The question is as ubiquitous as the typeface itself: "Why would anyone want to make a documentary about a font?" Perhaps they were expecting a feature length Sesame Street spectacle, with Helvetica letters flying across the negative space. Which seems about as interesting as Saturday Night Live movies derived from one-joke sketches -- although, such a presentation would be an apt and funny "fuck you" to the design community's sometimes overzealous reactions. But "Widgets: The Movie," this is not.
As the Swiss typeface celebrates its 50th birthday in 2007, Helvetica's proliferation remains a hot-button issue within the international design community. The argument over Helvetica is more complex than one catty designer's type choice. It represents a metaphor dividing generations of graphic designers, from the 60s modernists to the late 80's/early 90's deconstructionists to contemporary Helvetica-revivalists--and all the bastard children in between.
Gary Hustwit's independent documentary culls an impressive -- and entertaining -- collection of designers and typographers, who argue a dizzying array of theoretical type topics. To Massimo Vignelli, it's about rigid ergonomic standards, with design's top priority being lucid communication. In contrast, Erik Spiekermann's reactionary push against its cultural homogenization takes the cake. David Carson doesn't know and never cared -- well, not until it was thrown in his face. There are as many arguments about Helvetica being a representation of corporate capitalism as there are of its socialist appeal. And others simply prefer Helvetica's nuanced curves over other sans serifs--no matter how illegible its presentation.
Interspersed between the interviews are shots of Helvetica in the world around us. Its ubiquitous use is undeniable: from public transit signage to Gap ads to missing cat flyers to IRS documents to graffiti. These shots offer poetic Where's Waldo clips from our daily global life. Backed with the crisp, clean indie rock of El Ten Eleven, Sam Prekop, Battles, The Album Leaf, Caribou, and others, the film feels as accessible as its own subject.
It doesn't take a graphic designer to grasp the ideas behind the film. Hell, even a desktop publisher may walk away with a passionate bias. Hustwit's greatest success is proving to the uninitiated that while one may not be familiar the typeface and its legacy, in terms of visual recognition, Helvetica is a household name.
Helvetica: The Movie is currently screening its way around the world.
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