FILM-FORWARD.COMReviews of Recent Independent, Foreign, & Documentary Films in Theaters and DVD/Home Video
WILLIAM EGGLESTON IN THE REAL WORLD
In the introduction, a photographer stands behind his tripod, adjusting his
camera with uncalculated precision. The subject of his shoot: A small
Chinese restaurant window flashing a neon green sign, "Eat in or
take out."
Michael Almereyda has embarked on a curious adventure, closely following the
laconic but nevertheless fascinating William Eggleston, who has
inadvertently reinvented the art of color photography.
The Memphis-based Eggleston, known for capturing the everydayness of life, defends his work
from hard-nosed critics, including the renowned Ansel Adams, who once wrote a
letter expressing dismay at Eggleston's 1976 MoMA exhibition. "I am at war with the obvious," Eggleston utters softly,
in his drawn-out Southern demeanor, inspiring in the viewer sympathy and
admiration for the distant artist. He remains, in fact, aloof, though not
altogether inaccessible, regardless of the fact he never outwardly opens up
to Almereyda. Despite a few attempts at an intimate interview, the
hermit-like photographer remains detached, greeting Almereyda's
philosophically complex inquiries with matter-of-fact retorts like, "I never
much thought about it."
Clearly Eggleston is a simple man, and is all the more admired by the
audience for his down-to-earth and uncalculated demure nature. His
remoteness is outweighed by his earthiness, encapsulated in the pristine
moments and unfeigned expressions Almereyda has captured. Eggleston, a
65-year-old child gazing at the world with wide-eyed wonder, seems oblivious
to his remarkable awareness. With his thick red-rimmed glasses, he has
mastered the art of seeing, and re-teaches this sensation to admirers of his
artwork. Moments of Eggleston letting his guard down as he listens to or
plays music frees the film from the conventional and sometimes tiresome
stagnancy inherent in many documentaries. Here, the viewer is kept
effortlessly entertained throughout. Parisa Vaziri
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