Review by Justin Bateman
Featuring Martin Scorsese, Kirk Douglas, Lauren Bacall, Charlton Heston, John Mills, Alan Parker
UK certification PG | UK RRP £19.99 | DVD Region 2 | Runtime 85 minutes | Directed by Craig McCall
Jack Cardiff’s film career began in 1918 and he was still in the industry some nine decades later. True, that early involvement was as a child actor but even so, what a career span that is. And if you’ve never heard of him, you will undoubtedly know of his work. After his brief stint as an extra Jack went on to become a clapper boy and then a camera operator before becoming one of the greatest cinematographer’s of all time.
Cardiff died in 2009 but filmmaker Craig McCall spent many years talking to him and his former colleagues to get the full story and it’s through these one-on-one interviews that we get to know this master craftsman. Jack himself has a personal and professional fascination with art and references Van Gogh, Turner and Degas in forming his own approach to film, not merely in shot composition and the emergence of Technicolor but perhaps most crucially in terms of light and lighting.
Getting the likes of Martin Scorsese involved in the making of this documentary was not just inspired but also crucial. As he explains, Scorsese was brought up on the films shot by Cardiff, in particular the Powell and Pressburger films, A Matter of Life and Death and The Red Shoes, the latter of which provided inspiration for the way in which Raging Bull was filmed. Lauren Bacall discusses his work on The African Queen, Kirk Douglas waxes lyrical about The Vikings and there’s even some old audio from Michael Powell on the great man behind the camera.
Having been around for so long and on so many different productions, Cardiff has numerous tales to tell of the stars including Errol Flynn, John Wayne, Ava Gardner and Marilyn Monroe. In fact, it soon becomes apparent that he had quite an eye for the ladies and as is evinced by the extras, made it his business to capture the beauties of the era on camera. Fortuitously, Jack is a natural raconteur and his easy charm makes the anecdotes from his extraordinary career both fascinating and enthralling.
Neatly put together and wonderfully researched, Cameraman is terrific celebration of one of Britain’s true film heroes, and anyone with even a passing interest in the history of film will find this to be an absolute treat.
EXTRAS ★★★½ A decent collection of what really amount to clips that didn’t make the final cut but are nonetheless interesting for that. Interview with Craig McCall by Ian Christie; Jack’s Actress Portraits; Jack’s Behind The Scenes Movies; Cinematographer and director relationship; Working With Three-Strip Technicolor; Theatrical Trailer; Photo Galleries: Jack’s Actress Portraits and Production Stills.