Between its inventive format and the power of its story, An Injury to One is certainly one of the greatest successes in historical and political documentary film of the past two decades—which may come as no surprise, given its international success. Plunging into capitalism’s criminal past to better illuminate its present, the memory exercise in which we’re engaged is resolutely militant in character.

Blending physical film manipulations (flares, foreground elements, grain, etc.) with digital effects, Travis Wilkerson constantly reinvents his 4:3 frame, varying the size and ratio of the shots he builds like an immense collage assembled in real time. His flair for playing with superposition, hidden elements and movement serves to highlight historical documents or recreate spaces over contemporary landscapes that are now little more than ruins. The insert titles also contribute to this visual ballet, acting as vital elements in the shots themselves, as well as in the editing.

The voiceover is gravelly, delivered in bursts, and almost continuously supported by a bewitching soundtrack with music from diverse groups ranging from folk to atmosphere, which nonetheless forms a coherent whole due to its shared instrumentation. For example, the film’s acoustic covers of traditional mining songs, with lyrics presented in insert titles, are a high point.

Richard Brouillette
Filmmaker, producer, chicken farmer, and accountant

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