GFF 2011: One Thousand Pictures

 

One Thousand Pictures charts the journey of the train carrying Robert F Kennedy's body from New York to Washington following his assassination in 1968, told through photos taken by Paul Fusco. The tragedy had an immense impact on the people of America, who lined up in their hundreds to watch the train pass, uniting them in a moment of mourning. Jennifer Stoddart's documentary combines Fusco's photos with archive footage and new interviews with some of the photos' subjects to tell stories about the day, the incidents that occurred, and the effect both Bobby and his death had to American culture. While the images and accompanying soundtrack are evocative of the time, the short film (under forty minutes in length) lacks cinematic presence. Although Fusco's work leaves a lasting impression, One Thousand Pictures itself fails to make much of an impact, displaying the difference between a great documentary and a documentary with a great subject.