Jack Cardiff is one of those figures whos utterly revered in film circles, but because he was largely a cinematographer (a job where most people arent quite sure what it is) hes 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, theres 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 dont.
Just look at Cardiffs 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. Its an often underappreciated art, but an astonishingly important one, impinging on every aspect of what a movie looks like, so its good to see it in the spotlight.
The documentary follows the mans 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 its a wonderful look at a great life, full of fascinating anecdotes. Indeed its a bit of a must see for film fans. If nothing else, itll 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. Theres also a closer look at some of Cardiffs glorious actress portraits, showing that he was an immensely talented photographer as well as a cameraman. Finally theres 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
Jacks Actress Portraits Extra Sequence
Jacks Behind-The-Scenes Movies Extra Sequence
Cinematographer and Director Relationship Extra Sequence
Working With Three-Strip Technicolor Extra Sequence
Jacks Actress Portraits Gallery
Production Stills
Trailer
Reviewer: Tim Isaac