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Saturday, October 8, 2011

Flight of Refugees Across Wrecked Bridge in Korea

In the remarkable Newseum on Pennsylvania Ave. two photographs stand out from the rest: Faith and Confidence and Flight of Refugees Across Wrecked Bridge in Korea.  These exceptional images can be found in the Pulitzer Prize Photographs Gallery on the first floor.





Flight of Refugees Across Wrecked Bridge in Korea - Max Desfor
Associated Press photographer Max Desfor who was covering the Korean War took this photograph at a destroyed bridge over the Teadong River near Pyongyang, North Korea. "As a war corespondent, I was attached to a military unit," Desfor explained, "Whichever one I chose." The 187th Regiment, a group whose goal it was to liberate United Nation prisoners by parachuting deep into North Korea was the group Desfor chose.  On one such journey through North Korea, Desfor encountered hundreds of refugees crawling over the warped metal of the destroyed bridge.  "It was a fantastic sight," Desfor said, "All these people clambering over the girders and the broken girders were dipped down into the icy water."  Desfor only took a few shots of this "fantastic sight," his own fingers numbed by the frigid air.  The Pulitzer Prize winning shot encompasses the determination and desperation of the refugees successfully. 


This wide shot photograph was taken from a high angle.  A high angle is not as severe as a bird's eye view, but still makes the people being photographed seem to be swallowed up by their surroundings.  The bridge, at one point, towers above the rest of the objects in the photograph, rendering it intimidating, just as the photographer would want to portray to the viewer.  When the viewer first glances over this photograph, if he/she starts at the bottom he/she will feel as if he/she is in a godlike position, looking down onto the action, but as his/her eyes scan up the image, tracing the spokes of the bridge, he/she gradually reaches eye-level, bringing the viewer into the daunting scene.  The wide shot also initially gives the audience a feeling of godliness as if they are overseeing the flight of the refugees.


The concept of pattern was used expertly in this photograph.  Pattern repetition creates a sense of unity and structure.  The pattern in this photograph initially appears to be a supporting element to the movement of the people.  This could cause a distraction from the flight, which may overwhelm the viewer.  However, this pattern was interrupted, making it an important focal point of the image, strengthening the image and making it more interesting.  The interrupted pattern (the broken and bent spokes) enhances the chaos of the scene.  When looking upon the image, the viewer can feel the instability of the bridge and the imminent danger of possible collapse.  The asymmetry and the random placement of people emphasizes this sense of chaos, interrupts the calmness of the normalsy of the bridge over the river, and draws the viewers eye to the photograph.


A high depth of field is used in this photograph in order to allow the viewer to see that the movement of refugees is everywhere: on the bridge (in the foreground) and off (in the background).  Cleverly, the horizon line did not divide the work in half, but is positioned very high in the photograph, bringing the emphasis to the bridge.  Interestingly, the horizon line is still emphasized.  Besides the line where the sky appears to touch the ground, there is a line of houses parallel along with a row of people.  Horizontal lines (such as a horizon) create a feeling of tranquility and calmness, which is not at all what the photographer is trying to portray.  The emphasis of this horizon and repetition of horizontal lines in the background changes the "flight" into a "migration".  While this calms the anxiety the viewer feels from the breaking bridge, it does convey the reality that this flight is being taken place everywhere for refugees.  Conveying this reality is important even if it detracts from the main message.


Overall, the author adeptly conveys the "desperation- and determination- of the refugees' flight".  This piece is visually interesting online, but emotionally captivating in person.  The instability emanating from the image is what initially draws the viewer in.  The incredible detail put into the photograph never ceases to amaze.  The only thing this piece of art is missing is a face.  Each body, every spoke, every minute detail makes one appreciate the photograph even more, but as one admires all the pieces present, he/she craves the vision of strength, drive, terror in one person's face in order to fully understand the idea of "flight".

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