Product Details

• Actors: Alfre Woodard, Jr. Gordon Parks, Samuel F. Yette, Toni Parks-Parsons, Russell Simmons
• Directors: Craig Rice (III)
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, NTSC, Surround Sound, Dolby
• Language: English
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: HBO Home Video
• VHS Release Date: September 4, 2001
• Run Time: 90 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00005MHOM
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #296,878 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Half Past Amazing, March 9, 2006

By 

Odysseus - See all my reviews

This review is from: Half Past Autumn - The Life and Works of Gordon Parks (DVD)

This is quite a look into the amazing life and art of Gordon Parks, an American Treasure.

Like the works of Parks, this documentary is beautifully filmed and narrated. And by the time the film ends, you wish it would just go on and on. Just the way you feel about the amazing life of Gordon Parks.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful artist; wonderful biography, October 21, 2004

By 

Michelle Pettit - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Half Past Autumn - The Life and Works of Gordon Parks (Documentary) [VHS] (VHS Tape)

"Half Past Autumn" serves as a video biography of a wonderful artist, Gordon Parks. Parks was a genius of all trades -- photography, music composition; writing, filmmaking. "Half Past Autumn" gives an overview of his life, from his birth ("At his birth he died -- and was named Gordon after the young interning doctor who said -- let me try something -- and put him in freezing water and rubbed his body with a cloth -- bringing him back to life) Maybe his extraordinary birth had something to do with his extraordinary life. Gordon Parks did everything on his own terms; beginning with his days at Life Magazine as the first black photojournalist in the 1950s. Parks captured the humanity in all people in his photographs. This film is excellent overview of Gordon Parks' life.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A TRIBUTE TO AN ARTIST, June 17, 2002

By 

Bonita L. Davis - See all my reviews

This review is from: Half Past Autumn - The Life and Works of Gordon Parks (Documentary) [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Gordon Parks has lived a long life. Half Past Autumn, the artistic retrospective of his life toured the country and received outstanding accolades. In this video of the same name, we as viewers get the opportunity to see the portfolio of this man's contributions as a photographer, composer, novelist and poet. Parks is a man for all times.

Our journey begins in Ft. Scott, Kansas where Parks was born. He shares with us his ambiguous memories of his home where there was violence as well as love in the land. Armed with the lessons of his parents, Parks is forced to leave this land and journey into a world of greater possibilities and heartaches. Gordon Parks will be heir to both of these worlds.

Chicago, New York, Paris, Washington,DC are just a few of the many places in the world where young Parks hones his photographic skills.He is at the top of his game as a photographer for Vogue and Life Magazines as he breaks their racial barriers. Associates from his early career share with us their feelings and assessments of Parks during this time.

We hear from Gordon Parks his own tale about his personal and professional life. Ah, but that is not all. Two of his ex-wives share with us their perceptions of the man as well as his children and a grandchild. Through their words we get a different view of this man who is not all saint but is far from being a devil.

There are others who testify to his impact on their lives such as one of Malcom X's daughters, the adult Flavio from Brazil, Isaac Hayes and the last remaining family member that Parks did a photo shoot on in Harlem. They add a poignant flavor of variety to this man.

Half Past Autumn is colorful, balanced in its picture of Parks and gives us updated information regarding his life as well as his career. This remarkable man is a great testament to young people who are struggling for meaning in life. Parks shares with us the low and high points of his life, doesn't make any apologies and urges one to move on.

You must have this video as part of your cinematic collection of a man whose impact is timeless.