Eadweard

---

Go.

1.4.

1.4.

It wants to be faster.

Number three...

Three wants more distance.

Or something crawling under the wire.

Gentlemen and ladies,

the extraordinary,

the incomparable,

the father of photography,

I give you Mr. Eadweard Muybridge!

Thank you.

I don't really have much to say...

I only wanted to show you this.

Excuse me.

Excuse me.

This... is life.

Only to be repeated again

and again,

and again...

And again.

Thank you.

You just showed them magic.

I'm simply a photographer.

Well, I've dabbled,

and ask my wife,

my photos of our hounds

are definitely not magic.

Let me ask you something.

What made you think of using 12 cameras?

12 chances to win Stanford's bet.

- And all over a bet you've

discovered motion? - Discovered?

- Now, how do you discover something

that's always been? - True.

I'm just an amateur, but you know what

would make your images even better?

No, I don't.

The sound of the hooves.

Hooves?

Now, why would we need that?

That's life.

It's the opera.

"Neigh!"

Right, well...

I will think about it.

Tom.

Edison.

Edison.

And this is...

Flora.

Missus?

Flora.

I came to hire Mr. Muybridge

to take my portrait.

Ah, well, I only do horses.

Surely photographing a lady

is easier than a horse.

Indeed.

Or I could gallop, if that would

make you more comfortable.

You know, when I was little,

my father...

when I was little, my father taught

me how to use a pinhole camera.

I think my photos might

have rivalled these.

Where was this one?

North Alaska.

Really Alaska?

Or British Columbia.

I want to go there.

Let me see.

Yes, that's British Columbia.

I can smell the air there.

Those are chemicals.

It's so fresh.

Hmm.

That...

That right there, is now gone.

What is?

That moment. I missed it.

Everything slips by,

whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...

- I want to capture it,

before it's all gone. - Sit.

I...

Would like to see the in- between,

to see what's invisible.

I can't stop,

and it's never enough.

When is enough enough?

I couldn't tell you.

I always seem to want more.

Do you know what I mean?

Yes, I do.

Good.

If I could keep a camera on you, Flora,

for the rest of your life...

Yes, that's better.

I've decided

I'm not going to grow old.

It's repulsive.

Smile.

It's all right.

Eadweard?

It's done.

Hey, Eadweard, come here.

Magnesium.

I used too much magnesium.

Yes. Magnificent.

You're watching me.

I couldn't sleep.

Try harder.

I can't stop looking at you.

This line here, those lines there,

these lines...

You have good bones.

I can't stop looking at this line,

this line, these lines.

Stop. Stop...

Hello?

What are you doing?

Saying hello to my boy.

A boy?

Yes.

There's no one there.

You're as crazy as all get out.

Eadweard, I have to fess up,

after I saw you take those horse photos,

I travelled all the way

from San Francisco to here,

plotting different ways

to be alone with you,

and then I just came up and asked.

Is that strange?

Perhaps.

- Well, you're probably a bad

judge of strange. - Yes.

Where are we going next?

You are married.

I can marry again.

I was young, I was 16.

I can pick my life now, I know that.

You can?

Eadweard, I am the most

interesting person

you have ever met,

and I'm yours...

And you're all mine.

The end.

The end.

So white...

Mister clouds.

What is all this?

Why did it happen?

I didn't shave.

No...

What?

I hate that you make me ask.

Your hair.

Changing color, turning white?

Maybe you just got old instantly.

Perhaps.

I guess things happen.

Don't make much sense.

There was a boy

travelling with his

father on the stagecoach.

And that boy lost his father that day...

And that boy is all

that's left of that man.

Hey, easy, girl, easy!

I woke up...

Maybe days later.

I'd lost my sense of taste,

my smell, and sight.

But it all slowly came back...

Except the color of my hair.

I don't know if my mind

ever recovered, Flora.

But all I could think about

was that horse running,

that flying horse...

As if time stopped.

So, no, I do not know

why things happen.

Only God knows.

Yes.

I'd like to sit by the window, please.

Of course.

After you.

Thank you.

Yes.

Inside this book

you will only find what a word means.

With your hard- earned money, I know

what a dollar means in sweat and work,

I will create the world's

first encyclopedia of motion,

and show the actions beneath the words.

I intend to photograph animal locomotion

to discover how we move.

Animals running?

Yes, and walking, and jumping...

I will not only photograph horses,

and domestic animals, and wild beasts,

but people, like yourselves,

men and women

during their daily

activities and actions.

How much do you need, Muybridge?

$50,000.

- 50,000! Preposterous!

- Come on!

This is art, not science.

Eadweard... Where are you going?

To another university.

They'll only ask you the same questions.

No one knows what you're trying to do.

You need to show them.

If I get the money, I

could produce the photos.

If you produce the photos,

they'll give you your money.

Listen, I can give you apprentices,

and facilities to get it started,

so we can see the result.

Those photographs will be my photographs,

with my name on them.

They may be your photographs,

but this is my university,

my reputation,

so these photos will represent us.

Do I make myself clear?

Flora...

As I live and breathe.

Eadweard Muybridge.

What a thrill to finally

meet you in the flesh.

I've been awaiting...

Flora, you all right?

I'm fine, a bit flushed,

but Thomas kept me company...

Thomas Eakins.

The painter.

Thomas Eakins? I am the reason that the

university has heard about your husband.

Yes. Thank you.

Not at all.

I was just enlisting

Thomas's models for you.

Models?

Well, I don't need models, I need people.

Eadweard likes real real life.

And real life is ugly.

With the exception of Mrs.

Muybridge here.

Flora.

- Will you be posing for his cameras,

Flora? - Oh, quite definitely. - No.

- No? - Well, you come pose for

me if he won't let you.

Nice to meet you.

And you, sir.

I love the idea of being

in one of his paintings.

Oh, Flora, he is a man

who will only embellish.

- You're enough.

- You think he couldn't handle me?

My love, he wouldn't

know which way was up.

Stop.

Open.

What do you think?

Looks like a field, an old barn.

Yes.

But do you like it?

I love it.

Outside all day long...

I want to take the pictures myself.

Now, the actions are going

to be done out here.

Why do you need models

when you can photograph this?

Yes...

But can you pick up a 40- pound

Boulder and throw it? Or pole vault?

Yes, all of those things.

And a cartwheel, too!

Hmm.

I guess I don't need anyone else.

Come with me.

What are you going to make me do?

Stay.

I'm not one of your horses.

I know.

Now, when I say go,

I want you to walk slowly from

here to that far end there.

Are you ready?

Go!

- Like this?

- Yes, keep going!

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