(English follows Japanese)
沢木耕太郎著『キャパの十字架』を読みました。
これは過日のNHKスペシャル「沢木耕太郎 推理ドキュメント 運命の一枚 ～"戦場"写真 最大の謎に挑む～」を観て買わずにいられなかった本です。番組は沢木氏の取材をもとにキャパの出世作「崩れ落ちる兵士」が実は兵士の死の瞬間をとらえたものではないかもしれない、さらに撮ったのはキャパではないかもしれないという謎に迫っています。信じていたものが「崩れ落ちる」衝撃的な内容でしばらく呆然となりました。ちなみに私の故父は元写真家で、本棚にはキャパの書いた『ちょっとピンぼけ』があったことを覚えています。父も少なからずキャパに憧れていたはずなのでこれを知ったらショックで落ち込むだろうな！とも思いました。
さて『キャパの十字架』ですが「あの戦争写真は嘘だった！」とあたまから糾弾するものではありませんでした。真贋の追跡はもちろん面白かったのですが、沢木氏のキャパに対する愛情と真実を知りたい思いの交差が読み手にひしひしと伝わってきました。あの写真はやらせなのか、だとしたらそれをどう検証すればいいのか。証拠を拾っていく沢木氏のねっちりしたノンフィクション作家魂に心打たれます。現場だと思われる村を何度も訪ねるのはもちろん、模型と照明を使って撮った位置を検証したり、銃で撃たれた時ほんとうにあのように倒れるのか計算したり。「沢木氏、つぎは！つぎは何するの？！」という具合にあらゆる視点から隙を埋めていきます。それらをひとつずつ紡ぎつづけて荒縄にまでなってしまったようなガッチリした筆力に引き込まれました。
個人的にはキャパの写真に限らずドキュメンタリー写真や戦争写真についていつも煮え切らない気持ちが残ります。真実かそうでないか、の二極で語り始めてちょっとケンカっぽくなるというか両者譲らぬ、という空気にしてしまうのがよくないよなあ、と思うのですがふさわしい態度が分かりません。「崩れ落ちる兵士」についてもう一度考えてみます。反ファシストにとっては正義の主張を代弁するものであったかもしれないし、掲載した雑誌『ライフ』にとっては一大スクープだったでしょう。時代が進むにつれてジャーナリズムのアイコンになったり平和への祈りに通じるものにもなります。ロールシャッハテストのように見る人によってそれぞれに意味のある形が浮かび上がってくるものであり、「こうあってほしい」という思いが一枚の写真を変える、というのが真実なのかなと今のところは結論づけておきたいと思います。沢木氏は後書きで、今も「崩れ落ちる兵士」に関する検証作業を進めているしこれから新しい資料が発見されて反証されればそれに越したことはない、と書いています。
この本を読みながら高校生の時に父と話したユージン・スミスのことを思い出しました。彼も写真家集団マグナムに属しキャパと同じ年代に戦争や社会問題を取り上げた写真を撮りました。その時は水俣病の被害者を撮った写真について話しました。「あれはもしかして少しポーズを取ってもらったかもしれないがそれでも写真の価値は変わらない」と言った父に「ちょっとでもそんなことをしたら真実じゃない！やらせだ！むーっ！」と反発したものです。この本を読み終わった今だったら、うーん、「それは残された写真からしか判断できないよね」と濁してしまうかな。
I have read a book "Capa's Cross" by non-fiction writer, Kotaro Sawaki.
I didn't resist to buy this book after watched the TV Programme in NHK. That is about Robert Capa's famous photo; "The Falling Soldier" he had taken in Spanish Civil War. Everyone believes that photo caught the moment of death, though, from the data covering by Sawaki, it might have been faked. Over more, he said this photo might not have taken by Capa. I was shocked to fall. Because I was one of those who believes that photo was by Capa, and the soldier was falling to die. Incidentally, my late-dad was a photographer. I remember there was a book by Capa, " Slightly Out of Focus" in his bookshelves. I'm convinced he admired Capa, so if he had known this, I thought he would be shocked.
I didn't resist buying this book after watched the TV Programme in NHK. That is about Robert Capa's famous "The Falling Soldier" he had taken in Spanish Civil War. Everyone believes that photo caught the moment of death, however, from the data covering by Sawaki, it might have been faked. Moreover, he said this photo might not have taken by Capa. I was shocked to fall. Because I was one of those who believes that photo was by Capa, and the soldier was falling to die. Incidentally, my late-dad was a photographer. I remember there was a book by Capa, " Slightly Out of Focus" in his bookshelves. I'm convinced he admired Capa, so if he had known this, I thought he would be shocked.
The book did not blame that Capa's "The Falling Soldier" was totally fake. What moved me was crossing of Sawaki's sympathy to Capa's life and search for truth. He had a long journey; was that fake? If so, how could we verify this? It is Sawaki's tough soul as a journalist. It goes without saying that he visited the village where that photo was believed to taken. He bought a small-sized human model and lighting equipment to simulate the point where photographer took that photo. Also, he researched if it had been possible that the soldier had fallen like that posture when he had been shot. He calculated the speed and trajectory of riffles when soldiers had used while The Civil War. Sawaki investigates every possible evidence. Those investigation and contemplation drew me in.
Personally, I falter out to say documentary photo including Capa's works' meanings and values. Is it true of fake? Is it just peep or not? I understand extreme argument is pointless, however, I still don't find appropriate approach for those documentary photos. Let's see "The Falling Soldier" again. It has a voice of anti-fascists, and for "LIFE" which published the photo should have been a monumental scoop. Time goes by, it would become an icon of journalism, or symbol of pray for peace. It reminds me of Rorschach test. One image draws different meanings by different testees. We also expect what we want see in photos. In a postscript, Sawaki wrote he was still investigating this subject, and if we would discover a new source, he will be happy to overturn his statement.
While I read this book, I recalled what my dad and I talked when I was a high school student. It was about Eugene Smith, who is also a photographer, a member of the Magnum, and took photos of war and social issues. We talked about one of his famous piece of works about patients and mothers of pollution disease in Minamata, Japan. My dad said if Smith asked them to take pose, the value as photo never changes. When I heard this, I objected to say if you asked so even once, it ruined everything, it was not a documentary! Now after I read this book, what do I say to him? I might say what I can conclude is only from the image in photos.
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