| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| BaftaBaby |
Posted - 01/03/2013 : 18:43:25
If you're a British photographer with the letters FRPS after your name - you've arrived bigtime. Those letters stand for Fellow of the Royal Photographic Society, which is just one of the honours awarded to veteran photojournalist Don McCullin.
He's also been lauded countless times both in his native UK and internationally - all for his work documenting some of the most appalling and harrowing arenas of conflict to let people know the effects of political and social policies.
It was his Biafran photographs that almost single-handedly exploded people's consciences and galvanized a normally passive public to protest. Eventually, they managed to change governments' minds about providing some relief for the obscenely maimed mothers and starving babies who were the most poignant casualties of that particular war.
Until the Sunday Times - for which McCullin worked for decades - was taken over by Murdoch, his cogent magazine covers and features were the touchstones for the best of reportage. Now that most so-called newspapers have morphed into extended gossip columns, opportunities for McCullin's compassionate yet unbiased coverage have dwindled.
Turns out that between them Murdoch and Thatcher decreed McCullin would not be allowed to cover the Falklands War in case his images proved too powerful.
This is a simple, wholly engrossing documentary about a fearless reporter - always attracted to the heart of human danger. Vietnam, Northern Ireland, Beirut, neo-Nazi riots. At great personal risk, he went into the action to bring the story back.
The film is honest and McCullin doesn't allow any pulled punches. It hasn't invented any new techniques, but I defy you to watch it and not be entirely moved.
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