High Point University

The wonders of cinematography and ‘Blade Runner 2049’

“Blade Runner 2049” provides incredible cinematography.
Photo by Idmb.com

By Sean Marcus

Staff Photographer

The dystopian, morally ambiguous sci-fi thriller, “Blade Runner 2049” (2017), has a lot for aspiring cinematographers and movie fanatics: a beautifully written story and dialogue alongside stunning visuals and excellent acting by award winning movie stars Ryan Gosling and Harrison Ford. It explores themes of loneliness, existentialism and freedom. It is a thought-provoking story.

Before I go into the rudimentary principles of artistic filming, here is a short synopsis of the story. It begins 30 years after the original “Blade Runner” (1982), and shifts its protagonist to Officer K (Ryan Gosling). K is a replicant, a bioengineered being created to fulfill a certain purpose.

His directive is to be a blade runner, a police officer who hunts replicants who become independent. In his work, K unearths a body that has the potential to change the nature of his society.

The most profound aspect of the film is its incredible cinematography by Roger Deakins, who has helped
produce many Oscar winning and nominated films such as “True Grit,” “The Shawshank Redemption” and his most recent, “1917.”

He has received the lifetime achievement award for cinematography. Additionally, he has earned Academy Awards, Critics’ Choice and many more accolades. “Blade Runner 2049” is no exception to his work, as he provided brilliant insight to create spec- tacular scenes throughout the whole movie.

Deakins’ use of lighting is simple. Sometimes he only uses a single key or back light. This produces shadows which he then manipulates to guide the viewer to the focal point of a scene. The importance of this is key, yet it is the most underrated and underappreciated aspect of a film.

It is the ability to visually dramatize the emotional potential within a scene. This, in turn, can create context and meaning to drive forth the story without the need to use dialogue. This is the purest form of storytelling.

An area related to lighting is color grading. This can be used to beautify the scene, but the most profound ability it possesses is to change the overall mood. “Blade Runner 2049” normally uses an orange and blue hue. Orange and blue tones are used to demonstrate the mood of many scenes.

Orange represent the calm and warm emotions, while blue shades are used to indicate the cold and isolation. It can also guide the viewer to understand the tone of a scene subconsciously. It can be used as a terrific storytelling technique that is severely underrated.

Cinematography also relates to character and object placement, not just visual tweaks. The term ‘blocking’ refers to the choreography of every aspect presented and how they work in harmony with one another: furniture, people, vehicles, objects, etc.

Placement is key in visual and dialogue-based storytelling. It helps guide viewers’ eyes across the screen to relevant events, according to what is happening on screen. It can prevent confusion or create chaos if the director desires to do so. One example in the movie is a scene where each of the characters are positioned to create a triangle, pointing the viewer’s attention in a specific direction.

Furthermore, their eyes watch as K walks into the scene, successfully guiding the viewer to the focus point. Stanley Kubrick is a master at using blocking, and his films are an excellent place to look for more examples of the technique.

Cinematography as a whole is subjective and inventive. There are a million ways to create stunning visuals or meaning where there seemingly isn’t. It is an art form that is often neglected
in modern cinema and deserves more praise than it is given. Although neglected, it is used everywhere. It appears not just in movies, but even television shows and commercials.
For aspiring cinematographers or interested readers, cinematography is both an art and a skill in which is
a wonderful thing to immerse yourself with.

With new affordable cameras boasting capabilities to record HD resolutions, the whole art form has been reinvented by aspiring film artists. It’s mind boggling that a TikTok can carry out more creative energy than some of the films today. That being said, “Blade Runner 2049” is an excellent example to witness some gorgeous cinematography, and I highly recommend it.