• Latest
  • Trending
Ernest Cole: Lost and Found Review

Ernest Cole: Lost and Found Review – A Moving Tribute That Scratches The Surface

Hunt The Wicked Review

Hunt The Wicked Review: A Masterclass in Modern Mayhem

Girl on Edge Review

Girl on Edge Review: The Sharpest Blade Can’t Cut Through a Tangled Plot

Cattle Country Review

Cattle Country Review: Forging a Life on the Pixelated Frontier

The Girls We Want Review

The Girls We Want Review: Marseille’s Sun Can’t Hide a Fractured Story

Little Amélie or the Character of Rain Review

Little Amélie or the Character of Rain Review: Drawing the Shape of a Soul

Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale

Trailer Bids Farewell as “Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale” Sets September Release

5 hours ago
Spider-Man: No Way Home

Reddit Fan Art Forced Last-Minute Rewrite of “No Way Home,” Director Reveals

5 hours ago
Milton Hershey

Filming Wraps on Milton Hershey Biopic Starring Finn Wittrock

5 hours ago
Project Hail Mary

Trailer Launch Sends Ryan Gosling’s “Project Hail Mary” Into High Orbit

5 hours ago
2025 LMGI Awards

Record Submissions Drive Global Slate for 12th LMGI Awards

5 hours ago
Worth the Wait Review

Worth the Wait Review: Four Stories in Search of a Center

Spring Night Review

Spring Night Review: Two Ghosts Keeping Each Other Company

  • Home
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Gazettely Review Guidelines
Monday, June 30, 2025
GAZETTELY
  • Home
  • Movie and TV News
    Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale

    Trailer Bids Farewell as “Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale” Sets September Release

    Spider-Man: No Way Home

    Reddit Fan Art Forced Last-Minute Rewrite of “No Way Home,” Director Reveals

    Milton Hershey

    Filming Wraps on Milton Hershey Biopic Starring Finn Wittrock

    Project Hail Mary

    Trailer Launch Sends Ryan Gosling’s “Project Hail Mary” Into High Orbit

    2025 LMGI Awards

    Record Submissions Drive Global Slate for 12th LMGI Awards

    Scarlett Johansson

    Scarlett Johansson Says Hollywood’s “Male-Gaze” Era Is Fading

    Rob McElhenney

    Rob McElhenney Files to Become ‘Rob Mac,’ Citing Global Tongue-Twisters

    Russell Crowe

    Russell Crowe, Barbie Ferreira Honoured at Valletta’s Golden Bees

    Vin Diesel

    Fast X: Part 2 Promises L.A. Street Races and Brian’s Return

  • Movie and TV Reviews
    Hunt The Wicked Review

    Hunt The Wicked Review: A Masterclass in Modern Mayhem

    Girl on Edge Review

    Girl on Edge Review: The Sharpest Blade Can’t Cut Through a Tangled Plot

    The Girls We Want Review

    The Girls We Want Review: Marseille’s Sun Can’t Hide a Fractured Story

    Little Amélie or the Character of Rain Review

    Little Amélie or the Character of Rain Review: Drawing the Shape of a Soul

    Worth the Wait Review

    Worth the Wait Review: Four Stories in Search of a Center

    Spring Night Review

    Spring Night Review: Two Ghosts Keeping Each Other Company

    Love on the Danube: Love Song Review

    Love on the Danube: Love Song Review: A Voyage into the Comfort Zone

    Mama Review

    Mama Review: A Home Built on Shifting Sands

    No One Will Know Review

    No One Will Know Review: Trapped in a Looping Nightmare

  • Game Reviews
    Cattle Country Review

    Cattle Country Review: Forging a Life on the Pixelated Frontier

    Nice Day for Fishing Review

    Nice Day for Fishing Review: Casting a Strategic Spell

    Front Mission 3: Remake Review

    Front Mission 3: Remake Review: Come for the Mechs, Not the Makeover

    System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster Review

    System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster Review: Still the King of Sci-Fi Horror

    SAEKO: Giantess Dating Sim Review

    SAEKO: Giantess Dating Sim Review: Anxiety in Pixel Form

    Islands & Trains Review

    Islands & Trains Review: A Minimalist Escape

    PaperKlay Review

    PaperKlay Review: Fun, Flawed, and Full of Heart

    Projected Dreams Review

    Projected Dreams Review: Illuminating a Beautiful Story

    Tom Clancy's The Division 2: Battle for Brooklyn Review

    Tom Clancy’s The Division 2: Battle for Brooklyn Review: A Nostalgic But Flawed Homecoming

  • The Bests
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Movie and TV News
    Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale

    Trailer Bids Farewell as “Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale” Sets September Release

    Spider-Man: No Way Home

    Reddit Fan Art Forced Last-Minute Rewrite of “No Way Home,” Director Reveals

    Milton Hershey

    Filming Wraps on Milton Hershey Biopic Starring Finn Wittrock

    Project Hail Mary

    Trailer Launch Sends Ryan Gosling’s “Project Hail Mary” Into High Orbit

    2025 LMGI Awards

    Record Submissions Drive Global Slate for 12th LMGI Awards

    Scarlett Johansson

    Scarlett Johansson Says Hollywood’s “Male-Gaze” Era Is Fading

    Rob McElhenney

    Rob McElhenney Files to Become ‘Rob Mac,’ Citing Global Tongue-Twisters

    Russell Crowe

    Russell Crowe, Barbie Ferreira Honoured at Valletta’s Golden Bees

    Vin Diesel

    Fast X: Part 2 Promises L.A. Street Races and Brian’s Return

  • Movie and TV Reviews
    Hunt The Wicked Review

    Hunt The Wicked Review: A Masterclass in Modern Mayhem

    Girl on Edge Review

    Girl on Edge Review: The Sharpest Blade Can’t Cut Through a Tangled Plot

    The Girls We Want Review

    The Girls We Want Review: Marseille’s Sun Can’t Hide a Fractured Story

    Little Amélie or the Character of Rain Review

    Little Amélie or the Character of Rain Review: Drawing the Shape of a Soul

    Worth the Wait Review

    Worth the Wait Review: Four Stories in Search of a Center

    Spring Night Review

    Spring Night Review: Two Ghosts Keeping Each Other Company

    Love on the Danube: Love Song Review

    Love on the Danube: Love Song Review: A Voyage into the Comfort Zone

    Mama Review

    Mama Review: A Home Built on Shifting Sands

    No One Will Know Review

    No One Will Know Review: Trapped in a Looping Nightmare

  • Game Reviews
    Cattle Country Review

    Cattle Country Review: Forging a Life on the Pixelated Frontier

    Nice Day for Fishing Review

    Nice Day for Fishing Review: Casting a Strategic Spell

    Front Mission 3: Remake Review

    Front Mission 3: Remake Review: Come for the Mechs, Not the Makeover

    System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster Review

    System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster Review: Still the King of Sci-Fi Horror

    SAEKO: Giantess Dating Sim Review

    SAEKO: Giantess Dating Sim Review: Anxiety in Pixel Form

    Islands & Trains Review

    Islands & Trains Review: A Minimalist Escape

    PaperKlay Review

    PaperKlay Review: Fun, Flawed, and Full of Heart

    Projected Dreams Review

    Projected Dreams Review: Illuminating a Beautiful Story

    Tom Clancy's The Division 2: Battle for Brooklyn Review

    Tom Clancy’s The Division 2: Battle for Brooklyn Review: A Nostalgic But Flawed Homecoming

  • The Bests
No Result
View All Result
GAZETTELY
No Result
View All Result
Ernest Cole: Lost and Found Review

The Apprentice Review: Dissecting Trump's Development from Protégé to Predator

Santosh Review: A Gripping Debut

Home Entertainment Movies

Ernest Cole: Lost and Found Review – A Moving Tribute That Scratches The Surface

Peck Pays Homage But Plays It Safe

Naser Nahandian by Naser Nahandian
1 year ago
in Entertainment, Movies, Reviews
Reading Time: 7 mins read
A A
0
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on PinterestShare on WhatsAppShare on Telegram

Ernest Cole spent his early years witnessing the brutal realities of apartheid rule in South Africa. As racism saturated his community, Cole saw his powerful gift for photography as a way to expose the injustices of this system. Behind the lens, he captured raw portraits of people facing oppression and segregation, creating pictures that brought apartheid’s cruelty into the harsh light of day.

Cole’s unflinching images were a threat to the government. His landmark book, House of Bondage, showed the world apartheid as it truly was, with all its ugliness laid bare. But this rebellious act forced Cole into a life of exile, separated from his homeland. Later travels across America and Europe showed him that racism was a global problem with no easy answers.

Filmmaker Raoul Peck’s documentary Ernest Cole: Lost and Found honors this unsung hero by sharing his remarkable story. Through vivid photographs and Cole’s own words, conveyed by the talented LaKeith Stanfield, we learn the depth of Cole’s contributions as well as the personal costs of his lifelong battle against injustice.

Decades after Cole’s death, Peck has ensured this crucial part of anti-apartheid history can no longer be forgotten. The film stands as a tribute to all those who fought oppression through the power of their art.

Cole’s Powerful Lens

Ernest Cole grew up in Pretoria during the rise of apartheid, a time when the government actively worked to strip black citizens of basic rights and dignity. He bore witness as authorities demolished his neighborhood to make way for whites. Traumas like the Sharpeville massacre, where many protestors lost their lives challenging racist pass laws, left deep scars.

Ernest Cole: Lost and Found Review

It was amid this climate of fear and oppression that Cole discovered his gift for photography. Capturing raw moments through his lens soon became a way to process the injustice all around him. He got his start sweeping floors at a Johannesburg studio, determined to learn the craft. Cole’s unflinching photographs impressed editors at DRUM magazine, one of the few publications giving a platform to black voices.

On assignment for newspapers and DRUM, Cole relentlessly sought to expose the unvarnished truths that others tried to hide. He photographed the daily indignities black people endured. His portraits showed domestic workers and miners bowing under the heavy demands of racist employers. Faces worn with sadness and defiance conveyed the relentless subjugation of apartheid rule.

Readers could now see how the system touched every aspect of African lives through his images of segregated neighborhoods and the restrictive passbooks police wielded to strip people of dignity. Cole knew that putting these untold stories in the harsh light of his camera could help the global struggle. Though threatened constantly, his work was gaining the attention needed to reveal apartheid for what it was. Little did he know how pivotal his pictures would soon become.

The Photographs That Changed His Life

Cole’s career reached new heights with 1967’s release of House of Bondage. The book gathered over a decade of his most powerful apartheid-era images. By eschewing pity for raw honesty, these unvarnished portraits laid bare the daily degradation South Africa’s racist system inflicted. Unsurprisingly, House of Bondage was promptly banned in his homeland.

Ernest Cole: Lost and Found Review

But the impact internationally was undeniable. Cole’s searing photographs shone a light on issues the world could no longer ignore. Practically overnight, he became renowned, though fame came at great personal cost. Declared a threat by the apartheid government, Cole had no choice but to seek asylum in America.

Leaving his country and family forever wasn’t easy, yet staying meant certain imprisonment or worse. In New York, Cole encountered a new kind of disillusionment. Despite the city’s vibrancy and promise of freedom, the photographer soon spotted unsettling similarities between America and the oppressive reality in which he fled. Racism persisted, and as a foreign black man, navigating this new landscape wasn’t simple.

Plans to document the American South ended darkly when editors dismissed Cole’s unflinching images as lacking “edge.” It frustrated him to see even allies minimize the racism still plaguing black communities. Cole realized no place could truly shelter him from societies rigidly determined to silence his voice. Through his lens, he kept bearing witness, though the loneliness of exile would weigh heavily in the years ahead.

Photographing America’s Injustices Abroad

After House of Bondage thrust Cole into the spotlight, opportunities arose. A Ford Foundation grant allowed him to capture black communities across the U.S. What he found was disheartening—even abroad, racism denied many a fair chance.

Ernest Cole: Lost and Found Review

In the bustling streets of New York, he’d happily snapped interracial couples showing affection. But the American South mirrored the oppression of his homeland. Poverty and neglect were woven into the lives of Southern blacks, just as they had been in apartheid-era South Africa.

Cole presented these portraits to editors, hoping their impact could inspire change. Yet some dismissed his work as too soft, claiming it “lacked edge.” They failed to see what Cole knew—injustice comes in many forms, not all as obvious as the signs reading “White Only.”

Financial struggles soon followed. Grants dried up, and publishers lost interest in histories too troubling to share. Periods of homelessness left Cole adrift, homesick for the family and friends kept distant by geography and politics.

Where could a man find refuge when even his allies denied the realities he captured? Cole continued shooting, chasing the sun through Sweden, Denmark, and England—always an outsider looking within. But no place could quell his longing for a South Africa not yet free.

His talent remained, though opportunities and health faded. To the end, Cole’s camera bore witness, ensuring those whom society forgot would be seen. If only for a glimpse, his photographs provided a space where all people were equal.

Bringing Cole’s Story to Light

With Ernest Cole’s Lost and Found, filmmaker Raoul Peck took on the challenge of honoring an unsung pioneer through his pictures. To craft Cole’s story, Peck pored through writings and interviews, piecing together a script that echoes the photographer’s own words.

In bringing this to the screen, Peck enlisted actor Lakeith Stanfield to interpret Cole’s voice. Stanfield recites with nuanced empathy, transporting audiences to feel what Cole endured. His narration reflects the hope, hurt, and humanity of a man who bore witness to injustice through his lens.

This lens also connects viewers directly to Cole’s legacy. After decades were lost, thousands of the photographer’s negatives resurfaced. In showcasing these, viewers glimpse both Cole’s artistic evolution and South Africa’s turbulent past.

We watch his shots shift from protest scenes to portraits of everyday struggles. Through his photos, Cole ensured those whom racism rendered invisible would be seen. In sharing this trove, Peck breathes new life into narratives that systemic prejudice has denied.

By blending images, script, and historical context, Peck forges a multifaceted tribute. His direction interweaves Cole’s experience with global currents of oppression. And in restoring Cole’s works to their rightful place, Peck helps begin reversing racial erasures the photographer fought against in life.

With empathy and careful reconstruction, Peck has brought Ernest Cole and his contributions stunningly into focus. In doing so, he pays homage to an activist spirit that refused to be forgotten and ensures future generations may discover this influential, yet too long-lost, artist.

Capturing Apartheid’s Human Toll

Ernest Cole’s photographs laid bare the brutal human impacts of apartheid. With unflinching precision, his lens captured how the system saturated daily life in South Africa.

Central to Cole’s style was his focus on faces, letting expressions speak where words could not. He honed in on the looks of sadness, disdain, but also defiance on the faces of his subjects. Be it questioning children, women in servitude, or protestors fighting an oppressive state, Cole ensured these emotions could not be ignored.

Again and again, his photos depicted subjugation’s many forms. Whether it was racist segregation signs or the indignity of forced labor, Cole showed how apartheid rendered humans merely as coldly categorized objects. Yet amid these unvarnished realities, flickers of humanity also shone through.

Protest photos showed defiant stances against oppression. Some images from overseas later displayed newfound intimacies, as Cole observed relationships publicly denied in his homeland. Throughout, his photos bore witness to resilience in the face of injustice.

When Cole turned his lens on displacement and poverty, viewers faced hardship’s raw consequences. Some images charted protest movements; others showed quieter losses, like one man’s mental decline amid forced exile. Together, these themes comprised a scathing photographic indictment of apartheid’s cruel experiment.

By unearthing Cole’s works from decades of neglect, Lost and Found ensures recognition for an impact that continues to guide global conscience. His style’s power lay in revealing shared humanity beneath the surface of political conflicts. A style as vital today as when Cole first deployed his camera against the inhumanity of racism.

Seeking Answers in Cole’s Archives

When Ernest Cole’s massive cache of negatives reemerged in that Swedish bank vault, more questions arose than answers. How did they end up locked away with no records? And what other lost works might still surface?

These archives held stories beyond the photos themselves. But Peck showed little curiosity about unraveling the details. He saw the ordeal as just one more injustice against an artist denied recognition.

While honoring Cole’s mission, fully exploring issues around his estate could offer richer insight. The legal battle between his heirs and the Hasselblad Foundation over print ownership also hinted at untold complexities.

Sometimes resolving mysteries enhances appreciation for an icon’s legacy. Getting to the bottom of things surrounding his archives may have deepened his understanding of the obstacles facing even acclaimed black creatives.

Peck opted instead to focus solely on tribute through Cole’s compelling life and images. But dedicating more energy to navigating the archives’ intrigues could have paid homage in another impactful way.

Respectfully engaging questions left open, like seeking who preserved that Swedish collection, might have furthered Cole’s fight against erasure. Overall, Peck showed reverence, though a touch less caution may have cast his subject’s full memory in a brighter light.

The Review

Ernest Cole: Lost and Found

7 Score

While Peck crafted a moving portrait of Cole and his important work, Lost and Found may have better honored his subject's legacy by embracing a more inquisitive style. Fully exploring intriguing archive mysteries and legal disputes could have deepened insight into Cole's compelling story and the challenges black artists still face. Overall, the film serves as a worthwhile tribute, but one that overlooks opportunities to further illuminate the political struggles at its core.

PROS

  • Features thousands of Cole's previously unseen photos, preserving his invaluable documentation of apartheid.
  • Provides compelling insight into Cole's difficult life and career through script, voiceover, and interviews.
  • Succeeds in bringing greater recognition to this influential yet unsung photographer.

CONS

  • Fails to fully explore the intriguing mysteries surrounding the rediscovery of Cole's archives.
  • Could have engaged more critically with the systemic challenges black artists faced.
  • An overly reverential approach limits opportunities for deeper analysis.

Review Breakdown

  • Overall 0
Tags: 2024 Cannes Film FestivalDocumentaryErnest Cole: Lost and FoundFeaturedLaKeith StanfieldRaoul Peck
Previous Post

The Apprentice Review: Dissecting Trump’s Development from Protégé to Predator

Next Post

Santosh Review: A Gripping Debut

Try AI Movie Recommender

Gazettely AI Movie Recommender

This Week's Top Reads

  • Smoke Review

    Smoke Review: The Year’s Most Unpredictable and Unsettling Show

    7 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • The Sound Review: A Long Way Down

    1 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Love Island USA Season 7 Review: Summer’s Hottest Guilty Pleasure Returns

    1 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Mix Tape Review: A Story Told on Two Sides of a Cassette

    1 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Boglands Review: Shadows and Whispers in the Irish Mist

    2 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Please Don’t Feed the Children Review: Destry Spielberg’s Ambitious but Flawed Debut

    1 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • She’s Got No Name Review: A Moving Tale of Empathy and Survival

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0

Must Read Articles

Heads of State Review
Movies

Heads of State Review: Elba and Cena Carry the Ticket

2 days ago
Squid Game Season 3 Review
Entertainment

Squid Game Season 3 Review: No Happy Endings Here

3 days ago
Love Island USA Season 7 Review
Entertainment

Love Island USA Season 7 Review: Summer’s Hottest Guilty Pleasure Returns

4 days ago
The Bear Season 4 Review
Entertainment

The Bear Season 4 Review: A Contemplative, Cathartic Final Course

4 days ago
Surviving Ohio State Review
Movies

Surviving Ohio State Review: The Weight of Witness

4 days ago
Loading poll ...
Coming Soon
Who is the best director in the horror thriller genre?

Gazettely is your go-to destination for all things gaming, movies, and TV. With fresh reviews, trending articles, and editor picks, we help you stay informed and entertained.

© 2021-2024 All Rights Reserved for Gazettely

What’s Inside

  • Movie & TV Reviews
  • Game Reviews
  • Featured Articles
  • Latest News
  • Editorial Picks

Quick Links

  • Home
  • About US
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise with Us
  • Review Guidelines

Follow Us

Facebook X-twitter Youtube Instagram
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Movies
  • Entertainment News
  • Movie and TV Reviews
  • TV Shows
  • Game News
  • Game Reviews
  • Contact Us

© 2024 All Rights Reserved for Gazettely

Go to mobile version