Salinger is a documentary based on the life and work of reclusive writer J.D. Salinger. Having taught his works for American English, I was interested to learn what new information I could glean about the author.
One of the first things I learned was that his experiences in World War II did a lot to shape the thoughts of the man. The second thing I learned was that Salinger was drawn to young women who he could impress and mold into companion writers, until they grew old enough to realize how stiffling the relationhip was.
The film says that Salinger did have some final writings that he refused to have published until most of his current fans would be dead. I'm not sure why a writer would do that to the fans that make him famous, but I would wonder how a future generation might view the works that were so definitely set in the 1950/1960s.
The film uses talking heads and staging with an actor playing out his part against a large screen. Sometimes the approach was effective.
Salinger (2013) ***
One of the first things I learned was that his experiences in World War II did a lot to shape the thoughts of the man. The second thing I learned was that Salinger was drawn to young women who he could impress and mold into companion writers, until they grew old enough to realize how stiffling the relationhip was.
The film says that Salinger did have some final writings that he refused to have published until most of his current fans would be dead. I'm not sure why a writer would do that to the fans that make him famous, but I would wonder how a future generation might view the works that were so definitely set in the 1950/1960s.
The film uses talking heads and staging with an actor playing out his part against a large screen. Sometimes the approach was effective.
Salinger (2013) ***
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