SIX DAYS IN ROSWELL: Towards A Gentler Style Of Documentary Satire
The problem inherent in the word mockumentary is that itleads the audience to expect outright mockery of the film's subject matter. Itdoesn't leave a lot of room for whimsy or finding the charm in things that are eccentric.The best films in this loose genre actually defy that expectation, finding amedium ground between seeing the absurd elements of a particular subject andbalancing those with a sense of humanity and an appreciation for the color and imagination inherent to allthings unusual.
A lesser known example of this gently satiric approachis Six Days In Roswell. It exploresthe colorful fringe culture that has sprung up around the town of Roswell, NewMexico, one that fixates conspiracy theory that a flying saucer crash-landednear the town and the event was subsequently covered up by the government. Thesmall desert town subsequently became a hub for all manner of oddballs who obsessover UFO's, aspiring artists looking for material that interests the public andlocals looking to make a buck by transforming UFO lore into tourist merchandise.
SixDays In Roswell creates a frame to explore this subcultureby introducing Rich Kronfeld, a real-life sci-fi fan and actor who previouslyappeared in Trekkies, who plays afictionalized version of himself here. His persona in this film is that of an introverted,eccentric manchild who longs to escape a dead-end life - he's a factory workerwho still lives with his mom - by going to Roswell for a UFO festival andhopefully learning some tips from the locals on how to be captured by aliens.
This approach could become twee or annoying in a waythat would derail the film's balance of fiction and verite but director TimothyJohnson avoids that in a few ways. The first is by getting a subtle, oftencharming performance from Kronfeld that avoids overt schtick in favor of a morelow-key, Method approach. Kronfeld displays the occasional flash of sly wit butmost mixes with the real documentary subjects in an earnest way that gives themroom to express themselves in an unselfconscious way. As a result, the audiencegets a greater feel for who they are. They are often revealed to be people whowant to find a venue for their own creativity or simply want to live anunconventional lifestyle.
Even better, Johnson's direction takes in a panorama ofwhat goes in on Roswell rather than taking easy potshots. Johnson and his crewwere quick to recognize that their chosen setting offered plenty of color andentertainment value without the filmmaking trying to force a comedic P.O.V.onto them: for instance, real ads from local Roswell merchants that play up thetown's UFO angle are funnier than any satirical simulation could be. Instead,it utilizes what it finds to hone in on some intriguingly American themes: atendency to fixate on conspiracy theories, distrust of the government, a habitof exploiting any trend, however odd, to make money and a need for artisticexpression that can take many eccentric forms (especially when there's a trendto be exploited).
It is interesting to note that the film uses itsfictional elements to send up the life Rich is escaping from - a funny scenehas a couple of local tough guys attempting to bully Rich through aself-defense lesson at his mother's behest - and depicts Rich responding to theodd nature of Roswell with open-eyed excitement. There's a surprising sweetnessto the film, including a coda that shows Rich finding his six-day tour ofUFO-mania to be a life-affirming event. At moments like that, it's almost likea low-budget weirdo riff on True Stories.If you go for that sort of vision of Americana, you're likely to enjoy thisfilm's cavalcade of all-American eccentrics.
Blu-Ray Notes: This appears as a bonus feature on Synapse's recent blu-ray release of Suckers but is in fact an equal co-feature, taking up half the disc. It boasts a nice, crisp transfer as well as 5.1 stereo track. It also has extras, including a commentary track and a fun featurette produced around the time the film was made. The presence of Suckers and its own set of extras just sweetens the deal.