directed by Blake Edwards, 1968
directed by Stanley Kurbick, 1956
directed by Sam Peckinpah, 1972
These three films could not be more disparate formally or narratively, but in their exact detail and the careful framing of their specific worlds, the visionary eye of cinematographer Lucien Ballard reveals a connective tissue that binds them together in his impressive body of work. I watched Sam Peckinpah's "Junior Bonner" recently and I was blown away at not only Peckinpah's ability to make a movie about tough guys and the American West without a single gun shot in the whole film, but the film's absorbing visual palette. The richness of a small Arizona town as seen through the lens of Ballard's realistic and mood-induced cinematography becomes emblematic of an idyllic and yet dying America. Rodeos, patriotic parades, and mountains of cowboy hats seem ancient and somehow integral to the survival of the film's characters. Without out their outdated idea of America, where would they be and more importantly, who would they be? Ballard's eye guides us in that ambiguous direction.
No comments:
Post a Comment