Skyfall Cinematography

I admit I was disappointed with the Life of Pi win for Cinematography over Roger Deakins' "Skyfall". Still, I'd like to point out the parts of Skyfall that were amazing to see.

To start, one of the most important things to do is introduce your character in a stand-out way. In Skyfall, the iconic silhouette of Bond is out of focus, and slowly he creeps into focus with an orange hue, light just making his eye visible and his face recognizable. Something simple but powerful and iconic.

Shapes are incredibly important to Skyfall. Here's a few examples of shapes made by physical objects and light;

Arches are one of the strongest shapes, and so they represent the stability of England and MI6.

Diagonal lines represent tension, anger and aggressiveness. Straight vertical and horizontal lines represent stability/rigidness or can be like the bars of a prison.

In stark contrast, organic and curved lines seem to be safe, flexible and passive.

One of the goals of Cinematography is to be able to tell a story without the need for dialogue. In the first example we are led underground, the bright strong arches are large and clear. We stop, and go through a tight maze (symbolizing perhaps different decisions, life or being lost) and end up at the heart of MI6. A big, bright and arched space, symbolizing the strength of the organization.

Later on, the Villan causes a train to crash through the supportive arch shapes, destroying them (and the safety of MI6). We quickly escape and are left with organic shapes in Scotland, and crumpling, organic rock. The house itself has many straight edges that are covered in drapes. Almost all rigid safety is gone.

In another example, Bond enters the mouth of a dragon After going through everything will change for the worse.

Another example, of many, is a single image which shows the boat angled towards an ominous island. The girl is far away, indicating that she cannot be saved. Little bits of red are remnant from the previous night and warmth.

 

An interesting choice by the Cinematographer was to use Fluorescent tubes to keep us grounded with MI6. Even when we're on the beach, a Fluorescent tube is still there. Interesting decision, because most people try to avoid shooting Fluorescents, yet here it's a consistent grounding point.

There's great use of blocking in Skyfall. Parts of the set, including light, split actors symbolizing their separation from each other. In the museum Bond and Q sit on different benches, symbolic of their age differences.

Fantastic use of reflections in Skyfall that can allow us to see multiple things at once, confuse us, make sets feel bigger and make the viewer feel more personally attached to the character.

Blues and Oranges are used predominately throughout the film, and become more saturated throughout. The Complementary colors allow scenes to pop when put next to each other. At the beginning, for instance, we have an orange hue with bond, and a blue hue with MI6. They also give meaning and sizzle to each shot when used together. The oranges signify warmth (either fire or safety) and the blues can show danger. If we cut between scenes, the Tone should be similar.

Although color is a strong element, black negative space is used often to frame characters, or show the danger from the absence of light.

So, I admit, I loved Deakins' Skyfall cinematography. Still not sure why a green-screened VFX show won, but such is life.