Customer Reviews

Strand: Under the Dark Cloth

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I was really disappointed by this DVD. It is very much about his life, especially his marital problems, more than any of his work. The greatest (and much too lengthy) emphasis on his achievements is his Mexican burial film.

If you're expecting to learn anything about his techniques you also will be disappointed. The DVD seems to explain his work as just random shots taken at will that happen to look good when viewed in the right mood and perspective.

Buy a good book instead of this.

Strand: Under the Dark Cloth is a Genie award (Canada's version of the Oscar) winning documentary about the photographer, Paul Strand. The film covers his life from his beginnings as an artist at the dawn of the 20th century, while under the influence of Alfred Steiglitz, to the point he took his very last photograph in his late eighties just before his death in 1976. Aside from showing his development as an artist it gives a real sense of who he was as a person and how his beliefs influenced the images he created. The documentary includes interviews with among others, Strand himself, Georgia O' Keefe, who knew Strand during the years he was under the influence of Steiglitz (her husband), as well as Strand's third wife, Hazel Strand. The highlight of the film is of course the haunting images Strand created. His unsuccessful foray into filmmaking is also covered and is the one section that might have been edited down a bit.

This is a film that will hold appeal to admirers of Paul Strand as well as students of photography in general.

I first watched this documentary about the same time that I was learning photography, and it changed the way that I saw photography as an art. Strand is one of the major american artists of the 20th century, as well as a defining modernist. I recommend this DVD to anyone interested in photography as an art form, to students of early 20th century American history, and anyone who appreciates a fine documentary.

I showed this dvd at a class at the local VA hospital where I have a Photo group of out patients.

It gave them some insight on Paul Strands life.

We had a group discussion on the material covered in the DVD about his life.

Worked out fine.