Supersize Me is a documentary film directed by and starring Morgan Spurlock. The film follows Spurlock for thirty days as he eats only food provided by McDonald's restaurants. Spurlock documents the physical and psycological effects the diet has on him, while also exploring the business sides of multiple fast food businesses, including the addictive nature of the product.
Spurlock uses what could be described as an 'active' style of documentary filmmaking; active meaning that he provides a physical demonstration of the point he is trying to make. Spurlock seeks to destroy himself in order to demonstrate the catastrophic effects a predominantly fast-food diet can have on the body and mind. This style of documentary making worked particularly well in this case; After the film' release McDonald's discontinued their 'Supersize' option. Criticism of this style of documentary comes from the omission of certain facts and heavy editing. McDonalds criticised Spurlock's film, commenting on his lack of excersise throughout the duration of his experiment and claiming that any such diet would result in obesity, not just ones restricted to McDonalds food. However this criticism can also be levelled at most other forms of documentary; a producer is highly unlikey to include footage or evidence that contradicts the point they are trying to make.
Seth Gordon - The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters (2007)
This film follows school-teacher Steve Wiebe as he attempts to claim the Donkey Kong high score from acclaimed gamer Billy Mitchell. This film uses a much more passive style than 'Supersize Me'. Rather than be actively engaged with, the camera is almost a bystander, efffectively invisible to it's subjects. This gives the impression of impartiality to the audience, however criticisms regarding editing and fact omission have still been levelled against this film.
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