Informative But Boring

“Inside the Freemasons: The Grand Lodge Uncovered” by Eerie Investigations for Reality Films is what it was promised to be: an interview with the Communications Director of the United Grand Lodge of England, John Hamill. The interviewer, Karen Frandsen, takes the viewers on a tour to some of the rooms in the Grand Lodge while Hamill explains what the depicted symbols mean.

To make a long story short, it was very informative, but extremely boring.

How long can you watch two people speaking? Moreover, Frandsen and Hamill are always shown from the same angle, from one side, so you hardly get to see the faces.

Occasionally, the camera would bring our attention to some objects in the room, which is very refreshing. However, there are moments where the interviewer looks at an object and the camera does not change its position in order to show the viewers what the object is. For example, a ceiling in one of the rooms, something that Frandsen describes as an amazing work of art, remains a mystery for the viewers, as well as some pieces in the museum at the end of the film.

Still, provided that a viewer is particularly interested in the Freemasons, the documentary is worth watching. It is based on the knowledge of one of the members of the society, who describes the symbols inside the Grand Lodge and reveals what the society’s ideology is, how to become a member, how to stop being one of the Freemasons if one chooses to and we learn about some events of the Freemasons’ history.

The good thing is that the interviewer asks almost all the questions the viewers themselves wonder about. How wide-spread is Freemasonry? Is it still relevant nowadays? Can a woman become a member? Frandsen gets Hamill to answer all of these questions and many more. The viewers can see that she researched a lot on the topic and planned her interview beforehand.

As Frandsen is knowledgeable about art, she pays a lot of attention to symbolism and design of the Lounge, which makes the documentary valuable not only for someone who researches on Freemasons, but also for those who study the society’s art in particular. Some of the images are clearly shown by the camera operator and explained by Hamill, while others are left out, which is not a bad thing when we deal with a limited time period.

However, as it was mentioned before, some objects that the Communications Director devotes his time to and the interviewer gazes at escape the camera’s “eye,” which makes the viewers think they were not the primary guests on the journey and it hurts their feelings.

Even though Frandsen is clearly well-informed, she seems to be nervous from the beginning of the interview, as she starts out the conversation as though she is not quite confident about the topic. During the interview, she laughs occasionally when Hamill does not say anything funny, which looks a bit inappropriate. Sometimes she also interrupts the speaker with her laughter and comments, not related to the conversation, which only shows that she is nervous, indeed.

As long as everyone is naturally uncomfortable in front of the camera, the fact that she was filmed for about an hour from the same angle, may have made Frandsen’s personal experience at the Grand Lounge less pleasant. It may have been avoided if the camera would move from one object to another, as there is definitely a lot to show inside of the Lounge, especially if the viewers were initially invited “inside” the building.

At the end of the interview, Hamill informs the viewers that the Grand Lounge is a public space and lets them know during what hours it can be visited, so that if everyone is enticed to see everything with their own eyes, they are always welcome to do so.

Since not everyone who is curious about the Freemasons has a chance to visit the Grand Lounge in London, the documentary is a great way to learn about this “society with some secrets.” Still, be prepared to interrupt your viewing, as it is doubtful that you can watch it all in one shot.