Helvetica
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Movie Reviews of Helvetica
Movie Review: A novel documentary that just might be your type (ah, sorry about that)
Summary: 4 Stars
The other day I went up to one of the people at the information desk at the Sears -- oops! make that the Willis -- Tower in Chicago very close to where I work and asked them if they knew the name of the font that was used in displaying the building name. I was reasonably confident that it was Albertus (a very distinctive font that most people will known from a slightly modified version used in the classic TV series THE PRISONER). They didn't know, but my point is that today even someone completely unschooled in design like myself can somewhat conversant on the subject. It is all due to computers. One of the results of the personal computer revolution is that it has made people conscious of fonts in a way that people never were before. Oh, people worried about whether they could get alternatives to courier on their old electric typewriters. But for the most part people did not think much about it in their own lives. For the most part font design has been dominated by serif fonts. A 'serif' is the little design at the end of a stroke on a character. Sans-serif is any typeface that does not contain the serif on the character. An easy way to tell which a font is (though it will by no means hold up in all cases), is to look at a capital 'I' and lowercase 'L'. If you have Word 2007 it is exceptionally easy to compare the various fonts by highlighting both characters and scrolling through your options. If you look up Helvetica in Office, you won't find it. Microsoft opted for a cheap version of Helvetica that we all know as Arial. It is the primary Windows sans-serif font, just as Times New Roman is the primary serif font.
I have some problems with the documentary because it leaves so much out. For instance, for all its importance in advertising and in public design, Helvetica and other sans-serif fonts play little role elsewhere. I did a test sampling of ten different books off my bookshelf. All ten were printed in serif fonts. The entire issue of font for reading is almost completely unaddressed.
Despite the lapses, this is a very interesting film, which addresses both the reasons for the success of Helvetica and similar sans-serif fonts (btw, they constantly show public signs with the assumption that they are Helvetica, when in fact many of them are derivative fonts -- the film actually is about the Helvetica family rather than Helvetica narrowly conceived) and the reasons for many rejecting it. For instance, one woman not completely tongue-in-cheek associates Helvetica with the wagers of the Vietnamese War and the invasion of Iraq.
I love documentaries like this, that focus narrowly on a subject that you might otherwise not give a great deal of thought about. You will definitely not take for granted the public signs and advertisements that you see around you.
Movie Review: Quirky documentary
Summary: 4 Stars
I didn't write this review in Helvetica. Nevertheless, I did enjoy this documentary that showcases what is often considered the ultimate typeface. I actually rarely use Helvetica, so this was news to me. However, Helvetica typeface is all around us - on billboards, in advertising, and on buildings. Its clean design makes it easy to read and modern looking, even 50 years after its development. Helvetica is the pinnacle of Swiss crispness and clean lines - the IKEA of fonts (ok, IKEA is Swedish). Whether you consider it boring or not, it's here to stay.
The documentary focuses primarily on interviews with graphic designers and typographers, who give their views - sometimes negative sometimes rhapsodic - on the typeface. Some of these interviews are fascinating and elevate this documentary to the level of any serious consideration of art; indeed, some of these designers approach typeface as art. At times, the focus on interviews is a bit tedious, especially when they use jargon. Fortunately, the director (Gary Hustwit) keeps things moving at a nice clip and blends in various pictures of cityscapes and advertising that use the font. The aesthetic of the film is as clean and crisp as the typeface it explores, making it a rather pleasing documentary to watch. I tend to enjoy documentaries that take familiar things and dissect them, which this one does nicely. Font junkies are going to find this flick the most interesting, but anyone who likes graphic arts is likely to enjoy "Helvetica."
Movie Review: Design history as social history
Summary: 4 Stars
Helvetica is a solid documentary about the history of modern design, using the history of a popular font as the hook to keep the narrative moving. For anyone who works in design, innovation or marketing this documentary will be a great social object to share with your friends to show them a little more about your world. The movie is slow moving but very interesting so its good for a relaxed afternoon's viewing.
The film is a bit relaxed about using Helvetica as short hand for all sans-serif fonts but that doesn't distract from it being a good movie for those new to graphic design. Gary's next movie "Objectified" is a likewise great introduction to industrial design. The movie could have afforded to look into the rise of Arial and other computer fonts a little more. Democratization of the tools of design has been a huge movement and it gets a discussion in the movie, but not nearly enough.
If you're an art history major then you'll enjoy the casual use of some visual sociology terms, such as the contrast between modernism and post-modernism. Overall, the history of the Helvetica font makes for a great theme to the documentary, as the font is invisible in our lives, until you start looking for it. You'll soon be noticing the way "e" and "c" look all around you. Great fun.
Movie Review: Entertaining and Interesting!
Summary: 4 Stars
Didn't think I'd like a movie about a font, but I found the cultural and social implications discussed to be a very interesting conversation on how we are affected as a society by not simply visual arts and words, but also by HOW they are presented. Blame it on the liberals student in me, but I think everyone should take a look at this. Makes a great gift as well!Movie Review: Surprisingly Interesting
Summary: 4 Stars
I just had to say, I don't know why I watched this, or even why it was made, but it was actually very interesting. I never would have thought a doc. about font would hold my interest.