Review: Helvetica (The Documentary)
tagged Review by Jon
I’ll make it a point not to write to many reviews but this seemed like a noteworthy film to write one on.
Yes, they made a documentary on a font. Helvetica to be precise. Directed by Gary Hustwit. I noticed this on Netflix and couldn’t resist putting it in my queue. A few days later, I sat down, placed the disc in the player and braced myself for utter boredom.
To my surprise, the documentary was incredibly well done. Not only do I think it is a must see for any designer, but for anyone in general with an interest in history and culture.
In the documentary, Helvetica plays the main actor in the history of typography as it has shaped our surroundings since the post World War II time period. Many famous designers tell their story of how the font shaped their careers or how they either loved or hated it. To some it represented the holy grail of modern design and others the identity of evil corporations and the cause of the Vietnam War.
As a result of Helvetica, I will never look at a street sign the same way again.
You can get it through Netflix and I also noticed it on Amazon.com. There is a link to it on the footer of the page.
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