Draft 2 PhD Introduction - ResearchSpace@Auckland

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Grey Gardens in Ward’s terms. Ward’s method of achieving this was “to obtain
veracity and authenticity based on careful observation and recording faithfully what was
there and under the surface as well”. He does not believe that film can be objective but
that it is “subjective filmmaking linked with careful observation and a determination to
listen and really hear what people are saying” which leads to “authentic filmmaking”.
This approach, as he pointed out, is one which is “very intense, but for a small
Puritanical country like New Zealand, it becomes too intense”. 491
Ward’s approach also included a number of goals that did not relate specifically to
either cinéma vérité or the traditional television documentary. These were: “the
preservation of the ambiance” through the use of light, colour and shade; “the
realisation of some of the more subjective visions of the subjects within a largely
observational framework”; and “a narrative style based on the primacy of the image”.
Ward directly compares the latter aspect of his approach with A State of Siege, stressing
that: “this is something that is very important to me”. 492 Indeed, these emphases also
apply to his later fictional feature films. In order to create the kind of ambiance he
wanted to achieve, Ward used prime lenses to achieve a feeling of stillness. In Helen
Martin’s review, he is quoted as saying, “The depth and richness of colour come from
things like filters, the nature of the environment, filming at the right time of day. It’s a
matter of seeing it”. 493 At times, he used a process of “elimination, rather than addition
or assimilation”. On a very basic level, the living conditions of Puhi and Niki were
made more acceptable to a middle-class audience by the control of light and colour, and
by Ward tidying up Puhi’s house every time they filmed. This was also done to “attain
a purity of image” since Ward was attempting to record on film certain intangible things
without distraction. The colour of the film was important and Ward aimed for a “muted
bluey grey, or golden blue tint”. One exception to this colouring was during one midwinter
shoot, the light conditions required the film to be “forced” during processing,
resulting in a red/blue bias. On this occasion, in order to film at all, the desired
colouring had to be compromised. 494
491 Lynette Read, telephone interview with Vincent Ward, 17 December 2003.
492 Ward, “A Documented Account of the Making of In Spring One Plants Alone,” Introduction.
493 Martin, "In Spring One Plants Alone: A Matter of Seeing It," 11.
494 Ward, “A Documented Account of the Making of In Spring One Plants Alone,” Section on Approach.