DVDs in Review

Cameraman: The Life and Work of Jack Cardiff

Title: Cameraman: The Life and Work of Jack Cardiff (Craig McCall, 2009)

Release date: July 19 2010

Certificate: PG

Format: DVD

RRP: £19.99

Rating: 4/5

Reviewed by Dave Lancaster

Jack Cardiff was one of those legends of whom almost everybody seemed to agree was worth his praise. As this fascinating documentary will attest, Cardiff was one of (if not the) most respected cinematographer in film history, a trait which the Academy Awards seemed to recognise in 2001 when he became the first director of photography to win an Honorary Oscar. At the time, he was nearly 90 years old, and still working.

‘Cameraman: The Life and Work of Jack Cardiff’ charts the remarkable career from his duties as a clapper boy in the 1920s, through to his first cinematography work in the 30s and his groundbreaking use of Technicolour in the 1940s and beyond, applying unique visual flair to the films of Hitchcock, John Huston and, most vitally,  Powell and Pressburger.

His work for the greatfilmmaking duo is the lynchpin for this documentary, with Cardiff explaining the stories behind the shoots of ‘A Matter of Life and Death’, ‘The Red Shoes’ and ‘Black Narcissus’ helped along with contributions from industry professionals such as Martin Scorsese who acknowledge his pioneering work.

We learn that he was one of the very first professional operators of the (then) extremely bulky Technicolour camera, Cardiff talks about his influences of key painters (and shows off his own remarkable works of arts he made himself) and the film also provides interesting titbits of trivia about the films he worked on – seeing ‘Black Narcissus’, the story of a fractured religious community high up in the Himalayas, would you believe that none of it was shot on location? The epic backdrops were actually a combination of miniatures and blown up black and white photographs which the art department put pastel chalks over the top of.

‘Cameraman’ is a fascinating portrait, not merely because of the facts and timeline, but because of Cardiff’s contributions himself. He is so filled with energy and enthusiasm about his craft (as well as a dry sense of humour which sees him point out how many stars from his celebrated portrait shots have since died), it’s hard not to be swept up by his love of cinema. He seems decades younger when he talks, and his anecdotes are very eloquently told, never stumbling to a quick conclusion.

Documentary lovers, especially those who specialise in film, are going to enjoy this treat that highlights the often underappreciated role of the cinematographer on the finished film. Of the release, Martin Scorsese was quoted as saying “We need to keep making films like this one”. Indeed we do. We also need more cinematographers like Jack Cardiff.

Check out a few of his celebrated portraits of the stars (Marilyn Monroe and Anita Ekberg) below: