Visions of Light

Cameramen and women delve into the craft and artistry of cinematography and the director of photography (DP), illustrated by clips from 100 films—from Birth of a Nation to Do the Right Thing. Themes: the DP directs the viewer's gaze; cinema's shifts—the advent of sound, color, and widescreen—demanded inventive responses from DPs; and these artisans continually invent new equipment and experiment, yielding wonderful results. The narration leads us through the identifiable studio styles of the 30s, the emergence of noir, the New York look, and the impact of European filmmaking. Citizen Kane, The Conformist, and the work of Gordon Willis receive special emphasis.