| ________________ CM . . .
. Volume VIII Number 3 . . . . October 5, 2001
War and media have long had a symbiotic relationship. While newspapers,
television and the Internet are used as tools in propaganda campaigns,
these same media use the graphic depiction of violence to help sell their
product to the public. When did this interdependence begin, and why did
these powerful subjects capture the imagination of a boy from southern
Alberta?
Moving Pictures is an autobiographical
look at Canadian film maker and artist Colin Low's near-obsessive interest
in war imagery. From his early days captivated by horses and fine engraving
to his fascination with computers, Low began to see a parallel between
the detailed workmanship of war art and the design of military technology.
As the weapons evolved, so, too, did the ability to record their increasingly
horrific impact on the human race. For Low, this realization was brought
closer to home through the death of family and friends and work in a
wartime mental hospital and ultimately had a profound impact on his
art.
Directed and narrated by Low, himself, Moving
Pictures is a collage of black and white photos and footage, computer
images, recreated battle scenes and close-ups showing the minute detail
of early engravings. Throughout the film, Low uses his experiences to
link art with war, revealing his passion for artistic skill and his
dismay at the tragedy it records.
While Moving Pictures will likely have
limited interest for most young adults, its multi-layered approach makes
it suitable for those interested in film making or military technology.
The film also provides a fresh angle to discussions on the media and
its role in armed conflicts, while introducing a lesser-known Canadian
whose work has received numerous awards.
Recommended.
Tom Knutson is a public services librarian with Greater Victoria Public
Library and past chair of the Young Adult and Children's Section of the BC
Library Association.
To comment on this
title or this review, send mail to cm@umanitoba.ca.
Copyright © the Manitoba Library Association. Reproduction for personal
use is permitted only if this copyright notice is maintained. Any other
reproduction is prohibited without permission.
Published by NEXT REVIEW | TABLE OF CONTENTS FOR THIS ISSUE - October 5, 2001.
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