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Henri Cartier-Bresson: The Impassioned Eye

Play trailer Poster for Henri Cartier-Bresson: The Impassioned Eye 2003 1h 12m Documentary Play Trailer Watchlist
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Tomatometer 2 Reviews 81% Popcornmeter 100+ Ratings
Filmed only a few years before his death, this documentary focuses on the career of Henri Cartier-Bresson, a frustrated painter who became a world-renowned photographer. As he reviews his portfolio of iconic images and notable figures, the notoriously press-shy Cartier-Bresson offers insights into his legendary career, which covered everything from Gandhi's funeral to the fall of China. Interviews with historians and colleagues explore the powerful impact of his globetrotting work.

Critics Reviews

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Noel Murray AV Club [Director] Btler maintains a staid, steady pace, with still more pictures, and still more chatter about the pictures, and nothing challenging said. Rated: C+ Nov 27, 2006 Full Review Kam Williams Upstage Magazine Not a particularly overtly political documentary, yet effective, given that Monsieur Henri was most definitely blessed with an eye for freezing reality via the magic of still photography. Rated: 3/4 May 26, 2007 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Audience Member awesome doc about an amazing photographer told by himself. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/25/23 Full Review Audience Member i saw this dudes exhibit at moma. one might think taking photographs and gettting a meaningful shot is pretty easy but it actually isnt. this guy travelled all over the place to take pictures, often times at important historical moments. he definitely had a knack for capturing a moment which today, we are able to reflect. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/28/23 Full Review walter m To its credit, this documentary is not so much interested in the details of the personal life and long career of Henri Cartier-Bresson, photojournalist, but in what makes a great photographer.(Although you can infer some of the details from the photographs on display.) Basically, it comes down to framing a shot and timing, not only being in the right place at the right time(he was visiting Gandhi right before he was assassinated, so he was in a perfect position to record the country's reaction), but also to take the photograph at precisely the right time to capture that moment that would have otherwise been lost to eternity. With portraits, he has never posed his subjects, again waiting for that magic moment, as Isabelle Huppert and Arthur Miller testify to. At the time of this documentary, Cartier-Bresson is content to stand still in one place for a change and work on his painting. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member The simplest of documentary films: spend 70 minutes in the company of the world's greatest photojournalist as he talks you through some of his favourite photographs from his archives. Nothing more, and nor need it be, because Cartier-Bresson (1908-2004) was such a master of composition and light that any insights he can offer into his art of the 'decisive moment' are priceless. He has quite a sense of humour too, claiming that photographic inspiration sometimes deserts you but it always returns, 'just like a burp'. There's a fair helping of pseud-ish analysis dished up too by some of the other talking heads, but then this is photography we're talking about, so it's no great surprise. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/13/23 Full Review Audience Member Really great to hear the old master speak about his own work! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/12/23 Full Review Audience Member If you are a photography buff, or a fan of Cartier-Bresson "the father of photo-journalisim" in particular, you might enjoy this documentary. It is fine-tuned to his photos only and offers little of his personal life. We do see him going through and commenting on many of his own photos just the year before he passed. The movie also offers some commentary by his friend Arthur Miller and others who were fans of his work. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/12/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Henri Cartier-Bresson: The Impassioned Eye

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Movie Info

Synopsis Filmed only a few years before his death, this documentary focuses on the career of Henri Cartier-Bresson, a frustrated painter who became a world-renowned photographer. As he reviews his portfolio of iconic images and notable figures, the notoriously press-shy Cartier-Bresson offers insights into his legendary career, which covered everything from Gandhi's funeral to the fall of China. Interviews with historians and colleagues explore the powerful impact of his globetrotting work.
Director
Heinz Bütler
Screenwriter
Heinz Bütler
Genre
Documentary
Original Language
English
Box Office (Gross USA)
$25.3K
Runtime
1h 12m