Born Into Coal

I thought that “Born Into Coal” was a very well-done, interesting, and engaging documentary. I enjoyed how the introduction and closing were connected. In the beginning, Arianna was preparing for the pageant and planned on leaving the coal behind. However, at the end of the documentary, she won and decided to stay and keep coal as a part of her life. One aspect of this documentary that I thought was successful was the style. Most of the shots were very quick and transitioned to the next one seamlessly. Also, the filmmakers did a good job at using B-roll to keep the viewer’s interest during the interviews. When they did show the person being interviewed, the shot was often a close shot. This is where I had one issue with the film. Occasionally, the person would be looking directly into the camera. Instead of adding a dramatic effect to the documentary, I found it off-putting. Another aspect of “Born Into Coal” that I enjoyed was the way the film showed the life of the coal miners. It showed a miner leaving and coming home from work, as well as another miner having to get checked for black lung. Both of these demonstrated the sacrifices that these men had to make to provide for their families. If I had to storyboard this documentary, I would separate the film into four parts: the introduction to Arianna and her family, the discussion of the mining deaths, the life of a coal miner, and the pageant. In conclusion, I thought this documentary utilized many different elements successfully and was very well-done.