Lubezki at the desk
Taken at the conclusion of a sit-down interview last night with Children of Men cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki at Westwood’s W hotel — Tuesday, 1.30.07, 8:40 pm. Lubezki’s work in this Alfonso Cuaron film (particularly those three extra-long unbroken shots, which became the stuff of instant legend as soon as the film started to screen) is, I feel, monumental. I’ll post the audio interview plus a write-around up later this afternoon.
Nice pic. Done in one take?
Wells to bachelorcool: Thanks. We tried two or three different lightings in the lobby of the W hotel, and this shot (one of two) came out the best. Lubezki took the camera from me at one point, adjusted the settings and took two or three shots of me lit only by a small candle…one of them turned out pretty good. An honor.
a quality shot.
If Children of Men had gotten a significant number of nominations, like it should have, I’d be one of those people annoying others with his constant posts about how much he loves it. But I’m at peace with it all. The film will survive.
Did he set up the lighting for the shot?
jeff, post the pic!
Watched Ali for the first time in a long while this weekend after learning that Lubezki was the DP on it. I’ve been a huge Mann fan for awhile, but was always a little ambivalent about this film. But watching it again, perhaps with an overabundance of good will engendered by COM, I was just astounded! Highly recommend giving Ali a chance or 2nd chance based on the cinematography alone.
And yes Wells, post the pic he took of you!! And put up the audio so I can listen to something fun at work!!!!
Only thing, that last single take shot (with the apartment building) isn’t a single take shot. The fact that the blood droplets disappear gives away at least one cut and considering the amount of practical special effects in it there’s probably more. But they are cleverly hidden I admit.
This guy deserves an Oscar more than any single person, in any field, does this year.
He’s overdue, and he’s only in his early 40s! He’s just entering his prime as a cinematographer right now.
Maybe he is why I love Meet Joe Black so much. I guess I’ll see Ali for the second time.
“This guy deserves an Oscar more than any single person, in any field, does this year.”
I’ll second that. That’s the award I’ll be paying attention to the most.
I think it’s unfortunate that this Children of Men fad was necessary for people to recognize the skill of Emmanuel Lubezki. I remember praising his work in Ali — which is far more intricate and varied than his work in COM — to high heaven, but that fell on many deaf ears that are now singing his praises. His incredible work in The Assasination of Richard Nixon was also unfairly ignored. As much as I respect Lubezki, I think he’s getting too much credit for the long takes (which are typically credited to directors anyway; who ever refers to “Michael Ballhaus’s great Copacabana shot in Goodfellas”?) in COM. He also seems to be getting credit for the film’s extraordinary production design. For my money, what he’s photographing is even more impressive than how he’s photographing it. Then again, I’m sure he had a hand in that.
RoyBatty, I brought it up in another thread, but here’s a snippet from an Atlanta Journal-Constitution article on all of the big tracking shots:
“‘The blood was great, but after a while, it started to feel like it was on your face,’ Cuaron says. ‘It started to feel distracting.’ So he hired a computer-effects artist to digitally erase the blood from the final image, a very painstaking job.”
So yes, that nine-or-so minute shot is in a fact, a nine-or-so minute shot, that took twelve days to set-up (!) and two days to shoot.
he is one of the best cinematographers ever and his work on THE NEW WORLD is still some of the best cinematography in the history of cinema
this guy is just a brilliant artist. a master.
I don’t believe Children of Men is a “fad.” Of all the movies released in 2006, it will be the most discussed 50 years from now.
I second that shit, Josh. COM is just terrific. I can’t wait to get the DVD and pore over every detail in the production design, and all the visual details and motifs. It has everything I could want in a movie — landmark direction, excellent performances, a ripping script, knockout action sequences, and powerful, rich sociopolitical themes. Love it. Lubezki deserves as much credit for COM as Toland deserves for Kane – that is to say, a lot.
That said, it’s been said before that while a great director can redeem an otherwise average movie, a great cinematographer cannot.
Nice chat, Jeff, but I wish you’d asked him about the rumored longer cut of COM. I heard a 2 1/2-hour version was screened early on that was just terrific. I also hope Chivo managed to temper your unabashed enthusiasm for digital video and Michael Mann.
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Interesting post would like to have an regular visit