Filmmaking has specific rules. There are codes that directors live by to bring a narrative to their audience. This is not to say filmmakers can't alter particular rules. We've seen characters break the fourth wall, and the composition of some films have also shifted in a way that the audience may not have expected. However, for documentary films, in particular, filmmakers must remain neutral, never interjecting themselves into the material. In co-directors Dave Newberg and Molly Dworsky’s documentary, The Ringmaster, filmmaker turned subject Zachary Capp plants himself centerstage in someone else's story. What unfurls is a confounding yet intriguing narrative.
The Ringmaster was meant to center Larry Lang, an unassuming aging chef known as the Midwest's onion ring master. The film opens in a frenzy of confusion and frustration. We soon learn that Capp has been crafting Larry's story for over three years, much to the disappointment of his co-producers and crew. It's also been to the determinant of his bank account.
Drawn to Larry because of the memories of his childhood and Lang's family history in the restaurant world, Newberg seeks to unpack the story of Micheal's Steakhouse, a beloved restaurant in his mother's hometown of Worthington, Minnesota, owned by Larry's father, Micheal. At first, the Langs story appears to be the American dream. However, a series of tragedies, including arson, illness, and death, proves that it hasn't been.
While Larry set out to reopen his father's dream, he soon finds himself settling into other restaurants where he continued to make his beloved onion rings. Whether you're a foodie or not, onions rings can't carry a film, and the audience is quickly made aware that Larry, in particular, is not a good film subject. Quiet and unassuming, it's more than obvious that he wants to be left alone to fry his onion rings, content to lives his days out in the kitchen and spend time at home with his older sister, Linda.
A film novice with an addictive personality, Capp is both unwilling and unable to accept Larry for who he is. Therefore, what happens next is a wild goose chase to deliver the "perfect" documentary. The movie begins barreling down a path of confounding edits, poor judgment, and a clear infatuation with notoriety.
Though there is a warm layer of human interest that runs throughout the film, much of The Ringmaster is an engaging train wreck. In what becomes a three-plus-year saga, we watch Larry and then Capp's producing partners become increasingly determined to distance themselves with his manic compulsion to find the perfect ending as the director throws more and money into an already sinking shift.
Well-meaning, watching Capp inject himself into the film and Larry's life was cringing worthy. As the film's subject morphs, it shapes out to be the story of a rich kid, ambling along to find his life's purpose without having a true game plan or direction. It's incredibly uncomfortable as Capp pushes a clearly uncomfortable Larry toward opportunities he never asked for.
Since there is so much awry with The Ringmaster from the documentary and the subject's relationship to audio and editing, it should have gone up in flames. However, by handing the film over to Newberg and Molly Dworsky and taking a step back and finding the film within the film, the audience is left with an eye-opening saga about obsession, access, and the craft of storytelling.
The Ringmaster is currently on Amazon Prime.