British Filmmaker Jack Cardiff Dies

Written by Nikki Baughan Wednesday, 22 April 2009 18:39

Feature

Oscar-winning British filmmaker Jack Cardiff has died today, at the age of 94. Lauded as one of the best in the business by luminaries ranging from Lauren Bacall to Marilyn Monroe, who described him as 'one of the best in the world', Cardiff lensed many classics including The Red Shoes, Black Narcissus and The African Queen. During a career spanning over 80 years, Cardiff was nominated for four Oscars, taking home the award for Best Cinematography for his work on Black Narcissus in 1948. He was also given an honourary statuette in 2001, as recognition for his huge contribution to cinema.

Cardiff's parents both worked in music halls, and so he was born into the world of entertainment. He made the move into features in 1928 - at the tender age of 14 - working as a runner on the drama The Informer. Becoming fascinated with the movie making process, Cardiff soon became a camera operator and then a cinematographer. And just nine years later he shot Wings of Morning (1937), the first British film to be made in Technicolor and Cardiff's first project as credited cinematographer.

Cardiff soon became one of the most highly respected DoPs in the business, and went on to work on some true classic from The Barefoot Contessa and The Prince and the Showgirl to The Awakening, Conan the Destroyer and Rambo II.

He also made the move into directing, making his debut in 1953 with The Story of William Tell and going on to helm films such as The Mercenaries, The Girl on a Motorcycle and Sons and Lovers

Cardiff was made an OBE in 2000.

Movie Highlight

The Woman in Black

Having relaunched in 2010 with the promise of delivering solid horror films for a modern audience, the output from the rebooted Hammer Films has been something of a mixed bag. While its inaugural release, remake Let Me In, was received with great fanfare, subsequent films The Resident and Wake Wood have been less successful. So with its first big release, The Woman in Black, Hammer has much to prove – and has piled on the pressure by choosing to adapt a story that’s not only a bestselling novel but also a long running West End play.

An additional challenge is that tale is so effective because of its simplicity; there are no big set pieces for a filmmaker to hide behind. So it’s reassuring to see that, while some elements of Susan Hill’s story have been tweaked to give it more of a cinematic scope, the narrative runs fairly true. At its heart is young lawyer Arthur Kipps (Daniel Radcliffe) who, still reeling from the death of his wife in childbirth four years previously, is sent to a remote village in order to organise the paperwork at the isolated Eel Marsh House. On his arrival he finds the locals most unwelcoming, believing that anyone disturbing the peace at the house brings tragedy to the village. Although initially sceptical, Kipps soon discovers that the mansion holds horrifying secrets, and that one of its former occupants is determined to exact terrifying revenge…

READ FULL REVIEW: The Woman in Black

DVD Highlight

The Walking Dead

The living dead have been a mainstay of horror cinema for decades. Now they maraud onto the small screen in Frank Darabont’s adaptation of the graphic novel by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore and Charlie Adlard.

Brit favourite Andrew Lincoln (This Life, Teachers) adopts a convincing drawl to take on the role of sheriff Rick Grimes, who wakes from a coma to find the local residents have become flesh-eating ghouls. While the initial set-up is reminiscent of 28 Days Later, these zombies are not Danny Boyle’s fast moving monsters, but the lumbering breed of tradition. That doesn’t dilute their impact; as Rick teams up with other survivors, the zombies are relentless in their pursuit and the tension builds to unbearable levels.

READ FULL REVIEW: The Walking Dead

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