Bill Cunningham New York (Richard Press)
– Alex Towers
Every day Bill Cunningham rides his Schwinn bicycle through the streets of Manhattan searching for a rare splash of style that will warrant a picture. He scurries down alleys, crowded streets and across traffic with a near religious devotion to capturing the subtle way someone might match a scarf with a dress or a hat with a coat so he can include them in his weekly New York Times column.
In a world where everyone seems to be documenting their own style through an endless stream of uploaded photos, Cunningham’s dedication might not seem extraordinary had he not been performing this routine since the 1950s. Today, he’s nearly eighty-four years old and his column still runs every week. Bill Cunningham New York is a documentary given limited release in Ireland this year, that chronicles this octogenarian with a devotion that matches its subject and in doing so creates an incredibly fascinating portrait of an artist.
However, unlike many of the inhabitants of Manhattan’s fashion world that frequently serve as Cunningham’s subjects (such as Patrick McDonald, Tom Wolfe & Anna Wintour, all of whom contribute to the film), Cunningham himself is devoid of all pretension and flamboyance. This irony isn’t lost on the filmmakers, who expertly detail his monk-like existence: his clothes are chosen for their cheapness and functionality, he eats fast food only to prevent starvation and lives alone in a minuscule apartment above Carnegie Hall, with filling cabinets of photos instead of furniture.
While the filmmakers also briefly explore his background (encompassing his lack of romantic history and lifelong Catholicism), where the documentary really excels in its unmitigated portrayal of total artistic devotion. We learn early in his career that when Women’s Wear Daily used his photos to ridicule ordinary people attempting to channel catwalk designs, he resigned immediately. Later we see him turn down any sort of substantial payment from the Times, as he feels not being paid means he can shoot what he wants.
Although the various talking heads occasionally stray into the sycophantic, they all testify not only to his consummate taste, but also to his role as the most obsessive chronicler of fashion. “We all get dressed for Bill”, Wintour admits, while Cunningham himself states his work is not photography but merely “observation”.
But what makes Cunningham (and by extension the film) so endearing is his intense shyness upon receiving even the most minimal of compliments. So when the French government award him the “Ordre des Arts et des Lettres” we see him go to pieces, desperately hiding behind his camera for the ceremony before breaking down during his acceptance speech with the words “those who seek beauty will find it.”
However the most telling scene is when Cunningham, appearing ludicrously slight amongst a throng of burly journalists, is turned away from a catwalk show. It’s capturing heartbreakingly intimate moments like these that make this an incredible film but there’s also something else at work. As Cunningham patiently waits in the cold, a veteran staffer spots him and ushers him to the front row, frustratedly announcing “this is the most important man in the world.” Accordingly by capturing this man’s existence so purely, Bill Cunningham New York is one of the most important documentaries for years.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
Honourable mention:
Imposter (Bart Layton)
Sightseers (Ben Wheatley)
