Wiseman distills the state of American high school education at the time and we get whiffs of what the students are taught in different areas of significance including discipline, the dress code, culture, racial issues, sex education, and finally how the institution teaches children about two major current affairs - the war and the space program. Shooting and editing is done with a discerning eye, and yet not all of this is particularly interesting.

The study of institutions by a perfect, non-interventionist observer, that's Wiseman's work. It's interesting to see how an high school - particularly in this time and place - can be so dettached from reality. Some of it I didn't understand because of the lack of subtitles which is what slowed it down for me, but what I did I found eerily thought-provoking. What mostly annoyed me are these weird, random close-ups Wiseman constantly insists on making on mostly irrelevant details in the shot.

There are clear instances of backwards attitudes, but other clips that seemed designed to point out some sort of injustice didn't strike me as terribly egregious. Maybe some of the figures are a bit out of touch and some are a bit drunk on power, but I didn't see a lot to make me think the school was a fascist nightmare. Still, there is a sense of isolation from the real world. And regardless of the messages Wiseman is trying to get across, it's a compelling look at a specific time and place.

Really impressive in its honest look at the education system. Many things have improved, a few have worsened and too many have remained largely the same. It's very interesting to see the interactions between the students and teachers and the clash in values.

Amazingly revealing hands-off portrait of America in 1967. Why the hell isn't any of Wiseman's stuff on DVD?

Some things never change

I am not a filmmaker. Never will it happen. The two films that have existed in my dreams to make have been made. The first is "Hiroshima, Mon Amour", the second is "High School". Watch for a portrait of my high school experience, complete with the Simon and Garfunkle teacher, and of Wiseman's amazing work as a documentarist.