American Cinematographer - September 2007 - (Page 55)

Italian Cinema Showcase in June, and Storaro is scheduled to screen and discuss it in New York again on Sept. 24, this time at Columbia University, in conjunction with the New York Film Festival. A 200-minute cut of Caravaggio will be broadcast on Italian television this fall, and a 130minute theatrical cut will be released in the near future. American Cinematographer: What inspired you to sign on to this project? Vittorio Storaro, ASC, AIC: I would have accepted this project even if it had been simple graffiti on a wall, a drawing in sand, or an engraving on stone. My spirit is that of an eternal student; I’m always looking for new opportunities to broaden areas of knowledge, philosophy and the arts. Our immense potential is linked to the possibility of opening new doors when new projects are embraced. When Caravaggio was offered to me by the producer, Ida Di Benedetto, I knew it would be an opportunity to study in depth the trajectory and work of this visionary protagonist of figurative art. Moreover, it would allow me to explore further the mystery of light and shadow, a theme that has always been at the center of my cinematographic journey. Caravaggio’s shadow is the visualization of where the unresolved states of mind dwell … a condition innate in the human unconscious. I wanted to use a style of writing with light that would make the bodies emerge from the darkness — to make conscious what had for some time resided in the unconscious. You have spoken about Caravaggio and Vermeer as two fundamental poles for your own creativity. How much did Caravaggio’s work stimulate your own artistic journey? Storaro: Caravaggio and Vermeer confirmed for me the need to creatively search for answers to Opposite: Italian painter Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (Alessio Boni) has a tormented moment. This page, left: The painter at work on Burial of St. Lucy. Below: Preparing to film the painting’s models in the studio. my own questions about life. A few months ago, I finished copying my film ’Tis Pity She’s a Whore [1971] to a master video. The essential division between shadow and light was already inherent in that film, as well as in another film I made during the same period, Giordano Bruno. At that time, I had only just set out on my journey as a cinematographer, and I wasn’t aware of the profound symbolic and conceptual meaning of light, shadow and color, but I possessed a purely technical preparation from my studies in cinema and photography. It was then that I visited the Church of San Luigi dei Francesi in Rome, where I made a discovery that changed my whole way of life and my approach to images. Through my analysis of a few paintings, I discovered how much the use of light and shadow — directed, concealed, or filtered on a subject — could underline and emphasize a concept written in words. What happened that day at San Luigi dei Francesi? Storaro: While I was walking around inside the church, I discovered the Contarelli Chapel, decorated with extraordinary paintings by an artist whose name I didn’t know at the time. One in particular took my breath away: The Calling of St. Photos and frame grabs courtesy of Radiotelevisione Italiana. American Cinematographer 55

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of American Cinematographer - September 2007

Contents Editor’s Note Global Village DVD Playback Production Slate Bourne Again Cultural Immersion Baroque Visions Once Upon a Time in Bucharest Short Takes Post Focus Filmmakers’ Forum New Products & Services Points East International Marketplace Classified Ads Ad Index ASC Membership Roster Clubhouse News Wrap Shot

American Cinematographer - September 2007

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