Beneath the glittering facade of cinema's stars
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E-mail China Daily, October 8, 2016
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| Jude Law (left) and Matt Damon (right) photographed by Brigitte Lacombe. [Photo / China Daily] |
"That is the key to appreciating the photography of Brigitte Lacombe, whose work often takes her into the realm of show business but whose pictures strip the commerce away from the artists until we are face-to-face with what some of the seminal figures of our time are trying to say to their audience."
One of her most well-loved images is the one of Hong Kong director Wong Kar-wai and actors Maggie Cheung and Tony Leung Chiu-wai during the filming of In the Mood for Love.
In the picture which seems to masterfully fuse elements of peace, theatricality and energy, Wong is seen hiding his gaze behind his signature dark glasses, Cheung is captured with a slight tilt of her head while Leung is wearing an restrained smile and looking straight at the camera.
Lacombe juxtaposes portrait photography with shooting on film sets, saying that the former is a more intimate genre that requires trust. She explains that it takes not one, but two people to produce a good portrait－the subject will need to be comfortable enough to let his or her guard down in front of the photographer. In contrast, film stars are hidden behind a shield of theatrical mystery with their makeup and costumes.
"As a photographer, it is important to win the trust of your subject and convince them that you are doing something good together, and not something they will regret. It is only then will the subject be able to give you something you can capture," says Lacombe.
Even famous actors such as Meryl Streep can be very shy when they're in front of the camera in a studio, said Lacombe, who admittedly doesn't like to be photographed as well.
"Actors have to be preoccupied with themselves more than normal people. They have to take care of their appearances－everything has to do with their body, which is part of their instrument," says Lacombe.
"When they are on the film set, they become someone else. They also have to do things on demand, like cry during an emotional scene. They have to be very much in control of their body and their emotions. I think that's why when they are suddenly themselves after the camera stops rolling, they don't really like being scrutinized by the photographer."
Lacombe has never been married nor has she any children. She is still actively pursuing photography and is currently covering the election campaign of Hillary Clinton, the U.S. presidential nominee that she would love to vote for but cannot as she is not a U.S. citizen.
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