|
|
|
|
 |
The Movie:
 In a time when
"reality television" reigns supreme, it is a treat to
see a documentary like I Am a Promise: The Children of
Stanton Elementary School. The film, released in 1993,
brings a vérité approach to its subject that was sorely lacking
at the time. With their documentary, award-winning filmmakers
Susan and Alan Raymond provided an unflinching glimpse into the
world of the underprivileged, and opened the world up to
"reality programming" before it was really hip to do
so.
Filmed, over the course of one year, at M. Hall Stanton
Elementary School in North Philadelphia, I Am a Promise
goes past the schoolyard and into the halls to show exactly what
happens when a caring, passionate staff takes the time to try to
help students that normally wouldn't be given a chance. Lead by
the most caring and passionate of them all, Principal Deanna
Burney, the staff at Stanton Elementary School do all they can to
give their students quality education, confidence, and a real
chance to succeed in a place that pits so many things against
them.
 What makes the
film so fascinating, aside from the charismatic children and
dedicated staff, is the way in which Susan and Alan Raymond weave
the several different stories into one passionate and heartfelt
tale about children facing nearly insurmountable odds. Their
vérité approach puts the viewer right in the heart of the
school (and these children), and its almost impossible not to
want every single student to succeed. In a time when every
channel seems to have its own reality show, we tend to take for
granted the power of a documentary like I Am a Promise.
We see stories like this nearly every day. In the early 1990's,
however, it was groundbreaking cinema.
Directed and narrated by Susan Raymond, and beautifully
photographed (and edited) by Alan Raymond, I Am a Promise
doesn't shy away from the most difficult subjects. We see
students fighting, finding hypodermic syringes in the schoolyard,
and dealing with drug-addicted parents. But these harsh aspects
of the film are not what, ultimately, won the film the 1993
Academy Award® for Best Documentary Feature. It is the ability
of the filmmakers to maintain a tremendous amount of heart and
soul throughout every single obstacle and tragedy these students
(and staff) must face on a daily basis. It is this very heart and
soul that makes the film simultaneously brutal and tender. What
was groundbreaking cinema in the early 1990's has aged quite well
and is now simply an excellent film. I'll take something with as
much truth and beauty as I Am a Promise over reality
television any day of the week.
The DVD
Video:
I Am a Promise
is presented in its original 1.33:1 full frame format and looks
pretty much like what you would expect from a early 1990's
production shot on 16mm. Detail is lacking, colors sometimes
bloom, and some of the brighter spots even look a bit blown out.
The print is not in the best shape with noticeable grain, dirt,
and even a few scratches throughout. A digital remaster may have
been able to remedy a few of these problems, but it's probably
not necessary. The film looks as good as it's ever going to look,
and this transfer is serviceable enough.
Sound:
The audio on this disc is presented in a Dolby 2.0 stereo format
and, just like the video, suffers from a lack of quality source
material. Sound levels fluctuate from time to time and there
isn't much of a spacious soundstage, but the dialogue does come
through nice and clear. Really, that's what is important for a
film like this anyway. I was even surprised to hear a little bit
of ambience and bass pumping through my speakers when I ran the
film through Dolby ProLogic II decoding. Nonetheless, everything
you really need to hear is intelligible, and for a film such as
this that is plenty.
Extras:
 The one real
shining extra feature on this disc is an audio commentary
featuring the filmmakers and former Principal Deanna Burney. The
track is mostly screen-specific with Susan and Alan Raymond
expanding on some of their difficulties in bringing the film to
life. They share more stories about the children and provide some
great insight into exactly what it was like to film at Stanton
Elementary School throughout the course of a year. Principal
Burney, however, contributes the most intriguing part of the
commentary track, as she is able - ten years later - to reflect
on the choices she made and the hardships she had to endure when I
Am a Promise was being filmed. She even provides an update
on the whereabouts of a few of the children. The three
participants are very focal and honest about the film, which
makes for a very engrossing track.
Also included on this disc are a text biography
of Susan and Alan Raymond, a brief text feature
on DocuRama, and the entire text of the DocuRama catalog. A few trailers
for other DocuRama features are also included.
Final Thoughts:
While I cannot recommend the film highly enough, I would have
liked to see a little more effort put into this DVD presentation.
The audio-visual presentation is adequate, and the inclusion of
the audio commentary is a nice touch, but it would have been nice
to have a little more insight into such an important film. A
retrospective featurette would have been great, and I would have
liked to know where more of these students are today.
Nevertheless, the strength of the film alone is worth the price
of admission, and - with the inclusion of the engaging commentary
track - it would be hard not to recommend this disc. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Special Offers
|
|
|
| DVD Blowouts
|
|
|
| Special Offers
|
|
|
|
Buy: