Review(s): DVD W. Eugene Smith - Photography Made Difficult
Difficulty of a Life Spent Realizing a Substantial Talent
"W. Eugene Smith: Photography Made Difficult" is a ninety-minute documentary produced for the Public Broadcasting System's American Masters television series. It was written by Jan Hartman and is based on the letters and journals of this internationally respected photojournalist.
The program introduces the viewer to hundreds of Mr. Smith's photographs through a dramatic recreation of the photographer's life. Peter Riegart portrays the artist, starting with his assignment covering the South Pacific war experiences of the 1940's. Through his photographs for Life Magazine, Mr. Smith wanted to "carry some message against the greed, stupidity and intolerance that causes war". If it were not for just a "simple accident of birth, the fate of a particular country of origin, we could be considered as the enemy".
Interwoven with details regarding particular photojournalistic assignments is the story of the photographer's personal life. He was raised by a father who committed suicide as the result of business failures, and a mother who maintained a staunch Catholic faith. She inculcated, in her children, the idea that life might be considered as under the spell of a punishment resulting from some primeval transgression. This intense upbringing instilled in the man a ferocious work ethic and contributed to his desire to cover subjects of perennial social importance.
Upon returning from the war, Smith's next assignment was to follow a country doctor for some 23 days and nights, sharing intimately in the life of his subjects. Such intensive immersion was to become a signature of all his subsequent projects, which include: the coverage of life under Fascism in Deleitosa, Spain; following the life of Maude Callen, a nurse midwife in the American South; doing a story on Albert Schweitzer's work in Lambarene, Africa; and the making of some 10,000 images for an assignment on the city life of Pittsburgh.
A retrospective of W. Eugene Smith's work was created for a show at New York's Jewish Museum in the early 1970's. The concentrated exposure that this show provided, provoked almost universally, an overwhelming emotional response on the part of it's viewers. Smith died as the result of complications from a wound he received during his photojournalistic work in Minamata, Japan. His friends feel that he is best remembered through the informal Jazz performances of downtown Manhattan's lofts, as these perhaps best characterize the later 'lost' years of his life.
We are fortunate that this talented PBS team, who assembled "Photography Made Diffcult" as a labor of love, has given us an appreciation of the man commensurate to the dedication with which he lived his life. This program can be recommended, to all fans of photography, without reservation.
Well done
This is a great introduction to the greatest photojournalist. I don't feel that I am exagerating here at all. Smith changed the history of photography, and his pictures changed in very real ways, the history of our country and others as well. He was a complicated person, likely suffering from significant psychological issues and other problems, but his work shines through. The movie shows him, blemishes and all, as the photographer,poet,benzadrine user,manic artist who defined a discipline that brought horrow and joy from places far away, suddenly into our living room, suddenly very close to us. This is a typical "PBS style" documentary - you're children may become bored, but I would recomend it to any one who loves photography and photojournalism.
Eugenius
I just watched this documentary. It is an honest and very well conducted portrait of this man, Gene Smith, probably one of the most important photographers of our time. Claerly, the man who inspired the fancy-overrated-rich-and-famous Sebastião Salgado. But Eugene was an artist in the pure sense, sensible, human, and with a genuine concern about our world, and obsessed with his job to show us the truth. Even a very bad conducted personal life, wouldn't hurt the precious art he left to us.
The fact about this film is that it seems to be no book around as rich and detailed. If you already like Eugene Smith, buy it. If not, buy it too, and you'll learn to love him.
Related DVD's W. Eugene Smith - Photography Made Difficult
Vividly portrayed in this American Masters Special, photographer Richard Avedon shoots for two different worlds. Primarily, he is a fashion photographer, having worked for various magazines for more than 50 years. Of particular note is the description of photographing Natassja Kinski, a shoot that took two hours of her lying naked on a cement floor as they tried to coax a snake up her body. As a fashion photographer, Avedon became known for his sense of movement and the energy he captured in each image; he gets exquisite models to leap, move, and flip their hair. His second, and perhaps lesser-known, body of work is art photography, including portraits of the famous and the unknown, with a signature style of photographing his sitters on a white background with no props. This... More Info about this DVD Director(s): Helen Whitney DVD Release Date: Released the 02 April 2002 Usually ships in 24 hours
List Price: $24.98 Your Price: $22.48YOU SAVE $2.5!
Buy it
the hand portraits this artist took of his wife, lover, and muse Georgia O'Keeffe? There are some artists who walk this planet who are what I call "hub" artists, meaning that without their presence there would be no "spoke" artists. And when you take the time to review who his spoke artists were then you can begin to get a glimpse of the power and influence of this great mind.
This man not only mentored some of the greatest minds in the timeline of art but he inspired and supported them in ways that led to their achievments. Names such as Picasso are just a few. In the day when French Impressionists were literally snubbed and pushed out of the art community he created a place for them, gave them a home, gave them a boost.
Any serious art photographer must have... More Info about this DVD Director(s): Perry Miller Adato DVD Release Date: Released the 10 July 2001 Usually ships in 24 hours
List Price: $24.98 Your Price: $22.48YOU SAVE $2.5!
Buy it
This is an incredible documentary. A must for anyone interested in photojournalism as well as all those truly interested in world peace. A calm, thoughtful photographer continually stepping into dangerous and tragic circumstances and capturing for us and humanity glimpses of the horrific reality of war that are so often and increasingly ignored by the mainstream press in favor of superficial entertainment. More Info about this DVD Actor(s): James Nachtwey Director(s): Christian Frei DVD Release Date: Released the 18 November 2003 Usually ships in 24 hours
List Price: $29.95 Your Price: $23.96YOU SAVE $5.99!
Buy it
Going behind the camera and on assignment with veteran photographers for National Geographic, this documentary answers the eternal question asked by the magazine's readers: "How in the world did they get that shot?" The photographers recount the grueling preparation that shooting for the magazine entails, from mundane details such as obtaining visas to preparing oneself for dangers such as severe climates, deep-sea dives, raging beasts, and local bandits. And don't forget insects, lots and lots of insects, a point made pellucid as photographers in a fast montage rattle off how many times they've battled malaria. Besides the physical ordeals, there is also discussion of the emotional toll involved in shooting in brutal conditions, such as one photographer's recounting of how... More Info about this DVD DVD Release Date: Released the 15 February 2000 Usually ships in 24 hours
List Price: $19.98 Your Price: $17.98YOU SAVE $2!
Buy it
This is a fun documentary on Helmut Newton. I was at his lecture at the New School and the film gives you the same feel for him and his work. Most of the photos are sexy, he has a wonderful photographic identity, you can always spot his work. The DVD and video (they are not exactly the same) are worth watching for any serious fashion or commercial photographer. This is not a how to do a photo DVD. However, if you pay attention he tells you a lot about how he likes to work. Straight ahead, almost no camera hardware or crew and lots of vision. You know he saw the shot before he took it. More Info about this DVD Director(s): Adrian Maben DVD Release Date: Released the 19 March 2002 Usually ships in 24 hours
List Price: $24.99 Your Price: $22.49YOU SAVE $2.5!
Buy it
