Morris Engel: The Independent (2007)
*** (out of 4)
Morris Engel's name isn't too well known today but many would credit him with starting Independent films in America and also helping kick start the French New Wave. In 1953 he made a low-budget film called LITTLE FUGITIVE and it's this film that would take him to some brief fame but his main love was photography. Engel's daughter, Mary, director, wrote, produced and edited this 28-minute documentary that takes a look at her father's work as well as life. He was married to Ruth Orkin, another photographer, who helped him on LITTLE FUGITVE as well as LOVERS AND LOLLIPOPS. The two would eventually go their separate ways but not before leaving their mark on the independent scene. This is a pretty good documentary that gives us some great looks at Engel's photography work but also some commentary on why his visual style was so important to foreign filmmakers as well as American ones like D.A. Pennebaker and Albert Maysles. The film doesn't ever go into too much detail but perhaps that was good as the film doesn't have too much ground to follow since Engel's career was rather short. After watching this film it was somewhat shocking to notice he never got more credit and isn't better known today.
