Professional Voyeur: The Life and Work of Photographer Helmut Newton

He photographed movie stars and heads of state. His photos were a mainstay of Vogue, the legendary fashion magazine. His work was often controversial—he referred to himself as a “professional voyeur.”

“He was a little bit pervert, but so am I,” singer Grace Jones, one of his subjects, says in the film, noting that he was “never vulgar.”

He was Helmut Newton (1920-2004), one of the 20th century’s most famous photographers. In Helmut Newton: The Bad and the Beautiful, German filmmaker Gero von Boehm tells the story of Newton’s life through his work. It’s a fascinating new documentary which will stream at Denver Film’s Sie Film Center’s virtual cinema beginning July 24.

The Weimer era, those years between the World Wars which saw unprecedented artistic freedom in Germany, became a major influence on Newton’s style. The Berlin native, who was Jewish, was forced to flee his homeland when the Nazis rose to power, yet he remained a staunch admirer of Leni Riefenstahl, the famed, German director who made propaganda films.

Newton primarily photographed women, often in the nude—he felt that he was celebrating the power of women by doing so. In one particularly stunning shot, a fully nude Grace Jones is seen lying down naked in what appears to be a factory loft, holding a knife.

A number of Newton’s subjects appear in the film. Singer Marianne Faithful, supermodel Claudia Schiffer, and actresses Charlotte Rampling, Isabella Rossellini, and Hanna Schygulla all remember Newton fondly. But, not everyone was a fan of Newton’s highly stylized, erotically charged work. On a French talk show, the writer Susan Sontag accuses Newton of misogyny. Newton is unmoved. He continues clicking away with his camera, producing thousands and thousands of photos, many of which are seen in the film.

Also interviewed in the film is Vogue editor Anna Wintour, who recalls being afraid of Newton early in her career. But, she came to have a deep admiration for the photographer, and they worked together many times.

Viewers will also see Newton at work in fascinatingly candid archival footage that’s included in the film. As dark and as stylish as his work could be, Newton often comes across as a fun-loving guy who’s having a good time. His funny side could be most amusing—at one point he photographs a raw chicken in high heels. As Isabella Rossellini says in the film, “the photos were frightening, but there was always a sense of humor.”

At his side every step of the way was his wife June, who exerted a great deal of influence over his work. June, who was also known as Alice Springs, the pseudonym she used for her own photography career, is seen and heard extensively in the film.

Helmut Newton: The Bad and the Beautiful is a fascinating look at a most complex man. The film raises the question: was Newton really celebrating the power of women as he claimed? Or was he objectifying women? That’s for you, the viewer, to decide.

Helmut Newton: The Bad and the Beautiful is in English, German, and French, with English subtitles appearing when needed.