Style or substance? Inside Beat investigates at Fall 2024 NJ Film Festival

While a critic has to consider a multitude of factors when analyzing a film, including the cinematography, editing and acting, one question generally leads to an evaluation: what's more important, style or substance?

These two questions lingered during a Sunday double feature at the Fall 2024 New Jersey Film Festival, where each director had a vastly different answer to the question.

The first of the two films shown, "Rough Blazing Star," directed by Christopher Wiersema, boldly claims that style is the answer. The experimental documentary film is a historical look into the story of a group of anarchist Italian immigrants. It's a film devoted to the craft of filmmaking and takes a unique approach to storytelling.

Wiersema, interested in low-budget, experimental, DIY filmmaking, opts to relay the account without a cohesive structure. Instead, he searches for memories, specifically, those associated with locations that hold meaning for the anarchists.

The most significant location in the film is Old Labor Hall, a space for lectures and social gatherings. This physical space has a power and beauty that's immediately apparent to everyone watching the film.

When asked about the role the physical space of the labor hall plays in the film, Wiersema revealed his thought process.

"My intention is that I was just trying to chase these memories," he said. "The building itself, which feels very much alive, even though ... it's just the hall ... The character is this building and what surrounded it in terms of memories and writing."

As the film continues, it becomes clear that Wiersema has a talent for capturing powerful images. In one scene, a man serves as a guide through the town cemetery, taking the audience along a beautiful, yet somber journey through the headstones.

Despite the beauty of this film, it lacks the narrative flow that comes hand-in-hand with a great story. It's not clear whether this is a product of Wiersema's disinterest in a typical plot, or if there simply wasn't enough source material to uncover a narrative thread.

Either way, this leaves the audience asking, "Was that all?"

The second film, "A.P. Giannini - Bank to the Future," is another documentary, this time directed by Valentina Signorelli and Cecilia Zoppelletto. This film takes an in-depth look at the life of A.P. Giannini, an Italian banker from California, whose accomplishments and influence continue today.

In contrast to "Rough Blazing Star," this production has a very clear story to tell.

The thing that immediately stands out about the film is its subject matter. Due to the impressive, and almost unbelievable rise of Giannini, the story practically writes itself. Through chronicling his life, the film goes to great lengths to give working-class people and the "little man" screen time.

Throughout the film, there are several restaurant owners and farmers who own family businesses established with financial support from Giannini. While it may come across as indulgent, this aspect, in addition to a segment devoted to Giannini's investment in the film industry, showcased the passion of the filmmakers.

But, the film also lacks in the areas that "Rough Blazing Star" shines. It lacks the care and attention to detail that only a singular artist can give. The filmmakers, clearly enamored with the man in question, elevate his story to that of legend.

They speak of Giannini as if he were cut from the same cloth as Moses, Hercules and Superman. But, in this pursuit, they fail to give the movie much life.

Still, it's essential to understand that both films are products of their respective teams.

"Rough Blazing Star" was created by an independent filmmaker with very few others involved in the filming and editing processes. "A.P. Giannini – Bank to the Future," on the other hand, is a high-budget production that required many people to see it through — when the credits rolled on screen, the sheer amount of names was surprising.

The first weekend of the NJ Film Festival raised thought-provoking questions, and patrons will have another chance to weigh style against substance as the festival continues with its Shorts Program on Friday.