American Cinematographer - March 2015 - 10

Bringing a sexually provocative, bestselling novel like
Fifty Shades of Grey to the big screen is a tricky
prospect. It's all too easy to alienate a smash book's
dedicated fans, who scrutinize every detail of a movie
adaptation like scholars poring over the Dead Sea
Scrolls. It's also a challenge to calibrate how torrid the
intimate scenes should be, and what ramifications
any onscreen couplings will have on the picture's
MPAA rating. If the amatory exertions run too hot,
the dreaded NC-17 beckons; if they're too tame, the
filmmakers may be accused of selling out the sizzle
and turning the entire enterprise into Hollywood's
version of a Harlequin romance.
With Fifty Shades, cinematographer Seamus
McGarvey, ASC, BSC and director Sam Taylor-Johnson
faced the additional test of visualizing a relationship
between characters whose dominant/submissive
dalliances could also possibly alienate a significant portion of the project's potentially enormous
audience. In detailing their approach for Canada-based correspondent Mark Dillon ("Slave to
Love," page 32), the filmmakers address these artistic choices while also outlining their technical strategies. "You're always going to have some fans of the book thinking the movie is a lesser
version [of the story] than the one in their imaginations," McGarvey concedes. "But Sam has a
unique take on the epic in the everyday, and psychological states, particularly the feminine erotic
imagination, and she's brought that [to the screen]." Taylor-Johnson adds, "It wasn't in my interest to be too graphic. For me, eroticism tends to be all over the minute you see too much."
Whether or not they've succeeded in striking this delicate balance will probably depend on each
viewer's personal feelings about intimacy, voyeurism and socio-sexual taboos.
This issue's special focus on teleproduction ("Outside the Box," page 48) spotlights work
that's no less adventurous. The Affair, shot by ASC member Steven Fierberg, pulls back the
covers on an extramarital liaison; Doctor Who, the most recent regeneration of the wildly popular BBC science-fiction series, places no limits on the imagination of cinematographer Rory
Taylor; and Vikings, shot by PJ Dillon, presents stylized period drama rendered in a "punk-rock
aesthetic."
Crafting classic television is the lasting legacy of ASC member Bill Roe, this year's recipient of the Society's Career Achievement in Television Award - although he is also known for
his shot-making ability on the links, which has led his name to be inscribed multiple times on
the ASC Golf Tournament's trophy. The qualities that Roe's favorite pastime requires - patience,
precision and the ability to think one's way out of traps and tricky lies - are equally valuable on
set. His work on The X-Files alone ensured his canonization in the television realm, but his credits also include the shows Castle, Las Vegas, Day Break and Terminator: The Sarah Connor
Chronicles. He's also known for marrying well, hosting epic Super Bowl parties, and freely loaning spare clubs to duffers (like yours truly) in the sincere hope that they will somehow learn to
emulate his Zen temperament, if not his swing. Jean Oppenheimer's overview of Roe's career
("Feeling the Light," page 62) offers heartfelt testimonials from many of Bill's closest collaborators, as well as insights from the man of the hour on his rewarding run behind the camera.

10

Stephen Pizzello
Editor-in-Chief and Publisher

Photo by Owen Roizman, ASC.

Editor's Note
American Cinematographer - March 2015

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of American Cinematographer - March 2015
