Shown on ITV’s The South Bank Show in 2005, this documentary offers an intimate look at one of the world’s greatest living photographers, Robert Frank. Initially, after watching the first five minutes, I found Frank to come across as rude and petulant, which led me to form a negative impression. However, as the documentary progressed, my view of him changed dramatically.
Best known for his book The Americans, Frank is a Swiss immigrant to the United States, and The Americans is a project he undertook shortly after his arrival. In many ways, he was looking at his new country with fresh eyes, as an outsider trying to make sense of his new environment.
The book was widely condemned when it was first published for being “un-American,” yet it was far from that. It was Frank’s way of expressing his love for the country. The documentary delves into his childhood in Switzerland during World War II, where he grew up as the son of stateless German Jewish immigrants, living in constant fear that Nazi Germany might invade neutral Switzerland.
These early experiences seem to have profoundly influenced his work. In his photography, Frank often portrayed the emotional experience of being an immigrant in a country that was drastically different from Switzerland—a country that, at the time, had stark racial divisions and inequalities. His work often explores the relationship between people and place, capturing moments of raw emotion.
One quote from the film that resonates with me is, “Robert is a man with chopsticks… waits and waits… then picks the lasting moment from chaos.” This perfectly describes how The Americans is crafted—Frank’s ability to patiently capture fleeting, yet significant moments amid the chaos of daily life.
Overall, the documentary offers a fascinating glimpse into the mind of a great documentary photographer who, despite his reticence to speak about his personal life, reveals much about his inner world through his work. The film also touches on his personal struggles, including the tragic loss of his son, who suffered from mental illness and died at a young age.
By the end of the film, I was embarrassed by my initial dislike of Frank, realizing how much deeper his work and life story truly are.
Bibliography
FOX, Gerald. 2005. Leaving Home, Coming Home: A Portrait of Robert Frank (2005). [online]. [Accessed 19 Aug 2015]. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bt97Jomj5nw&feature=youtu.be
