A New Richard Avedon Documentary Lets Him Down

Richard Avedon describes his work as writing an autobiography through the faces of the people he photographs. The documentary largely follows a conventional biographical format, linking stories about well-known images with straightforward behind-the-scenes details and brief statements from interview subjects. The direction is characterized by a general lack of interest in the artistic process, despite the director’s experience with other cultural figures. The film’s technical content is limited, with one notable explanation of Avedon’s switch from a Rolleiflex to a remote-controlled 8x10 camera to better position himself beside his models. The review criticizes the film’s approach and its reliance on familiar documentary conventions.

"Early in the new documentary Avedon, whichrecently premiered at this year's Cannes Film Festival, the famed lensman says in an archival interview that he was "writing an autobiography with the faces of the people I photograph." It would be fascinating to take this idea seriously and compare the ideas and emotions Avedon's photos express with his circumstances and feelings when he took them. Instead, the film is a conventional tour of his life; the stories about his well-known pictures are related as straightforward behind-the-scenes peeks, interlaced with simple attestations from talking heads."

""Convention" is the name of director Ron Howard's game. He's previously directed documentaries about Luciano Pavarotti, the Beatles, and , and produced one about French street photographer , but the only authorial hallmark they share is a general disinterest in the artistic process. (He also directed a non-documentary adaptation of JD Vance's memoir, which he's probably glad people tend to forget.) The variety of fields represented by these subjects does not seem to link with omnivorous cultural affections."

"An easy barometer for identifying hackwork in these kinds of documentaries is gauging the creativity of their needle drops. This one starts with "I Turn My Camera On" by Spoon. One scene explains that Avedon switched from using a Rolleiflex (which he'd have to hold up to his face) to a large-format 8x10 camera (which he could control remotely) so he could stand beside rather than behind his equipment, letting him interface more easily with his models."

Read at Hyperallergic