Quincy in Hale County This Morning, This Evening (RaMell Ross/Cinema Guild)

 The atmospheric Hale County This Morning, This Evening is a startling, highly unconventional documentary about the lives of black people living in Hale County, Alabama. Kaleidoscopic in its effect, the film paints a convincing, passionate, and varied portrait.

The film has many sequences made up of wordless panoramas in which we observe individuals, the movement of clouds and cars, and the landscape over extended periods of time, often sped up. Sometimes during these moments we hear the sounds of voices in the background, creating a strong impression of how ingrained the people are in their environment. Director RaMell Ross’s frequent use of these techniques gives us the sense that we are never viewing the community from one angle alone. Furthermore, unlike many documentaries, it seems to be propelled by intuition, though we are always aware of the camera. We gradually get to know some of the subjects over time: Quincy and Mary, who work at the catfish processing plant; Boosie, who is expecting twins; Daniel, a young college student; and others, yet we are never entirely sure of what to expect.

While Ross does nothing to hide the presence of the camera—some shots are deliberately at very odd angles, and one toddler comes very close to the lens. Those filmed do not seem to behave as though they are being watched: a young child running around a room, a young man telling us about his dreams and ambitions, or a man playing blues guitar outside at night. The camera does not seem to inhibit or elicit any particular reaction. As with the other sequences, these more direct observations appear in snatches and from them we piece together the dramas of their lives.

Occasionally Ross overdoes it with his approach—one sequence of basketball players in a locker room goes on much too long—and sometimes the camera is placed at an odd angle or has a blurry focus that doesn’t contribute much to the whole. Nevertheless, these minor distractions do little to take away from the sublime whole. Through his fierce respect for his subjects and intuitive approach, Ross has created a truly memorable film that stands out as a unique and important achievement.