American Cinematographer - October 2007 - (Page 31)

What follows are Deakins’ thoughts about his first two forays into the Western genre: Andrew Dominik’s The Assassination of Jesse James, a widescreen Western that takes maximum visual advantage of its period setting, and the Coen brothers’ No Country for Old Men, a more contemporary story that reconfigures familiar Western motifs to build drama and suspense. Jesse James stars Brad Pitt as the famous outlaw, an American icon who seems destined to meet with a tragic end at the hands of Robert Ford (Casey Affleck), an ardent admirer keen to make a name for himself. Based on Ron Hansen’s historical novel, the film combines a stately pace with stunning cinematography, resulting in an evocative, foreboding tone. No Country, on the other hand, is a hard-hitting drama from Joel and Ethan Coen, who removed their tongues from their cheeks to adapt Cormac McCarthy’s novel about an existential showdown between laconic cowpoke Llewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin), who stumbles onto a bag of drug money, and sociopathic hit man Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem), who tracks Moss with relentless resolve. Photos courtesy of Warner Bros. (Jesse James) and Miramax Films (No Country). American Cinematographer: Are you a fan of Westerns? Roger Deakins, ASC, BSC: Oh, yeah. I felt No Country was the nearest a contemporary film might come to a Peckinpah Western. Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid is one of my favorite films, along with The Wild Bunch and Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia. Those movies are much more than the sum of their stories. They address many different themes, and I feel Jesse James and No Country are in that same vein. There are also a few shots in Jesse James that call to mind the films of John Ford — frames within the widescreen frame that highlight specific visual elements. Deakins: Andrew Dominik and I talked about that a lot, so I was always looking for those opportunities — tracking through doorways and using windows and other scenic elements to break up the wide frame. There are also a number of shots where we dolly past a character. I always used a dolly for those shots, because in general I don’t like to use zoom lenses unless there’s a very specific reason for it. You shot both pictures in Super 35mm. Why did you choose that over anamorphic? Deakins: I prefer Super 35 because it allows you to use short Opposite: Iconic outlaw Jesse James (Brad Pitt) feels the hand of fate hovering over him in Andrew Dominik’s The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford. This page, top: In the Coens’ No Country for Old Men, Llewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin, left) is pursued with dogged persistence by sociopathic hit man Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem, right). Left: Roger Deakins, ASC, BSC (left) confers with Dominik while shooting Jesse James. American Cinematographer 31

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American Cinematographer - October 2007

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