The Impassioned Eye – A
Film About Henri Cartier-Bresson
(Arthouse Films)
Picture: C+
Sound: C+ Extras: C- Documentary: B
You may not have heard of Henri Cartier-Bresson, but you
have likely seen his remarkable work.
He has been and remains one of the premiere black and white still
photographers in the world, renowned and celebrated endlessly. In an era when film is being treated like
secondary to digital when film still is vastly superior in many ways, watching
Heinz Butler’s The Impassioned Eye – A Film About Henri Cartier-Bresson,
you see why bad opinions did not change the greatness of black and white any
more than they will film.
This shot 72 minutes is loaded with interviews by many of
his admirers including Arthur Miller and the great French actress Isabelle
Huppert, who went from the mixed debut of Michael Cimino’s Heaven’s Gate
(1980) to being one of the hottest and most prominent in world cinema
today. Best of all is Cartier-Bresson
himself, who pulls no punches and is as candid about himself as his pictures
are deep about life and what they see.
This is a must-see for those serious about art, film and history.
The anamorphically enhanced 1.78 X 1 image is not bad and
on video throughout, with some good moments, but offering limit details that
sometimes is frustrating. The Dolby
Digital 2.0 Stereo is solid, but has few surrounds to offer, though you get
voiceover translations of Cartier-Bresson.
The only extras are previews for three other Palm releases, which is sad
considering the importance of his work, but you can read more about the other
great titles in this series at the following links:
William Eggleston In The Real World
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/3971/William+Eggleston+In+The+Real
Who Gets To Call It Art? – A Film About Henry Geldzahler
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/3969/Who+Gets+To+Call+It+Art?+–+A
- Nicholas Sheffo
