A brilliant film that helped define a genre

A Brilliant Conflict

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

Very interesting documentary about Appalachian photographer Shelby Lee Adams, and the ongoing debate as to whether his photos are too "faked" or staged, and whether they reinforce stereotypes about Appalachia and its people. Or whether they use valid techniques to reveal deep insight into a time, place, and way of life. Whatever your philosophy about the "truth" of photos, there is no arguing that many of the images are striking and powerful indeed. Yet somehow the film stays just a touch too much on the surface. While seeing the worlds of religious snake handlers, etc is fascinating, and some of the intellectual arguments about Shelby"s work are interesting (although tilted towards Shelby by the choice of supercilious, obnoxious commentators on the critical side), the documentary never feels quite as deep or as interesting as the photos themselves. Yet, all my carping aside, this is strong and well worth seeing on balance, especially if you have any interest in photography, the Appalachian world or the ever ongoing debate on what is "truth" in art.

So I watched 2002's "The True Meaning of Pictures: Shelby Lee Adams' Appalachia" directed by Jennifer Baichwal. So was it good, I say yes but not great, and actually just barely good. This movie mostly struck me as pretentious people commenting on the validity of photographing hillbillies. In this film we are even given the definition of a hillbilly by a PHD oooooh, I'll let the filmmaker in on a little secret everyone freaking knows what a hillbilly is. This documentary reflects on the relationship between photographer Shelby Lee Adams' and his subjects of thirty some odd years the mountain folk of Appalachia. He has an honest and true regard for these people having come from this breed of people I guess, however I do not share his love of these creatures. Look we all have flaws and we all have strengths, however I think most hillbillies are racist, undereducated, under motivated, drug addicted, often incestuous, cretins. I fear this type of people because any contact I have with this breed of American has reinforced the stereotypes of them, and their portrayal in this documentary did nothing to change that opinion. This movie is very dry and very boring, but it is a valid exercise in the documentary genre and is an interesting subject overall. However, I personally recommend the "The Wild and Wonderful Whites of West Virginia", if you want to see a documentary on hillbillies. It is more fast paced, has good music, and in general gives a more honest portrayal of what a hillbilly is in my opinion. So watch both, I think it is a good way to compare and contrast two sides of the same coin. if you like concise reviews of interesting films please read my other reviews at http://raouldukeatthemovies.blogspot.com/

This film looks at the photographer Shelby Lee Adams and his Kentucky holler neighbors. The obvious comparison is to Walker Evans and the pictures he took for Let Us Now Praise Famous Men. There, the grinding poverty was clear and unambiguous; barefoot sharecroppers with only a broken-down bed and a couple of chairs that they had to make themselves. Evans was accused of manipulating his images, although how you can make dirt-poor look even poorer is beyond my understanding. Shelby Adams is charged with stage-managing his scenes of mountain-gorge desperation. It is true that the hog-butchering scene was brought about by Adams's planning, but little else could have been arranged. Certainly the snake-handling is real; you see the man in hospital with his arm swelled up to watermelon size. The two dwarfs, both with mental handicaps, are probably the result of incest, but this theme is treated very gingerly indeed. If you want to meet the people who sat for great photos like Brothers Praying, Hooterville, Kentucky and The Kiss, this is a great opportunity.

I found this film to be very interesting. Adam's, who is usually the one doing the representing, is here being documented. Does true objectivity exist?Adam's work is incredible, his Appalachian subjects are interesting and diverse, and I enjoyed seeing the artist at work in the film. This film considers aspects of artist, subject and critical response. It also brings to light the imprint that art photography and film create in our conscious.