The Technicolor Dreams of Jack Cardiff
by Graham Oliver
Cable Guide: July 2001
Black Narcissus and Conan the Destroyer. You wouldn't
think these two movies had a great deal in common: the
former - a brilliantly affecting 1940s drama detailing
the emotional turmoil of a group of nuns in the
Himalayas - is rightly regarded as a masterpiece of
British cinema; the latter is a Hollywood
sword-and-sorcery adventure starring Arnold
Schwarzenegger. But the films share an undeniable
visual artistry, and that's because both were shot by
Jack Cardiff, one of the most respected and
imaginative cameramen in the history of the industry.
The Yarmouth-born Cardiff, now a sprightly 86 years
old, has notched up cinematographer credits on over 60
films and has directed 14 features, including the DH
Lawrence adaptation Sons and Lovers, Young Cassidy
(with John Ford), and the 1960s cult curio Girl on a
Motorcycle.
His most celebrated work, however, was for the
visionary film-making team of British director Michael
Powell and his Hungarian-born writing and producing
partner Emeric Pressburger, for whom he manned the
camera on three enduring classics: A Matter of Life
and Death (1946), the aforementioned Black Narcissus
(1947) and The Red Shoes (1948).
Cardiff has always been restlessly creative by nature,
always challenging accepted ideas about cinematography
and movie-making. And in Powell he found a kindred
spirit. Cardiff says: 'He was constantly attacking
everything that was normal. I did a lot of things that
cameramen weren't supposed to do.
I was always doing rather outrageous things. And that
was Michael's entire way of working, so we got on
famously.'
A great example of Cardiff's resourceful inventiveness
resulted in a simple but effective moment early on in
the classic fantasy A Matter of Life and Death. An RAF
pilot, played by David Niven, has abandoned his
crippled aircraft as it hurtled to the ground. He is
about to find himself on a beautiful beach and
believes he has died and gone to heaven. Cardiff
explains how he approached the opening shot of the
sandy idyll: 'Just as we were about to shoot it
Michael said, 'It says in the script fade-in, which is
a bit corny. I wish we could think of something
different.' I said, 'Michael, look through the
camera,' and as he did so I went round the front and
breathed on the lens. It took about four seconds for
this misty condensation to disappear and reveal the
scene and Michael loved it.'
Black Narcissus, starring Deborah Kerr, and ballet
tale The Red Shoes, starring Moira Shearer, are among
the most poetic adventures in colour ever committed to
celluloid. Cardiff's vibrant, dreamlike experiments on
the haunting dance drama were truly astonishing, and
his elegant and expressive photography on Black
Narcissus helped convince audiences they were watching
a story unfold against the epic backdrop of the
Himalayas, rather than a cleverly dressed set at
Pinewood Studios. Cardiff won a richly deserved Oscar
for his astonishing efforts on that film.
But he had to wait 53 years to double his Oscar haul,
despite being nominated a further three times. At this
year's ceremony he became the first cameraman in
Academy history to win an Honorary Oscar, and as
he accepted the statuette amid rapturous applause,
there wasn't a happier, prouder man in the world.
But surely there was a sense of sweet revenge, too.
For, back in 1949, Academy politics had denied Cardiff
a nomination for his sterling cinematography on The
Red Shoes. 'That whole affair was very sad,' he sighs.
'At that time, everyone said, 'You're definitely going
to get the Oscar for this.'
I wasn't even nominated. The reason was the American
Camera Society decided that as I'd won it the year
before, it would be putting American cameramen in a
bad light if an Englishman won the Oscar two years
running. So this year you could say I made a bit of
an entrance through the back door!'
