The Image of the Scientist in Documentary: A Case Study of Three Films

Abstract

Negative stereotypes of scientists of have been prevalent throughout much of media history, from literary representations of the mystical alchemist to the mad scientist of early film. Since the inception of the moving picture, film and television have become a major influential factor over the general public’s perception of scientists, and have helped form today’s classic stereotype of the socially inept, and slightly distanced laboratory researcher. Recently, both the public’s trust in scientific leaders and characterisations of scientists in the media has become more positive. However, stereotypical characteristics are still imposed in media depictions that perpetuate some negative and often inaccurate views of the scientist. The popularity of documentary film offers a new opportunity to depict a more accurate representation of the scientist. Yet, no studies to date have investigated how scientist characters are visualised in documentary film. This thesis explores the portrayal of scientists in two documentaries, Life and Death in the 21st Century: Living Forever and The Immortalists, using a content analysis tool adapted from Evans (2010), who studied the influence of physical and action characteristics on the image of the scientist in fictional film. As several criteria were not applicable to the documentary format, this tool was modified in its application in this thesis to determine what physical and action attributes influence the image of scientists in these documentaries. It was then employed as a means of exploring the depictions of scientists in Becoming Giants, a 25-minute film made as the creative component of this thesis, in the context of decisions made during the filmmaking process. An investigation of these three documentaries revealed the power of this filmic form to reinforce and break the classic scientist stereotype. It also revealed significant compromises in scientist images as a result of conforming to some demands of narrative structure and popular story arcs employed in contemporary documentary film.