A Life in Ten Pictures: John Lennon
The premise of this excellent BBC4 series is a to take just ten images from the life of a well-known figure to serve as a starting point to discuss various key events in that person’s story.
It is a great idea and the pictures – from iconic shots to private snaps – serve as fruitful prompts for conversation and investigation as well as emotional intensifiers. Pictures really do often speak louder than words. The images are discussed by experts, journalists as well as people close to the person, and in some cases the photographer.
There are several episodes available including Amy Winehouse, Muhammad Ali, Elizabeth Taylor, Freddie Mercury and Tupac Shakur. John Lennon’s is one of the most affecting. It includes images of the Beatles’ early days in Hamburg, a fascinating discussion on the price of fame and a lovely contribution from Mike McCartney (Paul’s brother) who shares a snapshot he took of the fledgling musicians when they were teenagers performing at a cousin’s wedding.