“She Lived in a Heightened Reality”: ‘THR Presents’ Q&A With ‘Maria’ Cinematographer Ed Lachman

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As a seasoned gamer with a penchant for cinematography and a soft spot for biographical films, I can confidently say that Ed Lachman has once again outdone himself with his work on Maria. The man is a living legend, having worked with over half a century’s worth of trailblazing auteurs – a fact that leaves me in awe.

As a devoted cinema enthusiast, I’m thrilled to share that the remarkable cinematographer Ed Lachman is poised for his second consecutive Oscar nomination, following his collaboration with the brilliant Chilean filmmaker Pablo Larraín. Last year, he was nominated for the striking black-and-white cinematography in Larraín’s satirical gothic tale, “El Conde“. This season, he’s again in the running for the best cinematography award with his beautifully painted visuals gracing “Maria“, the Netflix biographical film starring Angelina Jolie, which delves into the life and inner world of the legendary 20th-century opera diva, Maria Callas.

In a special interview for THR Presents, The Hollywood Reporter had a chat with Lachman, during which they delved deep into the creation of Maria. They discussed the intricate decisions regarding cameras, lighting, and color that were made to achieve the film’s striking yet refined visuals. The conversation also covered Lachman’s collaboration with Jolie and Larraín, as well as the philosophies that have shaped his work over his long career in cinematography (you can watch the entire discussion above).

As a passionate gamer, I can’t help but feel like an old-school hero who’s had the privilege of teaming up with some true legends in the indie film industry. Before my collaboration with Larrain, I worked alongside visionaries such as Werner Herzog, Wim Wenders, Robert Altman, Paul Schrader, Sofia Coppola, Steven Soderbergh, Larry Clark, Mira Nair, Ulrich Seidl, and Todd Haynes, among others. Together, we’ve created masterpieces like “La Soufrière”, “Tokyo-Ga”, “A Prairie Home Companion”, “Light Sleeper”, “The Virgin Suicides”, “Erin Brockovich”, “The Limey”, “Ken Park”, “Mississippi Masala”, the “Paradise” trilogy, and many more. It’s been an incredible journey!

According to Lachman, it was advantageous for him and his director that Maria Callas’ life was extensively recorded – through home videos, her stage performances captured professionally, and portraits taken by renowned photographers of her era. The task for the film was to delve into Maria’s psychological depth, depicting for the audience the transformative journey she experienced as she navigated a world filled with both traumatic events and rarefied experiences. Lachman and Larraín addressed this challenge by creating a varied assortment of cinematic styles and camera formats to film Jolie, each style symbolizing distinct elements of the diva’s memories, fantasies, and perceptions of reality.

According to THR’s main critic in his Venice Film Festival review, the movie is skillfully made, boasting stunning visuals by renowned cinematographer Ed Lachman. He beautifully portrays Paris in 1977 with soft autumnal hues that perfectly capture the era and switches between black-and-white or grainy color tones during Callas’ frequent flashbacks to the past. Lachman, who was nominated for an Oscar for his striking chiaroscuro shots on Larraín’s previous film, El Conde, used a variety of 35mm, 16mm, and Super 8mm film, as well as vintage lenses, to shoot Maria. The cinematographer’s exceptional work complements the sophisticated efforts of production designer Guy Hendrix Dyas and costume designer Massimo Cantini Parrini.

Lachman elaborates, “By exploring diverse textures, we aimed to delve into her thoughts and emotions, revealing aspects of who she truly was. She existed in an intensified world, both on and off the stage. She once stated, ‘The stage is my mind, and the opera is my soul.’ Our challenge was to portray this for the audience, making them feel as if they were immersed in a film adaptation of her life’s grand opera.

Maria had her first appearance in Venice during August. She will be shown in certain North American cinemas on November 27, and she’ll be streamed on Netflix starting December 11.

This edition of THR Presents is sponsored by Netflix.

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2024-12-10 01:55