Cameraman: The Life and Work of Jack Cardiff (2010)

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dombrewer
Brilliant, absorbing documentary about cinematographer Jack Cardiff - one of the unsung heroes of cinema history - who was responsible for the camera-work on an astonishing run of films from the 1940s up until his death in 2009, including the stunning technicolor visuals on the greatest of Powell & Pressburger's output ("A Matter of Life and Death", "Black Narcissus" and "The Red Shoes") which is as much as to say some of the best films ever made. In addition to his own directorial work including an acclaimed adaptation of D.H. Lawrence's "Sons and Lovers" he worked on films like "The African Queen", Vidor's "War and Peace", "Scott of the Antarctic", "The Vikings", all of which feature in this documentary. A wide range of notable actors and directors including Scorcese, Bacall, Heston and Kirk Douglas discuss Cardiff as a colleague and an influence - and delightfully Cardiff himself is interviewed in depth and his warmth as a man and passion for his work really comes across, his anecdotes fascinating, illuminating and sometimes hilarious: my favourite concerns the shooting of "The African Queen" where the entire crew were struck down with dysentery from drinking unfiltered river water apart from Bogart and director John Huston who never touched a drop of water during filming, only whisky. An intimate and charming insight into a humble film icon - highly recommended. 11 years 2 months ago