From the sheer size of Frederick Wiseman’s documentaries (both in length and scope), it should be clear that his goal isn’t necessarily to have us retain every piece of information he gives us in all of this film’s board meetings and press conferences. This is a film interested in the macro view of how a city works, and Wiseman’s attention to detail even in his old age (he’s 94 at the time of writing this) is truly inspiring for any aspiring documentarian. City Hall doesn’t necessarily tell us anything we might not already know about the coordination between a local government unit and its constituents and citizens, but Wiseman gets us to think of the grand design of it all—which is both wondrous and horrifying to behold.
"City Hall considers in detail the government's role-and responsibility-in fostering that sense of community, and the connection of that sense to the city's over-all well-being."
— Richard Brody
"By the time "City Hall" arrives at its breathtaking final shots, Wiseman has crafted such an advanced case for understanding every aspect of local governance that it leads to the impression that America would be a better place if everyone experienced it."
— Eric Kohn
An epic look at Boston’s city government, covering racial justice, housing, climate action, and more.
Director Frederick Wiseman observes the goings-on in and around Boston City Hall a couple of years into Donald Trump's presidency.
Given City Hall's nature as a film, there obviously aren't that many opportunities here to craft dense characters out of these real people running around doing their jobs. But it's still impressive how Wiseman clearly situates the events of this film in the late 2010s. Then-mayor of Boston Marty Walsh is portrayed as neither righteous nor difficult, coming off objectively as a person trying to reassure and negotiate with a growing movement of people who are rightfully upset over the policies trickling down from the White House. This delicate tension between keeping the ecosystem running and wanting to overhaul it for better results runs quietly beneath the whole four-and-a-half-hour ordeal.
See, working in government should be difficult if you actually care.
