2010-09-11
Munkácsi's revolution (part 5 / 11)
The shining through of an uncredited artist
::::: Potsdam 1933
Before having to escape from Europe Munkacsi did an incredible final coverage in Potsdam, on the 21th of March, 1933. The nazi army parading in front of the parliament while Hitler is marching in. It's a breathtaking series. Being Jewish his degree of penetration into a scene was already
extreme, an so was his clearness and sobriety of an outsider by which he did the coverage from inside. He was no bystander there, he was perfectly aware of what was going on and how he should capture it as if focusing on the jaws of a shark or on the tensing muscles of a mantis that is ready to jump. He also had to work very fast for sure. We've got Hitler as he's pushing forward, we've got the marching of the faceless, boot clapping masses of nazi soldiers, we've got all the flags, all the wavings, the strict geometry, the metal helmets, the weapons, saluting and marching soldiers. We've got the complete coverage - for good, for the eternity.
Munkacsi was not hypnotized by the frightful scene, he wouldn't get lost in the details - he did his coverage as a cool professional aware of the shortness of time and of the significance of the moment. He changed his location plenty of times. Even took pictures of the press pack - with the vets in front of them foreshowing the outcome of what was just cooking there.
The picture of Hitler is also peculiar because it tells that Munkacsi was waiting till the utmost. Waited for something to budge, for something subtle that'd make it a Munkacsi picture, something accidental that would reveal an other layer, that would allow an even more penetrating look for his camera. It must have been a sort of a who blinks first game.
Munkacsi was following Hitler's hasty approaching and with every other fragment of a seconds of wait he was jeopardizing that someone would just step in and cover the sight out and he'd just miss it all. He could have been content with less, could have taken the safe one of Hitler and his company but he was waiting for a little something extra.
He must have been enjoying that he had it under control that he could keep an eye on history's most demolishing dictator from so close. He probably just had the target clear for like one or two seconds, but obviously he didn't slapdash it. Waited till exactly as long as it was necessary - for a great Munkacsi picture. And finally what he wanted just happened, a figure next to Hitler makes a move with his hand like a bodyguard defending Hitler from the cameras (?). Behind them two of the figures are staring at Munkacsi. Perfect. Munkacsi's got them. Didn't bump off from the toughly organized event, didn't fail, but once again he succeeded to capture what he wanted to appear on the pages of the magazine. The intellect overcame the barbarian aggressors - a virtuoso coverage of history's most petrifying demonstration.
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Photographs linked and/or appearing in this article belong to Ullstein Verlag (Ullstein Bild) (Munkacsi's Berliner period), to the Harper's Bazaar and ICP.org (International Center of Photography) and F.C. Gundlach respectively.
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következő fejezet: Munkacsi's festive style
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-JP-
2010-09-11