As I read Richard Whelanās discussion of Capaās photograph of a āDeath of a Loyalist Soldierā I recall the controversy around the Moon Landing. I donāt doubt the fact that the Moon landingĀ wasn’tĀ staged since the evidence presented in the video of the mission has a clue that was impossible to counterfeit – trajectory of the dust in vacuum.
I donāt put my faith in human words; people lie, evidenceĀ doesn’tĀ Unfortunately, I canāt see substantial evidence in Capaās photographs that would prove that the picture of a fallen soldier is not a fake. Also, I have no reason not to believe him. Therefore I tend to believe that the pictureĀ isn’tĀ staged. It is too different from any other picture of the same theme that were photographed or painted at the same time. ItĀ isn’tĀ informative enough to be considered for staging, unless Capa had too much time and material to spare to see what will fly as āawesomeā in media.
Regardless of the authenticity of the picture, it benefited the society, so itĀ doesn’tĀ really matter if it was real. It provided people, who were far from the war, the window at the horror of the war. Picture shows the person who expresses signs of life, and yet might not be alive at the moment. It is more repulsive that Dadaism, but it makes you think. You feel for a soldier, who is not going to enjoy last rays of the setting sun. Natural reaction of the person seeing this famous photograph was to hate the war, and that is what was important.
