You may remember John Wheeler pointing out the Henri
Cartier-Bresson special, "Just Love", that was to appear
on our SBS channel last night.
I watched it and, while it was not what I was expecting,
I did enjoy it. It spent much or even most of its time
crossing away to other artists (directors, painters,
musicians) who talked about their own work, often not
with any direct reference to Cartier-Bresson. The photographer
who taught the basic concepts of composition to some
teen' boys in a (ex-Soviet) Georgia prison was interesting,
handing disposables out to the initially reluctant inmates.
Some of the resultant photos I would have been happy
hanging on my wall, and they'd had a few moment's
"training". Much of this crossing away I think was meant
to tease you into thinking outside the viewfinder.
The interview style with Cartier-Bresson was enjoyable.
It was a very comfortable, gentle style, with himself
just filling the frame, comfortably cupping his face
either side with his hands, elbows on the table, as he offered
some simple profundities on one hand, and then effectively
said he was talking nonsense(?) or irrelevancies(?) on the
other. He came across as very likable and humble. I have to
say that the interview was more interesting for me than the
other bits, but I'd likely review that opinion with repeated
watching. In it's own way, the documentary was seeming
to present itself along the the lines of Cartier-Bresson's
words/thoughts, in that you need to think and look, truly
*look*, outside the viewfinder, to improve your thinking
and looking inside of it... all to then allow thinking and
looking to pass, and practiced reflex to *encourage luck*
to produce the decisive moment (but, saying this,
Cartier-Bresson could be quite humbly dismissive of the
things he said himself).
I really need to watch it again, however, as it's fully
subtitled, which has you not fully appreciating the images
while you're following conversation (I should have taped
it - I wonder if it can be bought on DVD?). It was a
doco that didn't fill you with facts, but teased your
mind into doing its own thinking.
It might not be everyone's cup of tea, but I enjoyed it.
Now I have to go "appreciate" his work more by buying some
expensive "coffee-table" books. :-)
Cheers
Marc
Sydney, Oz
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