Notes on BBC4 Documentary 'Dear Censor'

In preparation for my Documentary Media presentation I am trying to get clear in my head the characteristics of documentary films, and be able to identify aspects of documentaries.  This will help me with theory analysis for my Documentary Media essay and suggest possible techniques to consider for our Tango Man edit.

Here is a brief review of a BBC4 documentary that I watched called 'Dear Censor'.

Dear Censor BBC

I watched the BBC4 Time Shift documentary 'Dear Censor' regarding the recently released letters and files from the archives of the British Board of Film Classification, ranging from the early 1950s to the files from twenty years ago, 1991.  (The letters and files from the last twenty years are not yet released for purposes of privacy and sensitivity.)

I noticed how the documentary used several of the characteristics / techniques that we had discussed in the sessions; interviews, reconstructions (actors' voices), actuality, scans of letters, behind scenes footage of films being discussed, samples of films discussed, still photographs of people unable to be interviewed and archive material, all of which made the film appear factual and trustworthy (evidence shown, testimonies in form of interviews and expert opinion).  With other clever editing techniques such as scanning letters and blurring out sentences not being read out, therefore concentrating viewer's attention on the sentence being related, quick edits, voiceovers, archive footage and location of interviews (in front of cinema screen, against a background of shelves of books) the film was authoritive and well paced which made it interesting and enjoyable to view.