Here’s a really great video of cinematographer Wally Pfister talking about his work with Director/Writer Christopher Nolan.
It really shows that what interests us in movies are really stories and that cinematography is often simple and uncomplicated in order for the story to really shine. Pfister’s work on Memento, Inception, The Prestige and the Batman Trilogy have all contributed to the success of these films but none to the power of the stories within those films.
The amazing twist at the end of Memento? Haven’t seen it? WATCH IT
What kept you guessing at the mind blowing illusions in The Prestige? :O
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The story within ‘The Prestige’ gets me every time. It’s complex but presented so simply that at the end you don’t sit there and reflect on what you just watched due to confusion but instead due to utter disbelief that such storytelling worked. As a writer who hopes to while away their free time with poetry and prose and pay the bills by writing ads, things like this both intimidate and drive me. The strength of the story you have to tell is the key in all creative mediums because no matter how you frame it, or how nice your imagery is, if there is a terrible story at the core there is no hiding it.
Exactly! It is an effortlessly thoughtful story beautifully told as a combination of smart cinematography and a well written script!
A good story is the definitely the most important. One annoying thing is when a film, or even a novel, has a fantastic storyline but terrible dialogue or writing style. It’s a shame but if the story is good, I find myself continuing to read the book or watch the film despite these elements.
I remember watching Inception in the cinema for the first time and being completely and utterly awestruck. What really left me in awe was the layering of the stories and how they all came together so seamlessly. It’s not one of those movies that you watch lightheartedly. You do have to concentrate, to some extent, and really try to follow the story, and that I think has the biggest payoff in the end when everything just comes together so beautifully.
Another example that generated the same feelings is Cloud Atlas. Having read the novel prior to watching the film, it is so fascinating to see how the filmmakers adapted the chronology of the story in order to create a better cinematic experience. There are some story structures that work so well on the page and yet, don’t translate as well on screen and vice versa. Adaptations are particularly tricky to pull off because the novels always have an extremely loyal following and are not always receptive to drastic changes from the original material. In this case however, the overhauling of the entire structure of the novel worked to the film’s advantage. It is definitely interesting to see how the story is handled according to different media but it is so important to still maintain the integrity of the story and to have a solid foundation to build the visuals in film.