Sometimes I wonder which kind of medium is better, who would win in a battle: “Photography vs. movies.” After a while, I feel that confrontation in both mentioned above mediums is a no sense.
Every kind of artistic expression has its advantages and disadvantages. It is tough to compare paradoxically similar, titled forms of visual expression. It is practically impossible to state which style is “better” in a “Photography vs. movies” confrontation.
Nevertheless, I believe that cinema and photography have their roles in a broadly defined artistic world. The main aim of movies is to create an image of new stars in the world of Art. The part of photography is to maintain the visual representation of a new Star. Photography stills keep stars alive, even after their death. “Can you give some examples?” Undoubtedly, you would ask me, my Dear Friend. “Sure!” – I would reply.
I had already mentioned in my previous posts that I genuinely admire Artists who are appreciated after their death.
Thus, I will give you examples of stars who are already dead. The first one is James Dean. His memorable roles in movies like “East of Eden” (1955), “Rebel Without a Cause” (1955), and “Giant” (1956) made him an icon of the cinema. Dean remained idolized decades later. Dennis Stock’s photographs of famous American actors helped maintain this idol’s visual legend.
The second example of how photography can maintain the myth of a movie star is undoubtedly Marilyn Monroe.
Her iconic performances in such films as “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes” (1953) or “Some Like It Hot” (1959) were terrific roles that gave her immortality in people’s memories. On the other hand, Bert Stern’s photographs helped in maintaining immortalization. These particular pictures were made soon before Monroe’s death.
As we can see in the examples mentioned above, cinema and photography should cooperate and not compete. But, they should do it smartly. When two artistic mediums collaborate, enormous, magnificent things can happen.
To summarize, I want to stress that there is no winner and loser in the challenge “Photography vs. movies.” Both mediums possess unforgettable motion pictures and stills. Incredible artwork can appear if we mix them (like they do in the Taschen publishing house). Undoubtedly, this work of art will stick to people’s minds and memories for centuries.
