Le Monde on the Cartier-Bresson film
Pierre Assouline, biographer of Henri Cartier-Bresson, reflects in his blog at Le Monde on the importance of Juan Salas’ discovery of a long-lost Spanish Civil War film (clip here):
It is hard to watch these silent images without being reminded of Cartier-Bresson’s great regret: to have experienced the Spanish Civil War from the inside, and on the front lines, without ever taking any photo, in order to dedicate himself fully to the propaganda work to which he had committed himself, to the contrary of his friend Robert Capa, who did not have Cartier-Bresson’s political awareness and achieved some photos there that reached iconic status.
Difficile de regarder ces images muettes sans songer au grand regret de Cartier-Bresson : avoir vécu de l’intérieur et en première ligne la guerre civile espagnole mais sans jamais prendre de photos, afin de se consacrer totalement au travail de propagande qu’il avait promis, contrairement à son ami Robert Capa qui n’avait pas sa conscience politique et réussit là quelques photos promis au statut d’icônes.
More here.
