McCullin

Photographer Donald McCullin describes his darkroom as a "haunted place." For over four decades he covered wars in some of the world's bloodiest hot spots. Directed by Jacqui and David Morris, this documentary finds the improbably soft-spoken McCullin recalling his career, during which he often walked a fine ethical line between feeling compassion for war's victims and following Henri Cartier-Bresson's rule of waiting for the "decisive moment" that would bring the war home to the casual observer. Growing up in a rough part of London, McCullin stumbled into photography, initially taking pictures of what he knew. His first real major assignment was covering Cold War-era Berlin as the wall went up, and later the civil war in Cyprus. Here, McCullin vividly recounts atrocities in the Congo conflict, Israel's Six-Day War, starvation-plagued Biafra, and his repeated trips to Vietnam, calling the battle for the city of Hue during the Tet Offensive "total madness." McCullin doesn't dwell on the political backstories of a conflict; in fact, there often isn't much of one, such as the sectarian strife in 1980s Lebanon, which McCullin describes as "murder from the word go." McCullin ended up paying a personal price: not only was he wounded in Cambodia, but his prolonged absences eventually led to the breakup of his marriage. Always aware of the risks, McCullin admits that he was something of a "war junkie." McCullin and other journalists were pushed out when his newspaper—The Sunday Times—was taken over by the more profit-minded Rupert Murdoch. Today, McCullin lives quietly, photographing nature and the colorful street life of English cities. Featuring hundreds of McCullin's photos (many of them graphic), the documentary is presented here in both its full-length version and a 56-minute abridgement. Serving up a seamless blend of word and image, this outstanding biographical portrait is highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (S. Rees)