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Spectre Cinematography
I would post this in the Bond 24 news update thread but if anyone has been to that recently you would know how chaotic and off-track it really has gone. Plus I thought this topic more than needed it's own thread, so hopefully the thread-locking nazis' can chill out.
the notion of Hoytema photographing Bond 24 is hugely exciting for me and the more I explore his work the more excited I am about Bond 24. I really can't wait for this film now.
the notion of Hoytema photographing Bond 24 is hugely exciting for me and the more I explore his work the more excited I am about Bond 24. I really can't wait for this film now.
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It was Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy that really made me take notice of him because I recognized his name in the credits from Let the Right One In. Ever since then, I've been in love with his work, and I think he'll be really great for Bond.
When I predicted back in 2012 that Bond will become bigger on other Oscar-worthy aspects, like cinematography, certain people in here called me crazy :-). Look where we are now, with such wunderful appreciation topics. "Skyfall" really created a new benchmark for Bond films.
He also worked on a nice Swedish film on childhood. Great pale tones :
Interstellar already looks good ! Now that Roger Deakins has shown how far they can go in directing the photography for a Bond film, I'm sure Hoyte will deliver something nice for Bond 24. He really manages to create a different tone for each of his films !
Oh, and I forgot his discreet work on "the fighter"
Can we find similar stunning images from cinematographer Phil Meheux ("Casino Royale") and Roberto Schaeffer ("Quantum Of Solace")? In my opinion, Deakins work for "Skyfall" and also van Hoytema's recent work both outperform Meheux & Schaeffer.
http://www.007james.com/i/articles/top_10_quotes/casino_royale_torture.jpg
http://images.static-bluray.com/reviews/1144_5.jpg
There are many beautiful shots in both films. Top end cinematography.
Still, they are shots. What counts is the overall impression of the entire cinematography. Already during its first screenings back in 2012, "Skyfall" was unanimously praised for its beautiful imagery. Not just a few images, but the entire way it was filmed (digitally, partially IMAX) together with Deakins breathtaking "still life" approach, made "Skyfall" stand out.
"Casino Royale" and "Quantum Of Solace" had some wunderful shots as well, but the overall cinematography wasn't seen as groundbreaking as that from "Skyfall".
History will prove who will be right. But I think where "Thunderball" was praised for its visual/special effects and "Goldfinger" for its sound, "Skyfall" will most likely continuously be remembered for it's entire cinematography.
Will Hoyte van Hoytema equal Deakins wunderful work for "Skyfall"? Time will tell. But one thing is for sure. Barbara & Michael want to continue that visual quality that was set as a standard in "Skyfall".
I've no doubt, because on top of his work the Deakins' name carries clout. He did a marvellous job, but I don't think SF's cinematography has ever been referred to as 'groundbreaking', because it isn't. It's just very, very good. There are some beautifully lensed films in the canon, SF being one of them.
Bond 24 will be shot on film.
How do you know?
Edit: Well now I understood, he hardly has experience with that format.
Of Van Hoytema's previous work, I have only seen Tinker Tailer which was amazing (it is that movie that gives me great hope for B24, because he is capable of creating a dark thriller).
Interstellar is a visual masterpiece. Truly stunning to look at in every way. Van Hoytema appears to take time to properly frame shots and scenes (like the great David Lean). That was something Bond movies used to do so in the 60's/70's (all the way up to For Your Eyes Only in my estimation, when John Glen took over). Looks like we could be going back to grand, sweeping framing shots, which I love.
I think it has his visual stamp on it, more than Nolan's, but I'm not sure due to my unfamiliarity with his previous work.
thanks for your comments. I like the comment "take time to properly frame shots and scènes like the great David Lean". SF is a tough film to top visually and I am sure Van Hoytema is aware of this, so I think we will be getting a great looking film.
Also lets not forget that YOLT was shot by the great Freddie Young who won 3 oscars for photographing David Lean's Lawrence Of Arabia, Doctor Zhivago and Ryan's Daughter.
Here are some of my thoughts on my of the shots:
This shot is beautifully composed. The festival looks vibrant and it seems Mendes wants to give the Mexico City scenes a warm golden glow. I really feel the pre-titles sequence set during the Day of the Dead will unquestionably be Spectre's best sequence. It's new and original but also totally Bondian, and also thematically ties into the film.
This shot really defines great cinematography for me. As we see Bond set up his rifle, the camera slowly moves over his shoulder just as we see Sciarra in the window. The shot is elegantly composed and perfectly articulates the moment for the audience.
Here we have the first shot I'm not overly enthused about. The colours seem off and Craig's face is overly whited out and slightly smoothed over. I imagine there are going to be a number of scenes set in M's office, so I guess Hoyte wanted to show some variation when filming these scenes hence why these shots don;t match what we've seen in the videoblogs. But to me these shots owe direct comparison to Deakins' work in the final scene of SF and they fall well short.
What I think is noticeable about both these shots is the amount of grain that has been placed on them. It gives them a much richer and filmic look.
This is another of those standout shots. For me this is great 'action' movie photography, everything is there for you in the frame with no editing required. You have Bond chasing after Hinx as he escapes in his SUV. It's a very sophisticated and I imagine difficult shot to capture in a single frame and it looks stunning.
Same issue here as before. Craig's face looks too smoothed over and a little unusual.
These are some great 'beauty' shots, but notice the symmetry and the use of the Kubrick 'one-point perspective'.
I remember when the teaser was released a few people were concerned that the film didn't seem to have much colour contrast from location to location, even the Austria scenes having a slighty ochre hue, as opposed to a crisp white. I have to hold my hands up and say that I was convinced it was purely the limited shot selection in the teaser that gave that impression and the full trailer would prove otherwise. Turns out I was wrong. There seems to be a visual consistency across all locations with ochre and browns the dominant colours. What I've always loved is when locations have a very distinct contrast and palette from location to location. One that is evocative of the place itself. We've yet to see Morocco scenes, so hopefully they'll provide some great contrast with the solid blue skies.
To some extents Hoyte has really channelled Deakins. This is not a million mile away from the grade in SF, which is obviously great and works for the tone of the film there, but I thought there would be a bit more contrast and colour in SP.
For me the orange/brown almost sepia tones of Rome (SPECTRE meeting, villa, car chase) fit them perfectly to give those locations a more old world, European feel and slightly different from Mexico.
The London scenes look more natural in tone. Not seeing nearly the orange or yellow cast seen elsewhere. Deakin's London interiors were exquisite in SF I thought.
The wild card from what I've seen is Austria. Perhaps they can finalize the color with a bit more of a cool hue such as a bluer sky and whiter snow. Snow looks a tiny bit yellow/green on my screen.
The warmer cast we've seen (considering they continue it) should suit Morroco well. But we'll have to wait and see.
The interiors of Oberhauser's lair and MI6 look great, moody and shadowy but not hard to see the details.
All in all, I am very happy with Hoytema's cinematography (and Mendes' camera compositions) so far. I especially love the anamorphic widescreen look utilizing a very shallow depth of field at times.
I feel that with just some slight modifications, it will be a very visually impressive film like SF, but distinctive as well, which following Deakin's work, is no small feat.
Bourne Supremacy (2004)
Bourne Ultimatum (2007)
Spectre (2015)
Skyfall (2012) Good example of good cinematopgraphy.
QOS (2008)
Goldeneye (1995)
Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)
With the correct music and not to cold or wrong digital/Bluray filter, i wil like it. If not then it wil work as distriction like a lot of happend with Skyfall.
About yellow / blue cinematopgraphy: I like second Tranformers: Revenge Of Fallen more then fist movie, because the first movie has much yellow cinematopgraphy with to much action. Unexpect the yellow whas no problem in The Island, whyle i expect something like CR (It whas more like Turkish scenes in Skyfall). With CR it whas to much, with Skyfall it was oke scene til jump on the train. With Die Another Day and Tomb Raider cinematopgraphy whasn't that great too.
--
Tomorrow Never Dies
It be whyle some hechman be around the villian and Bond. Look like we get again a good looking production design. Not that great as in QOS, but atleast better then Skyfall.
Agreed with your assessment on this @RC7. I think that while Deakins work was beautiful it most definitely was not groundbreaking and unfortunately the potential for diluting the great framing with poor colour grade choices seems quite high at the moment. But...we shall see.
The second picture reminds me of Casino Royale.
http://leaseydoux.org/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=19458&fullsize=1
Ridiculously good!
Possibly my favourite scene in the film and one of my favourite in the series.
Standout scenes that really display his talents are the orange, red hues that dominate a very operatic Rome SPECTRE meeting as whispers and coughs dominate the massive space and the members dance on egg shells around Blofeld. Hoyte keeps the camera rooted from afar, so much so that we get massive long shots of the whole table of SPECTRE members often, with Blofeld far off at the end, set to the middle. A great visual metaphor for both the expansive nature of SPECTRE in its opulence of membership and control, as well as how far Bond has always been away from uncovering them, despite them being "right in front of him" all along, as he waits hidden away in the balcony, so close and so far all at once.
As it has been said before, the scenes at L'Americain are wonderful and almost haunting in their beauty. The lighting and the yellow hues pay off here big time, as Bond and Madeleine are washed over with a dull but powerful flame-like aura seeping through the ornate holes in the windows that evoke the cinematography of Casablanca, just as Bond and Madeleine evoke Rick and Ilsa in much the same way, as two people who are looking at their separate lives and discovering how they may cross the aisles and become one. I love the hotel scene, because it's so out of left field and really captures a beautiful characterization of Bond, Madeleine and White in the small time, though the latter isn't even living or around for it.
You can feel the history in the room, and what its significance means to Madeleine as she comes to grips with the death of a man she had a love-hate dynamic with, but who she still deeply mourns. As she pulls the veil sheet of the bed between her and Bond, a sense of mystery and distrust is evoked, and the words "liars and killers, liars and killers everywhere" as she nods off to sleep paint a vivid and haunting picture of the world she knows all too well; a life her father lived, and one Bond does too, as she seems him as just another man like her dad who found his way into her own quiet life and rather mucked things up.
I enjoy when the prominent yellows and oranges of the hotel pave the way to the greenish hues as Bond discovers White's secret room, as they create a fascinating contrast in color. The shots are kept simple in composition, up close and intimate with no dialogue as Madeleine discovers White's picture board of their memories, showing her and the audience the humanity behind the assassin through his family life. Madeleine confronts her past with her father and their own conflicts as she gazes at the photos of her younger self, just as Bond is also confronted with his tormented past at the very same moment, when he comes upon the interrogation tape of Vesper. Neither character realize they are both experiencing the same hurt in silence as they get on with their business and let the pain lie as their mission goes on, which is both tragic and beautiful.
Hoyte succeeded in giving beautiful visuals to accompany the story, and a lot of what he has done with the camera and the color palette used throughout really helps in taking an already strong character driven story for me, and making it that much better. He captures the raucous and vibrant life of Mexico City, the pallid, sterile and lifeless home environment Bond occupies in Chelsea, the operatic and gargantuan night life of Rome as its colossal architecture towers over all, and the heat and dust strewn air of Morocco as Bond kicks it up in the desert.
Really strong work all around, and just like Deakins, Hoyte elevated the script and really made the film carry on new meaning and layers with what he was able to do with the camera. It goes to show just how talented both men are, because the cinematography of a lot of other Bond films aren't looked on that much at all beyond surface analysis, while here so much great discussion has been sowed from their work in the past two films. Part of the many endless reasons why I view the Craig films as pieces of cinematic art, one and all.