This one blog is about cinematography. For those of you who don’t know about cinematography. It is:

“The art and technology of motion-picture photography. It involves such techniques as the general composition of a scene; the lighting of the set or location; the choice of cameras, lenses, filters, and film stock; the camera angle and movements; and the integration of any special effects.”

Again, that is just a layman’s definition for cinematography. But again, there cannot be a subjective definition for cinematography as it is a technical aspect of filmmaking, which remains the same as the rules of cinematography might be changed, but the fundamental idea of it is rigid.

Oldboy, 2003

A good cinematography can be identified with the help of hidden meanings, references and message in the film. One such example is Oldboy, a 2003 South Korean film directed by the talented Park Chan-wook. Chan-wook has directed some of the finest Korean films, specially in the action genre, but they are not simple action films with no storyline *ahem ahem, I’m talking about you Rohit Shetty*.

I want to talk about Oldboy as objectively as I can, without any bias, because it is an excellent work of art. From the mysterious story to the well-choreographed action scenes, Oldboy does it all. To punch your heart out, to make you scratch your head and feel the agony of the characters. A power screenplay, supported by the amazing cinematography.

Laugh, and the world laughs with you. Weep, and you shall weep alone.

In Oldboy, the lighting in the shots is one of the most important aspects of understanding the scene as well the mental state of the characters. In many shots, characters are lit up in such a way, and the camera is place at such an angle, that creates not just a beautiful frame, but also a deeply moving image of one.

Swades, 2004

One film, that is often overshadowed by its contemporary films, for its technical aspects is Swades. The 2004 Indian dram film is often regarded as one of the best Indian films ever made, along with its lead actor’s performance, by Shah Rukh Khan, is considered one of his career’s best.

Directed by Ashutosh Gowarikar, the film is story of finding oneself amidst the bonds of family & love, the orthodox perceptions of society and the ideas of Gandhism. Mohan Bhargav, the protagonist played by Shah Rukh Khan, goes through the various stages in his journey, to understand the problems of Charanpur’s (Mohan’s hometown) locals, while also understanding the importance of family and love. The feeling of homeliness, is the essence of Swades.

Home is where the heart is!

The cinematography of Swades is subtle, but powerful. The iconic train scene is not just well written, but also so wonderfully shot that you might rethink your choices around social issues and what the scene wants to convey, is told in the right manner, at the right moment.

I don’t want to fall into the rabbit hole or this neverending void of ME praising Swades and Shah Rukh Khan for the rest of the eternal time, so, let’s move to the next film, which I am going to glaze (again) nonstop. :)

The Batman, 2022

In 2022, Matt Reeves (the director) gave the world the most beautifully shot superhero film – The Batman. Starring the talented and versatile Robert Pattinson in the titular role, The Batman stands at the top of the pile of films with not just good, not just great, but extraordinary cinematography.

From the chase sequence to the openeing sequence, to the “Baptism of Batman” scene to the Batcave scenes, the film is filled with such great artistic choices that does not undermine the subtext and screenplay of the film. The mirror to our society in the form of class disparity, is defined perfectly with the use of lighting and shots.

I'm vengeance.

The cinematographer of the film, Greig Fraser, used old, dirty and a bit damaged lenses, in order to give the film a realistic yet a grand sense of experience. The team also created special lenses for the film in order to shot wide and out of focus shots

Why I have attached all these videos to this blog is to tell you (anyone who is reading), to understand how much cinematography plays a role in changing a film from good to better to literal art. Not that you should think about cinematography and the hidden meanings or subtextual themes everytime you watch a film. But appreciate this art form as it offers you more than just 2 hours of entertainment.

And again, it is just an opinion, you can hate these movies all you want and I won’t mind because there will be some movies you would love, and appreciate their cinematography.

[WARNING (Not a joke): Watch the films, watch the videos, give out you perspective after watching these, from your experience.]

Thank you and I’ll see you at the movies! 

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