Customer Reviews

Half Past Autumn - The Life and Works of Gordon Parks (Documentary) [VHS]

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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.

"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.

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.

Just to see the relationship for more than 20 years between this incredible photographer and human being and Flavio, a poor kid from the "Favelas" at Rio de Janeiro, is enough for me to buy this wonderful documentary.

Gordons Parks is a special man. His images are created in the most beautiful part of his heart, he just uses his camera to make them available to all of us.

If you're a photographer like I'm, after see this retrospective of his work, you just want to have enough film in you pocket to go out there and make images that can be capable of make changes in the life of someone else.

This documentary on the life and times of the prolific and uncannily gifted photographer, novelist, filmmaker, musician and painter Gordon Parks is never less than absorbing. The film stretches across two centuries as it traces his life and career from abject poverty in Kansas city, circa 1912 (the year of his birth), to his astonishing and unprecedented rise (in the late 40's, 50's and 60's) as a top photographer for Vogue, Life and other magazines, to his later years as a filmmaker and composer, through 2006 (the year of his death). That Parks was the product of illiterate Black sharecroppers is all the more riveting! Aside from prominent photographs, footage and voice-overs of Parks himself, "Half Past Autumn" features Parks'children and ex-wives, as well as celebrities and lifelong friends like record-mogul Russell Simmons and Gloria Vanderbilt--all of whom provide thoughtful, considerate anecdotes. Though Parks' subject matter widely varied (for a crucial time in his career he quickly garnered coveted assignments to places as far-flung as Paris and Brazil), his biggest claim to fame were his heart-stopping photographs of the Southern civil rights movement in the 1960's for Life magazine. In general, the power of his photos was such that no text needed to explain them. In still after still, you are astonished by his innate ability to capture and convey the very essence and beauty (however savage) of an image--whether that image is of families entrapped in poverty; a high fashion model; a glitzy society doyenne; or a cleaning woman resigned to her fate (his iconic photo "American Gothic," shows a Black maid posed in front of a draping American flag, staring down the camera as she holds an upended mop in one hand and a broom in the other).

Parks' other prominent interests included writing and filmmaking (he wrote, produced and directed the highly-acclaimed movie "The Learning Tree"). Sandwiched between his photography, writing and filmmaking was yet another tremendous gift for composing music. He was an untutored, respectably-skilled pianist with an abiding interest in classical music. In short, "Half Past Autumn" is a succinct epitaph of one the greatest American rennaissance men of the 20th century!

I really enjoyed watching this. It was great to hear the stories behind his incredible photographs. It gave me an even a better appreciation for them. It was very well produced as well.

I have been teaching from the Half Past Autumn book and DVD for the past few semesters. My students are always very receptive to the rich content that is documented here. This project is a winner.

I would highly recommend this dvd. I loved it so much I share it with my friend. she and her husband both talked about buying this dvd for their own collection. It's a great resource. I learned so much and it really made me know this is the right field that I have choose. (photography) I love the places he travel to and the people he met on the way up. this information and his dvd lets you know it wasn't easy then and it's not easy now but at least hard work will finally pay off.

Awesome. Gordon Parks is a quiet and little known American Icon. One that should never be forgotten.