Larger than life

Anton Corbijn creates icons. He is considered the „house“ photographer of bands such as U2 and Depeche Mode and famously created alluring monochrome images of heroes larger than life. Somehow the quiet Dutchman has a soft spot for these figures drawn by harsh light and shadows. Not only in his photographs but also in moving pictures, the artist repeatedly comes close to the little things in the lives of the Great. For example, he created a cinematic monument portraying the life of Joy Division’s singer Ian Curtis, which seems to represent the final act in the work of the singer who committed suicide so long ago. His latest work is dedicated to the greatest poster boy of all time. It tells the story about the relationship between young celebrity photographer Dennis Stock and fast rising star James Dean. On a trip to Dean’s home, Stock takes some of the most iconic shots that will later manifest the glory of the actor who is fatally injured only shortly after. Corbijn’s approach is as simple as it is ingenious. The dramatic plot is narrowed down to a point to where you feel you’re actually turning the pages of a book and not seeing 24 or more frames per second flash past your eyes. Don’t get me wrong – it is far from static. Corbijn has discovered motion and has grown to love it. And he’s always had an eye for composition anyway. This is definitely a must-see.

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Movie ‚LIFE‘ von Anton Corbijn | watch it at Babylon or any other cinema of the Yorck-Group | Photo: Caitlin Cronenberg

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