Review – Spellbound (Jeffrey Blitz, 2003)
The Spellbound in question is not Alfred Hitchcock’s thriller, but rather the absolutely riveting, Oscar nominated documentary about spelling bees in the United States. As with so many of the best documentaries (including the one that beat it to the Oscar, Michael Moore’s Bowling for Columbine), it is at once hilarious and yet kind of disturbing. It follows eight children to the National Spelling Bee, with the first half of the film patiently establishing their personalities of the contestants, and the second half showing the relentless, pressure cooker finals that utilise a gratuitously unfair (but extremely exciting) sudden death format.
Spellbound works at every level. Many moments are laugh out loud funny, while the second half is cut for maximum suspense. The spelling bee sequences work so well because they are edited so as not to give clues as to whether contestants will be successful on any given question. For example, several times the film seems to be setting up the exit of a child with a flashback to their preparation, only to have them answer correctly – while at other times, incorrect answers come suddenly and without warning. (Oddly, though, the film tips its hand as to the eventual winner just before we see the final question). The cast of contestants assembled are all appealing: you want all of them to win (though some for different reasons than others).
In terms of message, the film is distanced and objective enough that I think it lets audiences draw conclusions based on their own prejudices. I suspect many American audiences, for example, will look at the number of immigrant families competing and see the film as a portrayal of America as the land of opportunity. Yet I was struck by the huge gulf between the backgrounds of those we see, and the awful pressure placed on some of the children. Despite the “you can achieve anything” ideology held to by some of the parents, I couldn’t escape the sense of just how much of a struggle some of these bright and likeable kids faced. Life does not necessarily reward those who work hardest: rather, like victory in the spelling bee, the opportunity to escape the limitations of one’s situation in life is bestowed randomly on a lucky few.