“The Coronation of Edward VII” - Short Documentary

I was surprised to find when Dean Duncan said that the short “The Coronation of Edward VII” by George Melies was actually a reenactment of that event. It was pretty realistic considering the manner that it was portrayed. People reverently watching as this individual is crowned. The setting adds more to this “reality”. Everything around looks like the perfect place for all this to come together in a ceremony that requires a lot of thought just like the making of this film. Every detail seemed carefully thought of to create the scene. It is a fictional piece based on an actual event. A documentation of history with the use of actors and taking advantage of the space they are in to execute it successfully. When I saw this I thought about whether I had seen films that have shown something to be true but really isn’t the case.  I think that with documentary filmmakers can have the tendency of showing something that does not present another view or that can portray it in a way they see fit to what they think is right. No matter how true or untrue a position is there should be balance. Presenting both sides of the issue can be tricky but it can definitely be done. I appreciate the footage for what it is worth. Yet, it would have been nice to know that it was real. I think that it does well in portraying it all as if we were there witnessing that very moment. If I can picture it it would have been close to what representation Melies had.