatedly, he failed to fill out the correct paperwork. This ‘Welfare’ documentary is almost Rabelaisian in its absurdity - the absurdity of bureaucracy.
Forget about 21st century Reality TV - CINEMA EXPANDED is the real deal!

Bonus features include a video essay exploring the films of F. Wiseman, BFI Southbank discussion from 2025, 56-page booklet, plus English descriptive subtitles on all five films.