Henri Cartier-Bresson

In the world of photography, Henri Cartier-Bresson needs no introduction. His simplistic photos of people and places continue to fascinate audiences worldwide. Using minimal equipments and postproduction techniques, Cartier-Bresson’s style, so far, is unmatched by any photographer. It mattered little whether he was roaming through the streets of Paris, Mexico, Brussels, or the Independence movement in India, Cartier-Bresson always captured life as-it-happened. As a matter of practice, he would patiently wait with his camera to capture a moment, no matter how long it took for him take his shot, with emphasis on the composition.

With an astute eye to frame his shots, Henri’s photographs have become iconic images that represent timeless snapshots of various cultures, events, places, and people. For instance, his famous shot of a person jumping in the water was taken while he waited in a nearby alley. In another example, in the streets of Brussels (1938), he photographed a close-up of two men standing close to a wall. Out of respect for the subject and its surroundings, he firmly believed in the idea of capturing the subject in its unaltered form. More so, he shunned using modern photographic equipments (flash, projectors) for modifying the lighting on the subject and on objects around it.

Nonetheless, the breadth of Cartier-Bresson’s work was not limited to photography only. Early in his career, Cartier-Bresson wanted to be a cameraman for a famous Spanish surrealist director, Luis Bunuel. Even after being turned down by Bunuel, Cartier-Bresson continued to pursue his aspiration to become a filmmaker. Later, after a brief stint working with Jean Renoir where he served as the second assistant director, Cartier-Bresson began directing his own documentaries. Mostly, his documentaries were political in nature, where he openly showed his support for the Spanish Republicans and soldiers of World War II. Apart from being a photographer and filmmaker, Cartier-Bresson was also a skilled drawing artist. For him, drawing was another avenue to express an artistic vision that could not be achieved in the photography medium. This two-disc set from New Video explores the multiskilled Cartier-Bresson and his working process.

The Spanish Civil War (1937 – 1938)

In 1937, Henri directed a war film, “Victory of Life” (1937), to demonstrate his support for the Spanish Republican Party. He created this documentary so that he could garner funding to support wounded and sick soldiers in the battlefield. It was his expression of commitment toward the Republicans and his defiance of Franco’s rule during that time. In this documentary, we see how wounded soldiers find strength to keep them going on a daily basis. In one touching scene, a doctor helps a legless soldier get his splints. Earlier in the opening scene, we witness children playing in the streets of Madrid. In both scenes, Henri shot using his trademark style of capturing life as it happened.

Following this documentary, we have a companion documentary called “Spain Will Live” (1938) that aims to be more political in tone than the “Victory of Life.” Just like its predecessor, this documentary helped to raise funds for supplies and medicine to help needy and ailing soldiers. The documentary also shows how the European block, especially Hitler’s Germany and Mussolini’s Italy, aimed to overthrow the Spanish Republicans by providing military assistance to the forces headed by Franco. Through the use of maps, the documentary provides detailed insights on key battles and affected regions in Spain.
Both of the documentaries use rapid editing styles, in which a viewer is quickly teleported from one scene to the next. Casual viewers might find it hard to connect to the historical background of these events, as Henri goes in great detail talking about different groups involved in the war and their motives.

A tribute to Prisoners of War: The Return (1945)

In 1944, Cartier-Bresson decided to make a World War II film, “The Return,” about prisoners of war returning to their countries after freed by the allied forces in Germany. Before filming, Henri had to obtain a pre-authorization for filming the prisoners of war. Using his experience from the Spanish Civil War, Henri composed this documentary as a collection of long shots to represent the sheer size of returning soldiers.

An American Experience (1970-1971)

The set also includes two documentaries that Henri shot in America: “California Experiences” (1970, 4x3, 25 minutes) and “Southern Pleasures” (1971, 4x3, 25 minutes). These documentaries enabled Henri to work in the medium of color. Moreover, the documentaries do not have a special voice-over track and are shot with live sound. Henri wanted to shoot America in its true grassroots form, and in these segments we see America at the cusp of a social revolution.

By the early Seventies, there was growing unrest among the people in the U.S. regarding the Vietnam War. Blacks have been granted rights, and “Southern Pleasures” very well captures the post civil-rights era. Here, we see blacks getting assimilated in the police force and their tepid acceptance in the society. The racial segregation that existed in this era is highlighted through various demonstrations and racial markers in public places that still existed even after blacks had been granted basic civil rights. Moving along, through various candid discussions, we get insight on how blacks felt about their state, and how social reforms failed fully to uplift their condition in the society.

“California Experiences” examines how people at the grassroots level were willing to embrace the spiritual and religious following that existed in the U.S. during the early Seventies. With the popular hippie culture, the spiritual aspect became a fad that more people seemingly associated with.

Disc Two

The second disc contains a series of short films, documentaries, and archival materials. Through various interviews with Cartier-Bresson, we learn more of his working style, ideas, and technical know-how about the photography.

Starting off the extras on the second disc, we have an elaborate feature, “The Impassioned Eye” (16x9, 52 minutes), that includes a series of discussions with Henri Cartier-Bresson, Joseph Kendelka, a famous French actress, Isabelle Huppert, and other well-known photographers sharing their thoughts and experiences on working with Cartier-Bresson. Isabelle Huppert recalls an intimate photo session in which she felt something different--a feeling that could not be articulated in simple words. Cartier-Bresson remembers his days in Mexico in the early 40’s, and specifically the intensity with which he shot his work in Mexico. According to him, it was like making love on the streets of Mexico. As a general rule, Cartier-Bresson would take a couple of shots before composing his final shot. For him, in photography, there were no laws or rules, meaning the images captured go beyond political boundaries.

Along the way, he remembers his run-ins with the Nazis during the German occupation of Europe. One of the photographers in an interview recalls that Cartier-Bresson probably had an innate feeling about politics, and how he would somehow wind up at the epicenter of major political events such as the Communist Party coming to power in China and during the final moments of the Indian independence with Gandhi. In a very touching moment, Cartier-Bresson recalls a moment with Gandhi in which he describes to Gandhi his preparation work before a photo session. Moments later, Gandhi was shot outside and later pronounced dead. He also describes his brief stay in Bangalore, India, where he met a number of mathematicians.

Up next, we have another feature, “Modern Adventure” (4x3 letterboxed, black & white, 29 minutes), that is an interview session with Cartier-Bresson. In this, Cartier-Bresson talks about the importance of composition and light in a shot. He explains differences between two forms of art--photography and painting. Cartier-Bresson placed outmost significance on geometry and the shape of objects in a composition. We also come know that Cartier-Bresson never developed his own photos, although he did it in the initial part of his career. Instead, he gave his photos to a person close to him, who clearly understood his requirements.

Cartier-Bresson discusses his experiences in India during post independence and how he could not take photos of women in India. Later, the interviewer talks about the responsibility of being a photojournalist, to which he responds saying that a photojournalist should have a solid point of view. Finally, the interviewer mentions how other photographers would use projectors and other supporting equipments for flash to shoot at night. Out of respect for the subject, Cartier-Bresson never used bulky equipments during the night.

Following this interview, we have a montage film, “Flagrants Delits” (4x3, black & white), with Henri Cartier-Bresson’s famous photos and original music by Diego Masson.

Continuing the series of extras, we get a document-like extra, “Contacts” (4x3 letterboxed, black & white), in which Cartier-Bresson articulates his thoughts on the significance of the moment, the time, and background objects. He provides insight on the contact-sheet technique that he widely used in his photo sessions. He describes the static aspect of drawing in which some moments are difficult to capture. Finally, he compares his works to that of a craftsman.

Following this technical extra, there is a short film, “Lest We Forget,” in which Henri talks about his experience living in Africa. Cartier-Bresson was very disappointed and sad to learn about the tragic deaths of Mamadou Ba and his brother, who were brutally murdered by Mauritanian national guards. This film is a tribute to all the innocent children killed by the national guards.

Rounding off the archives and interviews, we get a short documentary, “Henri at Work” (4x3), that shows Henri drawing and painting from a live nude model. This short segment provides insight on his passion for drawing.

Also, included with this set is a thirty-five page book that includes some of Henri’s famous photos, along with a brief synopsis of each documentary and extras.

Video:

The video quality on the documentaries is generally rough, considering the limited budget and the overall state of the film stock used. The American segments are in color, whereas the other documentaries in the set are shot in black & white. It is hardly a surprise that the quality is inconsistent. The color segments are rendered well, and it is in the black-and-white segments that we notice blemishes and damage on the prints. I am not sure if there has been an extensive restoration process involved for this release. Nonetheless, the transfer is on par with other documentaries from the same era and is acceptable. Taking into account that a few documentaries on this set are more than seventy years old, I am more than happy with the overall quality.

Audio:

Mostly, the documentaries are dialogue-driven affair. For this release, we get a Dolby Digital 2.0 track that works well with the overall sound design. Also, included is the option to view English subtitles for the documentaries in French. However, there are no subtitles included for segments in English.

Parting thoughts:

Henri Cartier-Bresson was the greatest photographer of the last century, and there is no doubt about that. His work has motivated a legion of other photographers. The work included in this set is very informative and educational at the same time, although it is not as captivating as his photography. Nevertheless, Henri has always been about people, and through the documentaries and informative interviews included in the set we get a full view of this modest, multitalented man. There are over five hours of stuff on the two discs in this set, and fans of Henri Cartier-Bresson should definitely check it out. For others, the set may be a satisfying educational journey.