Interview with photog for Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

[Archiver]

I just saw Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, and was incredibly impressed. Not just by the filmmaking and acting, but by the attention to detail in the choice of film stock, colour grading, and props.

It really gives the impression of being set in, and even filmed in, the 70's. It blends modern filmmaking technique with a very authentic colour grading. It lacks the glossy definition of modern movies and has a very subtle palette of tones in greys, teals, blues and beiges. There is even film grain in the shadows of the low light scenes, something hardly ever seen in current movies.

The stills photographer for the movie is Jack English, friend of Gary Oldman, who used Fuji Acros and Hasselblad lenses for the actors' portraits. The interview is in the Fujifilm Exposure film stock website. The irony is that in the photo of Jack English himself, he has a M9 and Noctilux around his neck!

http://www.fujifilmexposure.com/interviews/119/an-english-perspective

I highly recommend this movie.

 

[telenous]

I'm going to see it tomorrow. The other day I was reading an interview with Gary Oldman, and he was saying that Tomas Alfredson wanted the film to give one the feeling he was smelling 'damp tweed'. Critics seem to agree also that Oldman provides a performance to match the one by Guinness, no mean feat by any measure (if so). I loved the '70s miniseries but haven't watched it in years, perhaps it's time to refresh memory and compare.

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[Sparrow]

I agree about the production accurately depicting the beige on grey nature of the cold war era ... however Oldman's performance didn't reach the standard Simon Russell Beale acheived in the recent radio version, and neither bettered Alec Guinness in either performance or script I feel

 

[jwc57]

Thank you. This was a great article. Now I want to see this movie.

 

[telenous]

I finally managed to see it yesterday. Mighty fine film. Pace and cinematography relayed succesfully period and a kind of somnambulist gloom typical of le Carre's universe. Apparently the DoP used 35mm film stock to shoot the film: Fujifilm Reala 500D 8592, ETERNA 500T 8573 and 250D 8563. I'm a bit puzzled Jack English chose Acros for the stills -wouldn't he rather have used a conventional, medium-fast film to emulate photos of the time?- but the choice probably has to do with promotional needs, or may be the Fujifilm connection mentioned earlier.

I thought Oldman did a good job in a part that bears Guinness' indelible mark (and hence invites inevitable comparisons). May be Oldman is not as believable as "a fellow of an obscure Oxford College" as Guinness was, but he nuanced the role with menace seething underneath the reticent facade.

For me, part of the thrill of watching this film derived from the psychological warfare and chess-like mind games. Another part though had to do with the surgical observation of rituals and residual mores that inhabit(ed) British society for a time. This film, being (by now) period rather than contemporary drama, observed that era from a distance, in a way that was nostalgic (Trebor mints anyone?) but also interpersed with current concerns. I am not sure if this will work to the film's advantage in the long run but it was an interesting departure from the tv material.

I also recommend it warmly, though I think people who have seen the earlier production or have read the book, may have a head start on a plot that can be perplexing at times.


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[Mablo]

It's a great movie. One of the very best I've watched.

 

[Paddy C]

Loved the movie and thought the cinematography (and pretty much everything else) was perfect. I have not seen previous versions of it so have nothing to compare it to. But I thought Oldman's performance was outstanding.

Great film and lovely to see something so thoughtful in the movie theatre (i.e. not another super hero $300 million fx extravaganza).

 

[charjohncarter]

I completely agree with the OP, but the British and many Australian movies seem to value these subtle details. Our (US) movies look like Bollywood in comparison.