Documentary
Cameraman: The Life and Work of Jack Cardiff
In 2001 Jack Cardiff (1914-2009) became the first director of photography in the history of the Academy Awards to win an Honorary Oscar. But the first time he clasped the famous statuette in his hand was a half-century earlier when his Technicolor camerawork was awarded for Powell and Pressburger's Black Narcissus. Beyond John Huston's The African Queen and King Vidor's War and Peace, the films of the British-Hungarian creative duo (The Red Shoes and A Matter of Life and Death too) guaranteed immortality for the renowned cameraman whose career spanned seventy years.
Top Cast
Jack Cardiff
Self
Martin Scorsese
Self – Interviewee
Kirk Douglas
Self – Interviewee
Lauren Bacall
Self – Interviewee
Charlton Heston
Self – Interviewee
Kim Hunter
Self – Interviewee
John Mills
Self – Interviewee
Alan Parker
Self – Interviewee
Directed by
Craig McCall
Production
UK Film CouncilReviews
CinemaSerf
7/103/14/2024
As much as this is a testament to the skilful artistry of Jack Cardiff, it also serves as quite an illustrative history of cinema in general. Initially selected by Technicolor to be their first trained operator in Britain, he proceeded to work with some of the most noted directors - Alfred Hitchcock, Powell & Pressburger, John Huston, Henry Hathaway - in an industry that was just coming to terms with the concept of colour photography when he started. By the time he was established, it was he who was setting the standards for innovative cinematography. Contributions from the likes of Lauren Bacall, Kirk Douglas and an extended chat with Martin Scorsese all help us to understand the genius of this otherwise rather understated man who admitted a limited grasp of the technical sides of the bus
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