The 5 Best Films About Photographers Set in London
Who do you think you are, David Bailey?
As we celebrate the amazing work and dedication of Clive Boursnell this week with our second film about London’s most dedicated and committed photographer, We thought it would be the perfect time to look at other films that have focused on photography in London. Here are the five best films about photographers in London - four cinema films and one TV movie, if you’re going to be picky! Brace yourself for lots of existential angst, female objectification and red light bulbs as we enter into the world of London photography.
5. Closer (2004) – Love, Lies, and a Photographer’s Lens
Based on the play of the same name by Londoner Patrick Marber, Mike Nichols’ Closer is an intense drama that delves into the lives of four characters entangled in love and deception. Julia Roberts plays Anna, a photographer. For some reason Julia Roberts only ever plays women called Anna in films shot in London. Admittedly, this is only based on Closer and Notting Hill, but still. Her profession subtly influences the film’s themes of perception and reality. It’s shot in heaps of London locations, including the South Bank and the National Portrait Gallery. Closer highlights the way photography can capture raw emotion while also distorting truth and is an outlier on our list a it’s the only film in our list that steps out of the heyday of London photographers - the 1960s.
4. We’ll Take Manhattan
Yes, the 60s. They’d never had it so good, and if you were one of the fashionable crowd, you were either trying to be in a band or become a photographer. Photographers were household names: Terence Donovan, Lord Snowdon, Terry O’Neill and of course David Bailey. OK, this is a TV movie, but a movie nonetheless about the relationship between David Bailey and model Jean Shrimpton, played by Karen Gillen.
3. Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997) – A Hilarious Homage
He’s a spy. He’s at the height of fashion. What else would he do as his cover job. Of course he’s a photographer. Mike Myers’ Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery is a love letter to the psychedelic aesthetics and cheeky irreverence of 1960s London. Austin Powers may be best remembered for its over-the-top characters, cheesy catchphrases and sexist undertones, its playful recreation of 1960s London makes it a fitting inclusion here.
2. Peeping Tom (1960) – The Dark Side of the Lens
Michael Powell’s Peeping Tom takes the act of photography to disturbing new depths. The film follows Mark Lewis (Carl Boehm), a psychologically scarred photographer who films his victims at the moment of their death. A psychological thriller that was initially reviled but later celebrated as a masterpiece, Peeping Tom presents a sinister take on voyeurism and the power dynamics between subject and observer. London’s shadowy streets and eerie backdrops contribute to the film’s unsettling atmosphere. And yes, it’s directed by that Michael Powell - who made The Red Shoes and The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp. A treasure.
1. Blow-Up (1966) – The Quintessential Swinging Sixties Film
Not only the best film about a London photographer, but arguably the best film about a photographer. Yes, I know some of you will talk about Salvador, One Hour Photo, even Rear Window, but seriously? This is not just about someone who takes photos, it’s about the act of taking photos. It’s about observation vs engagement. It’s about the distance that you put between yourself and the subject, and what happens when that line breaks down.
The set-up is simple - a fashion photographer goes out to find more connection with the ‘real world’. He steps out of the studio and starts photographing in a local park, when he accidentally witnesses and photographs a murder. This sets off a chain of events that’s unlike any other film. Like a London La Dolce Vita, it’s film about the perceived shallowness of a life in fashion. And (again like a London La Dolce Vita) it looks amazing! Austin Powers would never have existed without Blow-Up. This is the quintessential swinging 60s film in all its rainbow glory. The bold poster paint colours shine out of the frame. There are even stories of Antonioni having the grass in the park painted greener to ensure that the film matched his vision.
Then there’s the music. Herbie Hancock at his funkiest provided the soundtrack - and it’s been sampled by everybody ever since. It even provided the iconic bassline to Dee-Lite’s Groove Is In The Heart. And the Yardbyrds make a guest appearance about half-way through. Then what about the actors - David Hemmings at his laconically cool best, is supported by Vanessa Redgrave, Sarah Miles and Jane Birkin.
If you haven’t watched Blow-Up, then what are you waiting for.
Photographers in 1000 Londoners
London is nothing if not photogenic. And with our huge range of architecture and districts, London photography can lead people in many directions. Check out some of our favourite photographers from the 1000 Londoners project:
Clive Boursnell
We met him at New Covent Garden market in 2015 and he’s still there a couple of times a week. A fantastic photographer of London life and all round great guy. Watch his film here.
Sophie Broadbent
Sophie and her husband ran a fantastic community project where they photographed everyone in their street in Brixton. The results are fantastic. Watch her film and find out more here.
George
George photographs London’s brutalist architecture in this fascinating film, produced on a workshop with Wimbledon Bookfest.
