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When I first saw Mr. Nachtwey in flesh and blood, at a slide presentation at UC Berkeley in 2000, the thing that struck me immediately was his soft tone and his sparse comments about his photographs. I guess this was not your typical stereotype of a hardened, irritable and egoistic war photographer. It became obvious to me that Mr. Nachtwey is a man of extraordinary principle, courage and sheer force of will. His photographs speaks a thousand times louder than any political declaration.
Photography is potentially a universal language that trancends cultural barriers. Mr. Nachtwey's photographs of a mob killing a man right in front of his eyes in, despite pleading them desperatly to stop, communicates an universal message. It says: "The world is watching" and "I will not allow myself to be intimidated by murderers". Only an immense moral conviction can create such images, and James Nachtwey has got it.
This kind of photography is difficult. James Nachtwey is one of the few photographers who are able to grab people by instinct rather by intellect. In the film, Nachtwey talks about "the discipline of the frame". In order to make good photographs one always have to take into account their compositions. What makes James Nachtwey stand out is his continually well composed war photographs. Remember, this is not fashion shots, where you have endless time to arrange and compose your frame. Mr. Nachtwey's photographs are taken with pinpoint accuracy and calmness in extreme hostile circumstances. For me, this is where the humanity of Mr. Nachtwey reveals itself. Despite chaos around him, he is committed, no matter what, to document with critical distance. People who view these photographs can immediately see what the photographer is trying to tell. In Nachtwey's case he often tells a story of indescribable suffering and destruction. His war photographs, whose esthetic beauty is meant to strengthen the impact of the image, strongly communicates defiance in face of evil and a willingness to record this evil for others to see.
For aspiring documentary photographers as myself, James Nachtwey is a beacon of hope on behalf of the "concerned photography tradition". But as Mr. Nachtwey himself mentioned in the film, fewer avenues are open today for documentary photographers. Time pressure from magazines and picture editors make it more difficult to take pictures that demands research and thorough preparation. The committed documentary photographers best bet in the future, possibly, is to become member of a small group of freelance photographers. Recently James Nachtwey quit from the prestigious Magnum Agency and became instead a member of VII, an agency run by photographers for photographers (originally 7 members).
Finally, I want to share some information of where people can get hold of more James Nachtwey material. Of websites, I recommend www.viiphotos.com, for its extensive galleries, www.time.com, for whom Mr. Nachtwey is a contract photographer, and www.digitaljournalist.org, with audio interviews of Mr. Nachtwey and photographs from the World Trade Center attacks, 9/11. Of books, I recommend "Inferno", for black and white photographs, and "Magnum Degrees", for color, both readily availible at www.amazon.com.
As I have little to add to the reviews before me about Mr. Nachtway's career and works, I will concentrate on talking about the film itself. The filmmakers must have been warned against the idea of making this documentary, as Nachtway knows the war photographer's job is extremely dangerous. So, as a kind of solution, they decided to attach a mini-camera to the one Nachtway carries, so that the film can show how he sees things in the battlefield. In some of the scenes, you get the sense of confusion of the place almost like first-hand experience.
The film's title is, however, very misleading, so let me correct it. Nachtway's works extend much more than being "war photographer." He travels around many countries where the war is not going on, but does not fail to report the sadness of some people. In a certain nation in Asia, he meets a family living by the railroad track, and reports the life of them. As a result of sleeping at this dangerous place, the father lost his limbs, but still has to survive, providing his family with what little momey he can earn.
The film is NOT about Nachtway himself. He does not speak much, and always maintains calm attitude. I don't know whether it is a good thing or not, but the film refuses to go inside the personality of Nachtway. (Maybe that is because he has nothing to hide from us, and his photos are his life itself.) Some interviewees talk about him, but what we know is not particularly unique, thus making a great contrast with Robert Capa.
My 4 star rating comes from the last point. It's not defect, but I always expect some personal things from any documentary, and this does not reflect my attitude toward his astounding works.
The most impressive scene of the film is, to me, the sulfer mountains where the local workers have to take out the chunks of yellow rocks without using any modern machines. And James Nachtway is there, without protecting himself from the deadly smokes of the ore except a towel around his mouth and nose. It will remain in your mind forever.
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