7 Plus Seven

The 'Up Series' represents one of the most fascinating and unusual uses of film in cinema history - a documentary life-long chronicle of the lives of 14 people starting at 7 years old, revisiting them every seven years through age 49 (so far).

While I could quibble, wishing for a bit more depth here and there (especially with the women, where there's a bit too much emphasis on love and marriage at the expense of all else), it's really an astounding, moving, frightening and uplifting document. There's no way to watch this remarkable series of films without reflecting deeply on one's own life, and how you have changed (and stayed the same) over your own lifetime.

While Michael Aped deserves every bit of credit he's received for this amazing piece of cultural anthropology, it's important to note the first film, 7 Up,was actually directed by Paul Almond, and Apted was a that point a researcher for the project.

It's funny to see other reviewers talking about the awkwardness of the subjects and the dullness of their lives. I suppose that might be true if you're watching this installment as a stand-alone film, but I just can't see many people doing that, knowing just how long the series actually took and how many other features are out there. This was where Apted took over the project and made it his own, and this is where we first get to see changes in kids. Suzy goes from being precocious to sullen and bratty, Paul evolves from a wise little buddha to a simply meek kind of fellow, and.we get the first glimpse of Neil's change from a sunny, laughing lad into the tortured soul he'll eventually become.

Director Michael Apted was a simple research assistant in the first one. He would be the driving force for the series from now on. The kids are now 14 year olds, and some of them are fully in their awkward teen stage.

When you see Nicholas and Suzy, they are painfully awkward. It's actually hard to watch. It's like torturing little puppies. When Suzy's dog kills the rabbit, it was actually a welcome break from the intrusion. The class separation is still there as the 3 prep boys move on to their upper crust education. And Tony is fully into his jockeying goal. The boys and girls are moving on with their lives.

The production value is better than the first. We are now moving into a TV movie documentary whereas the first one is a black and white TV show. I do wish for better sound quality. Sure we're getting the teenage mumbling, but maybe subtitles would be helpful.

Part two of the Up series, which loyally follows the formula established in 1964's Seven Up despite a change in the director's chair. By now the children of seven years prior have grown into adolescence, with all of their internal turmoil and social anxiety worn right out in the open; painfully obvious to the viewer if not the subject. The interviews feel less clinical this time around, as they generally take place in more comfortable, revealing personal settings (a living room or front lawn, in most cases) but the teens are far less cooperative and forthcoming. With just one or two exceptions, wringing a colorful response out of these kids is like pulling teeth, as they each struggle with quiet, navel-gazing uncertainty and a flood of wishy-washy almost-answers. That makes for some rather dry viewing (and several nearly-incomprehensible replies) but also serves as a very vivid, relatable throwback to the crippling difficulties common in this stage of the human metamorphosis. Nobody seems prepared to have reached the crossroads of life, except perhaps John (vocal and surprisingly adept at politics in his early teens) and Bruce (who bears an old soul). But maybe they just do a better job of hiding it than the others.

Michael Apted must be congratulated for having (or perhaps stumbling upon) the vision for this study. Begin with 14 seven year olds in England, film them in a few interesting situations, and follow those same kids as they grow up. Every seven years. Because all of our lives transpire at roughly the same rates, we cannot actually observe children growing up. But this filmed approach is the next best thing.

This second film is a bit longer, and now has color in it, but still plays much like a home movie. Now we get to see, side by side, the same children at 7 and at 14. A very difficult age, 14 is. The shy ones are more shy, and the more assertive ones are starting to feel like they understand the world around them. We begin to see the very rough edges of children on the verge of young adulthood.

This and all the others through '42-UP' in 1998 are on the 5-disk DVD set just out. ("49 UP" has been made but is not yet available on DVD.) However, simply seeing the most recent film (42-UP or 49-UP) is pretty good, because each film contains snippets of each of the former ones, allowing us to see how each child developed in 7-year increments.

Just a marvelous study of growing up.