Visions of Light: The Art of Cinematography DVD, 1992

The history of cinema ennobles, even fetishizes, the names of films’ directors and stars while undervaluing other important contributors, so it’s refreshing to see a documentary celebrating those who do so much for the look of a film but whose work is often forgotten about later, the cinematographers. Visions of Light in fact provides an alternative history of names – Karl Struss, Gregg Toland, John Alton, James Wong Howe, Vilmos Zsigmond, and appraises their contributions to the look of films. Plenty of clips are shown to illustrate technique, and there are also a number of nuggets to found here, with the special ways of lighting the stars (Marlene Dietrich from on high because of her cheekbones, Claudette Colbert from one side), being just one.

Though this can only serve as the briefest of introductions to cinematography, the subject of which could fill a long-running series, the film’s primary, and lasting benefit, is to make you want to revisit some of the many films mentioned – Sunrise, Mamoulian’s Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, The Grapes of Wrath, Chinatown, McCabe and Mrs Miller – and watch them with new, more discerning, eyes.

Graeme Hobbs on 6th March 2006
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