Entertainment
How Janusz Kaminski found beauty in tragedy
There’s a rhythmic dance within the visible language of Steven Spielberg’s “West Facet Story” that pulsates with power. The digital camera glides by way of the twirling choreography inviting us to take part, whereas coloration, temper and texture honor a lighting type harking back to previous Hollywood. “It’s a really lovely story with a dramatic twist,” says cinematographer Janusz Kaminski. “We have been making a dwell model of a Broadway present that wanted to look glamorous and engaging.” In a pivotal scene atop a damaged bridge, Tony (Ansel Elgort) and Riff (Mike Faist) combat over a gun. The cinematographer enhanced their efficiency by embracing the situation’s shiny daylight and shadows with painterly element. “Steven is a grasp of composition and digital camera motion. It’s some of the balletic sequences with out it feeling like a musical,” Kaminski notes. “The second could be very dynamic and foreshadows what’s going to occur afterward within the film”: an iconic and tragic ending.