American Cinematographer - January 2013 - 18

Production Slate
Anne (Emmanuelle Riva) and her husband, Georges (JeanLouis Trintignant), enjoy an evening at home in a scene from Amour.

Enduring Love By Benjamin B

Amour, directed by Michael Haneke and shot by Darius Khondji, ASC, AFC, takes place almost entirely in the Parisian apartment of an elderly couple, Anne (Emmanuelle Riva) and Georges (Jean-Louis Trintignant). The story follows Anne’s gradual descent into physical incapacity and dementia following a stroke. Georges promises to keep her at home, and her degradation challenges his love for her as he courageously becomes her caretaker. They gradually become isolated from the world outside, including their daughter (Isabelle Huppert). AC recently spoke with Khondji about his work on the picture, his second feature with Haneke (following the U.S. remake of Funny Games in 2007). American Cinematographer: What’s it like to work with Haneke? Darius Khondji, ASC, AFC: Nothing is left to chance with Michael. Everything is thought out and planned ahead of time. He is extremely meticulous and rigorous. The whole film was storyboarded, and we knew all the camera positions ahead of time — sometimes the day before, sometimes weeks ahead of time for complicated shots. For example, the opening dolly shots, when the police break down the front door to the couple’s apartment, were rehearsed many times weeks before the shoot. We never used dolly tracks; the apartment’s wood floor was leveled and sandpapered so that we could dolly on it smoothly. The camera operator, Joerg Widmer, did a superb job. We understand you shot with the Arri Alexa. What made you decide to go digital?
18 January 2013

Khondji: I proposed the idea to Michael. He was a little skeptical at first, but then he embraced the idea because he thought, and rightfully so, that it would be easier for the actors because we wouldn’t have to ‘reload’ as often. I was also able to light more with practicals because you need less light overall with digital. That also helped us. I believe this was the first feature shot in ArriRaw, and we had some problems because the de-Bayering process wasn’t completely finished yet. Our dailies weren’t sharp, and Michael was very frustrated by this. I always want to try things, I always want to go forward, but I’m going to let digital advance a little bit before I use it again. All these digital cameras are wonderful, but they’re not completely finished yet. In two or three years, digital will be incredible; after all, it’s already wonderful. One problem I see with digital is a form of laziness on set. Some filmmakers say they will create a negative with ‘good waveforms’ and then determine everything else in post. I want to work the opposite way. Of course, every film requires a different approach to under- and overexposure, but, for example, I don’t want to create a ‘good signal’ and then lower it in post. I prefer to underexpose instead. Or, if a director asks me to shoot a film in a desert with a completely overexposed image, I’m ready to overexpose it, to fry the sensor! (laughs) I want to give a real direction to the cinematography. Otherwise, what is our work about? Amour is infused with a very strong realism, like so much of Haneke’s work. Khondji: Michael has a desire for the true. Everything has to be very ‘true’ or ‘real,’ words he uses all the time. My crew and I adopted that vocabulary on the set; my gaffer, Thierry Baucheron,

American Cinematographer

Amour frame grabs and photo courtesy of Films du Losange and Sony Pictures Classics. Photo by Denis Manin.

American Cinematographer - January 2013

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