Cinematography | Two Films - One Award
The Academy Award for Best Cinematography is bestowed to one film each year that is worthy of such award. The cinematographer, who is also known as the director of photography, is responsible for deciding and controlling lighting within the set and the quality of the photography (Giannetti, 17). According to Joseph Mascelli, "Cinematography can be section into five different C's: camera angles, continuity, cutting, close-ups, and composition" These components are used to make films that are worthy of winning the Academy Award each year. In 1998, cinematographer for Saving Private Ryan, Janusz Kaminski, took home the Academy Award for Best Cinematography. Saving Private Ryan follows the story of American soldiers who risk everything to save Private Ryan, the last of his three other siblings who have all been killed during World War Two. Conrad Hall, cinematographer for Road to Perdition, was award his Academy Award in 2002. Road to Perdition follows a young boy and his gangster father who eventually try to run from their past. Each film stars the same lead actor, Tom Hanks; and Both were awarded for the same award just in different years. The following is an analysis comparing and contrasting cinematography in select scenes featured from Road to Perdition (Mendes Sam, 2002) and Saving Private Ryan (Spielberg Steven, 1998).
The first scene from Road to Perdition that will be investigated is the "Factory/Warehouse" scene. This is the moment where Michael Sullivan Jr. learns what his father truthfully does for work. The boy is photographed initially in a close up shot. Only his head/shoulder is shown and he gazes into a small crack in the exterior wall. Following is a low angle shot. It is perspective that places the audience in Sullivan Jr.'s place. He is looking up, through his father's legs, and seeing the killing men happen. This low angle creates the feeling of "threatening and power within a character" (Giannetti, 14). It creates this urge of importance for a character that is positioned in this 'new' frame. The positioning of the legs can be referred to a cowboy shot - the focus of the scene appears through the legs of another character.
Shifting from the angle and way of shot, we can look at styles of lighting. This scene from Road to Perdition, much like the entirety of the film, is shot in low key. There seems to be darkness surrounding the border of the scene and slowly disperses inwards with light emitted from a single source - the light dangling above the pair placed directly in the center of the father's legs. This style of lighting also helps create a neutral color scheme throughout the whole film. The film is not classified as 'black and white' but with the low key, the gangster film possesses the feeling of darkness as the story takes place in 1931 during the Great Depression in American. This scene displays great cinematography due to the order of Conrad Hall. Though the next film was overseen by a different cinematographer, some similarities can be seen. |
Figure 1: Michael Sullivan Jr. looking through a crack (Road to Perdition, 2002).
Credit: DreamWorks Picture (2002) -Click on Image to Watch Scene- Figure 2: Connor Rooney dealing with 'a business problem' (Road to Perdition, 2002).
Credit: DreamWorks Picture (2002) |
Figure 3: American soldier looking through rifle scope (Saving Private Ryan, 1998)
Credit: DreamWorks Picture (1998) -Click on Image to Watch Scene- Figure 4: Scope focused in on soldier throwing grenade (Saving Private Ryan, 1998)
Credit: DreamWorks Picture (1998) |
The "Hillside Death" scene from Saving Private Ryan holds an initial similarity with the one above in Road to Perdition. The beginning shot depicts an American soldier in a close up shot. Rather than peering into a building, the soldier can be seen looking through a detached rifle scope. This is where the style of cinematography begins to differ. The following shot can be portrayed as a deep focus shot. Resting in the foreground and background is land that you can tell has been devastated through the days of war. In the mid ground, a grenade is thrown by an American soldier towards the enemy, but is then thrown back at him, eventually dying due to the blast.
A mixture of eye level, low angle, and high angle shots make this scene an 'emotional roller coaster.' It appears that the soldier is looking directly ahead of his position towards his fellow soldiers. When the grenade is thrown, the camera tracks the grenade in an upwards direction to emphasize the power behind American soldiers. Suddenly, the camera points back downwards towards the American soldier. This angle "creates a slow pace" (Giannetti, 13) which produces a feeling of helplessness for the soldier. Similar to Conrad Hall's choice of lighting, Janusz Kaminski also favored a low key light technique. However, his use made the film feel much different. Rather than darkness, Saving Private Ryan's color favored dull shades to help resemble that of war instead of having shadows throughout the whole film. Kaminski favored more of the natural light while filming to help preserve that feeling of 'a war movie.' The dull green of the grass showed the brute it had taken and the grey showed the destruction of buildings and bare rock that comes along with war. The only color that was truly present was a deep shade of red. The film is full of graphic scenes were blood can be seen everywhere on screen. Explained by David Williams, Kaminski spent weeks testing various aspects of cinematography to achieve what he hoped "...to take a major Hollywood production and make it look like it was shot on 16mm by a bunch of combat cameramen" (Williams). Kaminski's final production resulted in a film many around the world consider one of the greatest films (including myself). Thought these two films are completely different, there is a resemblance that can be seen between these two specific scenes. |
Though these two images look vastly different - they serve a very similar purpose. The top image depicts the invasion of Normandy. The bottom image depicts Sullivan and Sullivan Jr. entering the Chicago with hope of moving forward, just the two of them. The cinematography behind these two stills are establishing shots, they help the audience better understand where the story is taking place.
Both cinematographers are some of the best in film history and they are both deserving of an Academy Award. Back in June of 2017, David Williams from American Cinematographer published a flashback about Saving Private Ryan. In the article, Williams reflects on Kaminski and Spielberg during the filming process. It is explained how the cast for Saving Private Ryan went through ten growling days of military training to help prepare for the film. "The haggard-looking actors were primed and ready to simulate combat on film" (Williams). Kaminski then stepped. The cast, truly looking like soldiers, were photographed by Kaminski who would then go on to win an Academy Award for Best Cinematography. Conrad Hall of Road to Perdition ended his career with 3 Academy Awards (out of 10 nominations) and has made a lasting impression within the realm of Cinematography. Todd McCarthy was a friend of Hall before he passed away. In his article he reflects how, "Hall loved getting away with "mistakes" that, just a few years earlier, would have instantly gotten him fired...what he was referring to were things like sunlight flaring into the lens" (McCarthy). Hall helped expand the boundaries of what cinematographers were and were not allowed to do at first. He always aimed to try his hardest and press his luck. In the end, Hall became one of the most renown cinematographers. He won his Academy Award for Road to Perdition within a year of his passing. |
Figure 5: Allied soldiers successfully taking over beach
(Saving Private Ryan, 1998) Credit: DreamWorks Picture (1998) Figure 6: Main street looking down to downtown Chicago
{Road to Perdition, 2002). Credit: DreamWorks Picture (2002) |
Ultimately, Conrad Hall and Janusz Kaminski are two different cinematographers. They have different views on how they see cinematography but this is what creates uniqueness within films. Each cinematographer is allowed to use his ideal image to produce a film they hope surpasses any expectations they may have.. In the end, both men were rewarded with the Academy Award for Best Cinematography. Road to Perdition and Saving Private Ryan are two films set in very different time periods/settings. This page has looked at the similarities and differences between these two award winning films. It has been over 17 years since Conrad Hall won his award, but these two men will go down as a few of the greatest cinematographers in film production history.