-Written by Kyle Bain.
George Platt Lynes is a relatively unknown photographer who made his temporary fortune photographing risque and fully nude pictures of men. While his work was heavily criticized (even illegal), he continued to work on what he was passionate about. Now, nearly seventy years after Lynes’ death, Writer-Director Sam Shahid attempts to bring his story to life. Through his works of art and testimonials from those that know him and his work so well, Lynes’ legacy lives on in Hidden Master: The Legacy of George Platt Lynes.
George Platt Lynes is a name that I was completely unfamiliar with, and it honestly makes sense why his work and his legacy would elude me. He and his art don’t run in the same pop culture circles as me, and even to some of those that have spent a lifetime studying art, his art is obscure or unknown. It’s obvious Shahid’s goal with Hidden Master: The Legacy of George Platt Lynes. So, the following questions arise:
Is he successful in making people aware of Lynes’ work? Yes.
Is he successful in ushering in a new era of fans? I’m not so sure.
The reality of Hidden Master: The Legacy of George Platt Lynes is that for more than an hour and a half viewers are subjected to photos of nude men. If that’s up your alley, and you consider that art (in any way shape or form) then you’ll likely appreciate what Lynes created throughout the course of his career. For viewers like me who don’t consider staring at naked men for hours a form of entertainment, I doubt that they will be convinced of the allure of the art (maybe even Hidden Master: The Legacy of George Platt Lynes as a whole). This is not a film that will alter previously formed opinions on art, and you’ll likely leave your viewing with the same mindset with which you entered. Does that mean that Hidden Master: The Legacy of George Platt Lynes is a failure? Most certainly not. Though, I’m not entirely sure that Shahid is quite as successful as he would have hoped when developing the film.
Hidden Master: The Legacy of George Platt Lynes does a wonderful job of being honest, rather than trying to make Pratt look a particular way. Viewers get the full scope of Lynes’ life from birth to death–and that’s where the glamor of the film lies. Given the fact that Lynes ran the risk of becoming a fugitive, taking the photos that he did during a time that not only struggled to accept homosexuality, but hated it–viewers do get an interesting story. Lynes’ life was intriguing, and Shahid, along with Co-Writers Matthew Kraus and John MacConnell, showcases that well. Lynes’ life is on display much like his art, and the world, maybe for the first time ever, gets an in-depth look at a unique and passionate artist.
Watch Hidden Master: The Legacy of George Platt Lynes with an open mind. Without an open mind you’ll likely find yourself dreading every second of a sexually-explicit film. If you tend to enjoy art of this nature, then you’ll appreciate what Lynes developed throughout his life. If you don’t tend to like this sort of thing, then you’ll likely continue to feel that way by the film’s conclusion. Hidden Master: The Legacy of George Platt Lynes is interesting, there’s no doubt about that–but it will cater to a smaller audience.
Directed by Sam Shahid.
Written by Matthew Kraus, John MacConnell, & Sam Shahid.
Starring Vince Aletti, Don Bachardy, Vincent Cianni, Robin Cooper, John Connolly, etc.
6/10 = WATCH IT FOR FREE
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