Thursday 20 September 2012

On DVD: "Anton Corbijn: Inside Out" (Metro 20/09/12)



Anton Corbijn: Inside Out (15, DVD only) ***

“I grew up in a vicarage,” reveals photographer-director Corbijn at the beginning of Klaartje Quirijns’ documentary portrait, at once explaining the spare, Dutch Calvinist beauty of his work. Corbijn shoots rock gods like religious icons, the seriousness of his imagery reflecting the self-seriousness of those indie types (Depeche Mode, REM, Nirvana) who’ve sought to define themselves against the surface idiocy of pop. Caught in pre-production for 2010’s flawed-interesting George Clooney vehicle The American, Corbijn makes for rather a dour subject in himself – there’s lots of Anton contemplating the landscape – but he evidently thrives on collaboration: he may be the only man alive to perk up around Lou Reed. Quirijns can’t make the worldview any less monochrome, but her film delivers a solid primer on how it was formed. Returning to his childhood home, Corbijn delights in pointing out that his bedroom window looked out onto a cemetery. This, too, makes sense.

Anton Corbijn: Inside Out is available on DVD through Momentum.

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