Tag: David Hume Kennerly


An Unlikely Weapon

September 7th, 2010 — 1:27am

An Unlikely Weapon* * * *
An Unlikely Weapon
– sp – This is a an outstanding documentary about Eddie Adams the photographer who in 1968 photographed a Saigon police chief shooting a Vietcong guerilla point black Some say that photo ended the Vietnam War by it’s influence on the US public.This film shows how Adams, who won a Pulitzer Prize for the picture, never really understood why it was so great and but was profoundly effected by the incident for much of his life. He strove for perfection throughout his career and never believed he came close, despite continually trying He was a complex but an immensely likeable person. He felt his greatest accomplishments were when he returned to Viet Nam and joined the rejected boat people on what seemed to be a hopeless journey. He took pictures of them which probably influenced President Carter and the US Congress to let a couple hundred thousands of these Vietnamese refugees into the US and become part of the next generation of immigrants. When he moved on to subjects beyond the war he related well to them whether they be Fidel Castro, the Pope, or movie stars, which is why they allowed him to capture such unique photos of these well known subjects . You may have to search out this film or wait until it comes on DVD since it is going to have an uphill battle to get good distribution. If you are inclined to see this picture you will not be disappointed. We had the opportunity to hear a discussion of this film not only with Susan Morgan Cooper the Director/Producer but also with Pulitzer winning photographers David Hume Kennerly and Nick Ut (who took the also unforgettable photo of the Vietnamese girl running down the street after a Napalm bombing) Both were in Viet Nam with Adams and confirmed the authenticity of the film and of the subject himself. (2009)

Comment » | 4 Stars, Documentary, War

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