The Loving Story Analysis

“The Loving Story” directed by Nancy Buirski, aired on HBO as a documentary on Valentine's Day 2012. It is unique in its style as a documentary as it neither endeavors to change its viewers opinion on the matter of miscegenation, nor does it attempt to elicit a response for further change. “The Loving Story” has only two objectives, the first is to preserve history, and the second is to educate viewers on another element of the long struggle for integration and equality for African American's in the United States. With a run-time of seventy-seven minutes Director Nancy Buirski did not seem limited by time constraints for including all of the information she researched and acquired regarding Richard and Mildred Loving's fight for justice.
More often than not, historical documentaries are filmed with low quality actors portraying scenes from history. Unless a filmmakers budget is rather large, these reproductions look rather cheesy and detract from the overall story that is trying to be told. In the Director's Interview located on HBO's website, Nancy Buirsky shares how she acquired the actual sixteen millimeter black and white footage that was shot by Hope Riding in 1965. Hope Riding, knowing that the Loving's story was a moment in history, spent a week with them in Virginia during the time that their case was being heard in the Supreme Court. In addition to the valuable footage that had never been used before, Buirsky obtained never before seen pictures from a Life Magazine photographer who had helped with a magazine article regarding the Loving family. Finally, audio recordings of the audio arguments from the Supreme Court hearing brought the authenticity of the documentary to another
Their first hand recollections add further to the authenticity of films portrayal of the Loving's and the events that happened. Especially interest piquing are the interviews of the Bowling Green, Virginia townsfolk whose testimonies solidify the county sheriff, who originally arrested the Loving's, as somewhat of a villain (18:00). These recollections are sprinkled into the feature in ways and times that make the film more than just a black and white view of the past. As the people who tell their stories and share their memories in “The Loving Story”, a real connection and perspective of the struggle that they went through is imparted to the audience. “The Loving Story Teaching Guide” provided on HBO's website states that one of the objectives of the film is to help viewers to “develop historical empathy, or the ability to imagine what life was like for people in an earlier time.” This is objective is achieved not when old clips of Richard and Mildred are watched so much as when you see those who were there recall the details of the