Aesthetic Merit

[...]On my view, an art piece (filmic or otherwise) largely gains aesthetic merit insofar as it provides intellectual or emotional stimulation which aids in the expression and communication of an overarching theme or set of ideas. There are many ways in which a non-fiction film might successfully fulfill this criterion. A non-fiction cinematic work might provide intellectual stimulation by challenging an audience’s previously held conceptions. Other works might illustrate or communicate an idea (or set thereof) in much the same way as does a philosophical argument; that is, by laying out premises which gradually (or quite suddenly) lead to an overarching conclusion. Such a film provides the viewer with intellectual stimulation insofar as the individual is invited to consider the work as a whole. For a viewer who is gradually led to accept an author’s conclusion might call into question one (or more) of the author’s premises or the method by which the conclusion was reached. And the conclusion need not be conceptual in nature; directors often intend to communicate (and manifest in the audience) a set of emotions or feelings. Even in such films, the manifestation of emotions or feelings is often developed over the course of the film[...]