I just saw Eadweard at its (world?) premier at Cinequest (San Jose CA). It is the first feature-length film by director and co-writer Kyle Rideout, and I was blown away by the quality and polish of everything about this movie. Directors with decades of experience would be hard-pressed to create a movie with as much beauty and narrative force.
Eadweard covers the most famous work of Eadweard Muybridge, the 19th-century English photographer who, early in his career, proved that all the feet of a galloping horse do, in fact, leave the ground at one point. The film begins with his meeting his future wife, Flora, a 21-year-old woman captivated by this photographer who was exactly twice her age.
At first they had a vibrant life together, but Flora came to feel neglected as Muybridge poured all his energy and passion into his all-consuming project; by its finish, he recorded 781 sequences of animals and humans in motion. Muybridge defied the morality of the day when he eventually insisted that his human subjects be photographed near or completely nude, so as to provide complete records of how the human body works when it is in motion.
Two years after they were married, Muybridge fatally shot his wife's lover, who may have been the father of their son Florado. Though the jury dismissed his insanity defense, it delivered an unexpected not-guilty verdict on the grounds of "justifiable homicide" (according to the film, the last such verdict rendered in the history of American jurisprudence).
Michael Eklund does a masterful job of portraying Muybridge's forceful, abrupt personality (itself the result of a serious injury earlier in life that probably caused permanent brain damage). The pacing of the film is brisk and sure-footed, resulting in a story that draws you in and keeps your attention.
I've never rated anything 10 out of 10, until now. This film is well worth watching, and you will remember it.
Eadweard covers the most famous work of Eadweard Muybridge, the 19th-century English photographer who, early in his career, proved that all the feet of a galloping horse do, in fact, leave the ground at one point. The film begins with his meeting his future wife, Flora, a 21-year-old woman captivated by this photographer who was exactly twice her age.
At first they had a vibrant life together, but Flora came to feel neglected as Muybridge poured all his energy and passion into his all-consuming project; by its finish, he recorded 781 sequences of animals and humans in motion. Muybridge defied the morality of the day when he eventually insisted that his human subjects be photographed near or completely nude, so as to provide complete records of how the human body works when it is in motion.
Two years after they were married, Muybridge fatally shot his wife's lover, who may have been the father of their son Florado. Though the jury dismissed his insanity defense, it delivered an unexpected not-guilty verdict on the grounds of "justifiable homicide" (according to the film, the last such verdict rendered in the history of American jurisprudence).
Michael Eklund does a masterful job of portraying Muybridge's forceful, abrupt personality (itself the result of a serious injury earlier in life that probably caused permanent brain damage). The pacing of the film is brisk and sure-footed, resulting in a story that draws you in and keeps your attention.
I've never rated anything 10 out of 10, until now. This film is well worth watching, and you will remember it.