Jean Rouch, The Human Pyramid

Set in the capital Abidjan, 1959, Jean Rouch, in The Human Pyramid, uses no script and only social actors to tell a story of race and friendship among High School seniors.  His goal to understand "what friendship could be with “no racial complexes" between Blacks (Africans) and Whites (French) is brilliantly rendered as we look at the discourse surrounding race from the perspective of innocence. 

In the opening scenes Rouch is present (on the screen) explaining to the students his goal for his ‘experiment.’  He admits to the students that whomever gets ‘picked’ to be the racists, he wants "the racists to talk like racists."  In his psychodrama style of filmmaking, Rouch assembles the cast of characters, all real people (non-professional actors), creates a situation and lets the script be written as it unfolds in front of the camera.  The personalities of the students are not foreshadowed by their “acting.”  Instead, it’s my opinion that Rouch encourages–by his participation and the presence of the camera–emblishment of who they are as people.   He once said words to the effect, that people are more themselves when the camera is rolling than they are when it’s not.

Early on in the film, he tells us, “It is not a true story, it was written as we shot it."  This brings up questions of truth.  If we take that people are being more themselves when the camera is rolling, and the fact that what we are watching is in fact true–we see it, he filmed it, he was there, the students are present, real events are happening in front of the camera–then how ‘not true’ of a story is it?  In fact, I think what is discovered by the characters, and hence the audience, is pure truth.  The most telling proof is in the beginning when he is telling the students that they will not get into trouble for saying things; in essence “being” who it is they are in the film.  The camera rolls.  Rouch has given the green light to be the racist that you are (for example).  I imagine that this outlet was somewhat enlightening for the students.  Along the lines of being open and honest with each other and about each other, it stands to reason a cartharsis might have happened to the students just as one happens to the audience who see their own racist thoughts and fears presented onscreen.

Rouch is my new favorite filmmaker.  He seems to be genuinely compassionate and concerned with the human experiment as it is played out in all its forms here on earth.  His cinéma vérité, psychodrama style of presenting the world, his world (and hence, ours), cannot be considered anything other than genius.