Knowing how to light a film shows you're a filmmaking pro

I've come to appreciate, in working as an actress, how very important lighting is to the overall look of a film.  Check out the lighting in Casablanca, in The Godfather, in the opening shot of Schindler's List.  In The Quiet Man, when Maureen O'Hara stands in the doorway of John Wayne's darkened cottage, one of the first times he sees her up close, a baby spot is hitting the back of her head and lighting her hair like a halo.  There is no way light would be naturally occurring in that doorway, but it's there to set a mood and frame a beautiful actress in a way that makes the leading man fall in love with her.

I'm thinking about lighting this week because I just watched a wonderful documentary on Jack Cardiff, whose 70-year career in cinematography had him shooting everything from The Red Shoes to Rambo, which is quite a span of work.  Cardiff drew his inspiration from Impressionist painters, and it shows.  His work is just breathtaking and was a huge influence on later filmmakers, like Martin Scorcese.

Scene from The Black Narcissus with Deborah Kerr

Lighting isn't only about illumination, it creates atmosphere and tells the viewer what they're supposed to think about the characters on screen.  Tellingly, carefully considered lighting is too often the first thing student moviemakers omit if they're short on funds or technicians.  It's always a mistake.  Lighting makes the shot.  It's the aspect of a film I notice first.

The documentary is Cameraman: The Life and Work of Jack Cardiff  by Craig McCall and it's available on Netflix.  Worth studying.