Cameraman: The Life And Work Of Jack Cardiff (DVD)

Jack Cardiff is one of those figures who’s utterly revered in film circles, but because he was largely a cinematographer (a job where most people aren’t quite sure what it is) he’s pretty much been ignored by the rest of the world. Hopefully though this documentary will go some way to redressing the balance. Indeed, from the opening moments, there’s a sense of frustration that a documentary like this is needed at all, with a feeling that everyone should already know all about him, even if they don’t.

Just look at Cardiff’s roll call – Black Narcissus, The Red Shoes, The African Queen, The Barefoot Contessa, The Prince and the Showgirl, The Vikings. All amongst some of the best looking movies ever made. Even some of his later work, on the likes of Conan The Destroyer and Rambo II, saw him making the films look a lot better than the scripts deserved.

Cameraman sees everyone from Martin Scorsese and Lauren Bacall to Kirk Douglas and Kim Hunter lining up to talk about the great man, along with plenty of thoughts from Cardiff himself (before his death in April 2009). They all talk about an astonishing career, and offer fascinating insights not only into Cardiff himself, who is an incredible figure (the man was full of the most incredible stories), but also what it is a cinematographer brings to a movie. It’s an often underappreciated art, but an astonishingly important one, impinging on every aspect of what a movie looks like, so it’s good to see it in the spotlight.

The documentary follows the man’s entire 70s year career, from his work as a cameraman on British quota quickies, which were pretty much an apprenticeship that informed everything he did from then on, to becoming the first cinematographer ever to receive an honorary Oscar. There is a slight sense of the film being a bit too uncritical, especially when it comes to his directing career, which was okay, but not as strong as the documentary suggests. Overall though it’s a wonderful look at a great life, full of fascinating anecdotes. Indeed it’s a bit of a must see for film fans. If nothing else, it’ll make you want to check out some of the great movies Cardiff was involved with.

The extras are also a treat for cineastes, with deleted/extended sequences on everything from how filmmakers worked with the difficulties of three-strip Technicolor, to the relationship between a director and a cinematographer. There’s also a closer look at some of Cardiff’s glorious actress portraits, showing that he was an immensely talented photographer as well as a cameraman. Finally there’s an interview with director Craig McCall about how the project came about.

Overall Verdict: Cardiff is a fascinating filmic figure, and this documentary more than does his legacy justice.

Special Features:
Interview With Director Ian Christie
‘Jack’s Actress Portraits’ Extra Sequence
‘Jack’s Behind-The-Scenes Movies’ Extra Sequence
‘Cinematographer and Director Relationship’ Extra Sequence
‘Working With Three-Strip Technicolor’ Extra Sequence
Jack’s Actress Portraits Gallery
Production Stills
Trailer

Reviewer: Tim Isaac