Film ReviewsHarry Benson: Shoot First : A witness to historyMar 8, 2017 Anchorage Press
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Harry Benson’s lifetime of work reflects a time in history that passed at a faster rate, saw exponential changes in technology and more drastic cultural shifts than perhaps any other fragment of time in the history of the world. What’s even more amazing is that Benson was there to capture it through a keen eye and impeccable timing. In the new documentary, Harry Benson: Shoot First, directors Justin Bare and Matthew Miele turn the camera on Benson himself to render his personal story and prolific life, while showering viewers with iconic image after iconic image.
Harry Benson was born in Glasgow, Scotland in 1929. He was born into a poor family and his path in life was derailed from the get-go. While his contemporaries went to school and pursued academic opportunities that were par for the course, Benson did not—but he did have a camera and his father constructed a shack for him to use as a darkroom. Benson was a self-made photographer who went on to become one of the world’s most important photojournalists. Benson had a number of things going for him, he was charming, talented and hungry for life, even in his late 80s he remains passionate and focused on his work.
Benson was assigned to cover a new band that came out of the U.K. on its first U.S tour in 1964. This newbie band was comprised of four cheeky musicians who, like Benson, refused to acquiesce to what was known and thus broke new ground in music and exploded as an international phenomenon, they were known as the Beatles. Benson was able to capture some of the first and most important images of the fab four, images that today form part of the fabric and richness of the world. Benson went on from there, always managing to get the money shot, seemingly always to get lucky; but as it has been pointed out, the harder one works, the luckier one is. Benson made his own luck.
The documentary features testimonial interview after testimonial interview, from family members, colleagues and subjects. It’s difficult to understate how inexhaustible Benson’s body of work is and the filmmakers do their best as they present what appears to be a million images of Benson’s work, all of which audiences will recognize.
Benson’s subject matter touches the heart of America. He bears witness to great and difficult times. He was feet away from Bobby Kennedy when he was assassinated and captures the pain and chaos of a nation. Benson was present with Martin Luther King, Jr. at the Meredith march and later with Coretta Scott King at Dr. King’s funeral. Benson has photographed every U.S. President from Eisenhower to Obama; he even managed to photograph Trump, although not as president, but likely during his reported pussy-grabbing days.
The works presented in Harry Benson: Shoot First show that Benson simply never stopped working, he covered everything, from wars to fashion, from musicians to pop idols and appeared in just about every major publication one can think of. Benson’s work reflects a sense of wonder on the part of the photographer and an unassuming attitude filled with compassion. Perhaps it is these attributes and his sensibility and artistry that make Harry Benson’s photographs truly human and therefore truly great. One of the nice things about Harry Benson: Shoot First is that viewers get to hear quite a bit from the man himself, but what viewers don’t get is a sense for the artist’s process—which is as it tends to be, because the process of art for many artists is private, and art is magic, after all.
Showtimes:
Beartooth
- Art House-
Monday, 3/13
5:30 pm
Run time: 1:30 h
Movie Rating: Not rated.
Harry Benson was born in Glasgow, Scotland in 1929. He was born into a poor family and his path in life was derailed from the get-go. While his contemporaries went to school and pursued academic opportunities that were par for the course, Benson did not—but he did have a camera and his father constructed a shack for him to use as a darkroom. Benson was a self-made photographer who went on to become one of the world’s most important photojournalists. Benson had a number of things going for him, he was charming, talented and hungry for life, even in his late 80s he remains passionate and focused on his work.
Benson was assigned to cover a new band that came out of the U.K. on its first U.S tour in 1964. This newbie band was comprised of four cheeky musicians who, like Benson, refused to acquiesce to what was known and thus broke new ground in music and exploded as an international phenomenon, they were known as the Beatles. Benson was able to capture some of the first and most important images of the fab four, images that today form part of the fabric and richness of the world. Benson went on from there, always managing to get the money shot, seemingly always to get lucky; but as it has been pointed out, the harder one works, the luckier one is. Benson made his own luck.
The documentary features testimonial interview after testimonial interview, from family members, colleagues and subjects. It’s difficult to understate how inexhaustible Benson’s body of work is and the filmmakers do their best as they present what appears to be a million images of Benson’s work, all of which audiences will recognize.
Benson’s subject matter touches the heart of America. He bears witness to great and difficult times. He was feet away from Bobby Kennedy when he was assassinated and captures the pain and chaos of a nation. Benson was present with Martin Luther King, Jr. at the Meredith march and later with Coretta Scott King at Dr. King’s funeral. Benson has photographed every U.S. President from Eisenhower to Obama; he even managed to photograph Trump, although not as president, but likely during his reported pussy-grabbing days.
The works presented in Harry Benson: Shoot First show that Benson simply never stopped working, he covered everything, from wars to fashion, from musicians to pop idols and appeared in just about every major publication one can think of. Benson’s work reflects a sense of wonder on the part of the photographer and an unassuming attitude filled with compassion. Perhaps it is these attributes and his sensibility and artistry that make Harry Benson’s photographs truly human and therefore truly great. One of the nice things about Harry Benson: Shoot First is that viewers get to hear quite a bit from the man himself, but what viewers don’t get is a sense for the artist’s process—which is as it tends to be, because the process of art for many artists is private, and art is magic, after all.
Showtimes:
Beartooth
- Art House-
Monday, 3/13
5:30 pm
Run time: 1:30 h
Movie Rating: Not rated.