November 12, 2023
FILM: UNCROPPED
DIRECTED BY: D.W. YOUNG
STARRING: JAMES HAMILTON
Rating: 3 out of 4 stars
By Dan Pal
Photographer James Hamilton may not be a household name but he has shot millions of photos in his roughly 55 years working behind cameras. The new documentary Uncropped, which is having its World Premiere at DOC NYC, is like a large-scale photo album featuring hundreds of these shots. It’s an amazing collection that includes many celebrities, films, cultural and political events dating back to the 1960s. It’s a document that is important for the world to have as it represents so much of our culture from the last half century.
Hamilton is present throughout the film providing details about his life and various career moves. What we first see is a smattering of the many images he’s captured. He discusses his early years shooting in New York capturing the different sides of its culture. Eventually Hamilton would get hired by Harper’s Bazaar, and later Village Voice and New York Observer. Along the way he managed to have time alone with notable celebrities such as Alfred Hitchcock, Liza Minelli, Liberace, and George Romero. The stills he has of some of these figures are quite astonishing (how often do we see Hitchcock with a big grin on his face?!) Hamilton loved to capture people in settings where there were other details (packs of cigarettes, books, etc.) making for even richer photographs and character portraits.
As the years went on, Hamilton shot album covers, criminals, the changing culture of New York City, and international social movements. Throughout the film, there are a lot of names that will likely fly by most viewers heads though as many of the figures discussed might be more relevant to those in the world of journalism and/or New York. However, the film’s brisk pace always leads to other interesting details about the various people and events Hamilton captured.
Of particular personal interest is the work Hamilton has done on film sets, particularly as a still photographer on many Wes Anderson films. The director may be the most notable live celebrity that is interviewed here and the stories he and Hamilton tell are pretty fun to hear. They became so close that Hamilton even has cameos in several of Anderson’s films.
Uncropped is a bit relentless in the numbers of images quickly thrown on screen. Viewers may want to pause while watching the film (once it becomes available to stream) to really soak in what they are often seeing. Perhaps that is what this film will lead to: a deeper appreciation for Hamilton’s very broad and extremely large body of work. There should rightfully be many more books published on his work. As we see during the film, Hamilton is still trying to categorize and file his plethora of photos.
It should also be noted that Hamilton and others in the film lament the fall of journalism during the 21st Century as print newspapers and magazines have become relics of the past. What is produced, mostly online, is there for companies to buy ads. As is suggested in the film, if an advertiser doesn’t like content it is that content that will be edited out. Real journalism and the kind of images that Hamilton caught throughout his career don’t make as much money for their creators as they once did. Is journalism and its associated photography dead? Let’s hope not. For now, it is worth seeing the complete joy and devotion someone like James Hamilton had in his career and as a culture we are better for all that he produced in an artful physical form.
Uncropped had its World Premiere at DOC NYC on November 11th. It is available to be viewed virtually through November 26th via the festival’s website. For tickets, go to https://www.docnyc.net/film/uncropped/.
FILM: UNCROPPED
DIRECTED BY: D.W. YOUNG
STARRING: JAMES HAMILTON
Rating: 3 out of 4 stars
By Dan Pal
Photographer James Hamilton may not be a household name but he has shot millions of photos in his roughly 55 years working behind cameras. The new documentary Uncropped, which is having its World Premiere at DOC NYC, is like a large-scale photo album featuring hundreds of these shots. It’s an amazing collection that includes many celebrities, films, cultural and political events dating back to the 1960s. It’s a document that is important for the world to have as it represents so much of our culture from the last half century.
Hamilton is present throughout the film providing details about his life and various career moves. What we first see is a smattering of the many images he’s captured. He discusses his early years shooting in New York capturing the different sides of its culture. Eventually Hamilton would get hired by Harper’s Bazaar, and later Village Voice and New York Observer. Along the way he managed to have time alone with notable celebrities such as Alfred Hitchcock, Liza Minelli, Liberace, and George Romero. The stills he has of some of these figures are quite astonishing (how often do we see Hitchcock with a big grin on his face?!) Hamilton loved to capture people in settings where there were other details (packs of cigarettes, books, etc.) making for even richer photographs and character portraits.
As the years went on, Hamilton shot album covers, criminals, the changing culture of New York City, and international social movements. Throughout the film, there are a lot of names that will likely fly by most viewers heads though as many of the figures discussed might be more relevant to those in the world of journalism and/or New York. However, the film’s brisk pace always leads to other interesting details about the various people and events Hamilton captured.
Of particular personal interest is the work Hamilton has done on film sets, particularly as a still photographer on many Wes Anderson films. The director may be the most notable live celebrity that is interviewed here and the stories he and Hamilton tell are pretty fun to hear. They became so close that Hamilton even has cameos in several of Anderson’s films.
Uncropped is a bit relentless in the numbers of images quickly thrown on screen. Viewers may want to pause while watching the film (once it becomes available to stream) to really soak in what they are often seeing. Perhaps that is what this film will lead to: a deeper appreciation for Hamilton’s very broad and extremely large body of work. There should rightfully be many more books published on his work. As we see during the film, Hamilton is still trying to categorize and file his plethora of photos.
It should also be noted that Hamilton and others in the film lament the fall of journalism during the 21st Century as print newspapers and magazines have become relics of the past. What is produced, mostly online, is there for companies to buy ads. As is suggested in the film, if an advertiser doesn’t like content it is that content that will be edited out. Real journalism and the kind of images that Hamilton caught throughout his career don’t make as much money for their creators as they once did. Is journalism and its associated photography dead? Let’s hope not. For now, it is worth seeing the complete joy and devotion someone like James Hamilton had in his career and as a culture we are better for all that he produced in an artful physical form.
Uncropped had its World Premiere at DOC NYC on November 11th. It is available to be viewed virtually through November 26th via the festival’s website. For tickets, go to https://www.docnyc.net/film/uncropped/.