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The Movie: Imagine waking up one morning on a subway train headed towards Coney Island, with absolutely no memory of who you are or your past. It sounds like the set-up for a video game in the survival horror genre, or just a particularly twisted nightmare. However, for Doug Bruce, it was a reality. Sometime between 7/1/03 and 7/3/03, Doug Bruce suddenly realized that he truly knew nothing about his past. Sitting on a train going towards Coney Island, he could not remember his name, where he worked, his parents or who his friends were. Doug did not suffer an injury - it was simply a very rare case of complete amnesia. Longtime friend Rupert Murray found out about what happened to Doug and decided to do a documentary profiling his case and trying to recreate what happened to him. We're taken through some of the situations that Doug found himself in during those initial stages, as he eventually turned himself into the police because he simply didn't know where else to turn. The hospital ran tests, but they uncovered nothing that would lead them to a conclusion on why Doug was the way he was. Some believe that it's psychological trauma due to the loss of his mother, but if so, no one seems to be able to figure out whether or not this is the case. Doug is interviewed (and takes up a video diary) about his thoughts on what he finds as he re-explores his life. Before his amnesia, he was a successful stock broker who had given it up to try photography. He lived in a New York City apartment, along with a series of pets, that - by the looks of it - cost a small fortune. An ex-girlfriend returns and some friends visit Doug to try and help him to reintroduce himself to his life. Doug soon grows tired of the tests and the struggles and decides to keep going forward, hoping that one day the memories of the past may return. Those who knew Doug prior see a very different person - happier, more confident, less arrogant, sharper, clearer. Doug seemed to friends as if he had been refocused by a "reboot" of his system. Everything to Doug is new - from the taste of various foods to walking around New York City. He has the capacity of an adult, but now gets the chance to literally experience everything again for the first time. However, it's deeply difficult for the people who knew him before, as they know feel as if they're strangers to this person that they loved and still do care about. Murray's film certainly doesn't have the answers, and neither do the experts who call Doug's condition rare, but really have no idea why it has occured or what to do. Murray does highlight some questions: do our experiences make us who we are? How do we get out of our daily routine to try and open ourselves up to new experiences? The film doesn't have the answers, but it's an absolutely fascinating journey as we watch Doug essentially wake up to the world around him for the first time. There has been controversy about whether not the film is real. Personally, I don't see any reason as to why Doug is faking, and his family and friends confirm that the situations shown are true. The DVD VIDEO: "Unknown White Male" is presented by Wellspring in approximately 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen. The picture quality varies due to lighting and different cameras used (including some basic home video footage), but the picture quality generally remains fine throughout the show. Some minor shimmering and slight artifacting were spotted, but the picture otherwise appeared clean and clear. Colors looked a bit flat, but again, that's likely due to the cameras used. SOUND: "Unknown White Male" is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1. The film's music and some different ambient sounds used to put the viewer into the middle of the situation do get some reinforcement by the surrounds, but otherwise this is documentary-style audio, with most of the sound remaining dialogue-driven. No concerns about audio quality were heard, as dialogue remained crisp and clear. EXTRAS: A series of brief featurettes, including a "Q&A" with the director and the writer, "Where Is He Now?" and a "Making Of". There's also additional interviews with experts and friends, as well as trailers and a deleted sequence. Final Thoughts: "Unknown White Male" is a fascinating journey of discovery, following a man who has essentially had his memory wiped clean. The DVD offers fine audio/video quality, as well as a few minor supplements. Recommended. 
Film Grade The Film B+ DVD Grades Video 86/B Audio: 87/B Extras: 75/C |