Review: Forgotten Silver

Speaking of mad scientists, if one just happened to genetically splice a typical PBS documentary program with a Saturday Night Live short film in his castle laboratory he might produce something like This Is Spinal Tap the seminal mockumentary about the faux heavy metal rock band. He'd have something just this side of tongue-in-cheek (because it's a fine line between clever and stupid), something created that laughs at itself as we snicker along with it. But it's also something that's obviously satire. But what if our Dr. Frankenstein had a sadistic side. And just happened to be born April 1. He might produce something more like Forgotten Silver.

Brought to us from the brilliant visual mind of Peter Jackson (yes, that's right the Peter Jackson only months before he was the Peter Jackson!) and fellow New Zealander and documentary filmmaker Costa Botes, Forgotten Silver brings us the story of a long lost and hitherto unknown master of filmmaking, Colin McKenzie, who just happened to herald from the land of the Kiwi as well. According to new discoveries by PJ himself, Mr. McKenzie was a pioneer, well ahead of his time, bringing the film world sound before is regularly acknowledged (but making the poor PR choice of recording the film entirely in Chinese for an English speaking public) and color (for which he was prosecuted for lewd public display as the new color film included topless Tahitian beauties wandering into view). It's all cleverly pieced together and the "old" footage is masterfully faked. Even the acting style of silent films was masterfully faked. It was all masterfully faked and if it weren't for the fact that I knew it was faked to begin with (and the preposterous sci-fi resolution of a certain pocketed newspaper) I would have said it was just masterful.

Moving from the history, trials and tribulations of a young artist in a young art to the modern quest for a long lost set he built for his grand masterpiece (his Lord of the Rings if you will) the film walks the rope between taking itself too seriously and winking at the audience, never quite doing either, unlike Spinal Tap or its ilk which spend much of their time winking, nudging and saying "no-whut-I-mean". New Zealand national pride is written all over it despite the fact that the hoax was originally played on the Kiwi public, who according to the extra documentary about the mockumentary (it all gets so confusing) didn't take kindly to being duped.

It was a little long in the tooth, as is PJ's want, particularly when presenting McKenzie's long lost opus Salome but if you consider yourself a film buff, a fan of Peter Jackson or you just like a good documentary, whether it's based in fact or not, you won't want to miss Forgotten Silver. Unfortunately it's a little difficult to get your hands on, unless you're willing to foot the bill for a new DVD, live in New Zealand or (thank goodness) have a Netflix account. Add it to your queue now!