Human drama enhanced by Hawk V-Lites
With its Oscar triumph, Anatomy of a Fall has capped off an extraordinary awards run that began with the Palme d’Or at Cannes and Best Picture at the Cesars, and picked up momentum with five Oscar nominations including Best Picture and Best Achievement in Directing.
The movie’s extraordinary, yet nuanced visual style was created by director Justine Triet and director of photography Simon Beaufils, AFC using an unusual combination – the ARRI Mini LF with Hawk V‑Lite Anamorphic lenses, cropped in on the sensor to help create the right feeling within a 1.85:1 aspect ratio. Focal lengths were kept wider to keep the actors placed within the environment, but not so wide as to lose the personality of the optics.
The story is a forensic look at the aftermath of a tragic death. After what appears to be an accident, the subsequent investigation lays bare the very human faults of a relationship, as the wheels of justice try to determine guilt or innocence of the deceased’s partner. Lead actor Sandra Hüller, also Oscar-nominated, is often seen in intense closeups. The main settings are an Alpine chalet and a courtroom.
Regarding the images, Beaufils says he didn’t want too much sharpness. “I liked the grainier feeling that came when we cropped down, and the out-of-focus artifacts from the Hawk V‑Lite lenses,” he says “I think the lenses distract a bit from the square pixels of digital. It’s a little more messy, in a good way.”
Triet, who had made two previous features with Beaufils, asked him to maintain a naturalistic image.
“I like an image that is discreet, in a way,” he explains. “I don’t like it when, after the movie, you say ‘Whoa! That image was so great!’ I don’t want the spotlight on the image. I want colors and sensations without a commercial feeling. I do like some films with particular styles, but when I’m shooting, I prefer to be a bit behind the image.”
Beaufils’ next assignment, Les prisonnières, stars Isabelle Huppert and is expected later in 2024.
Images: Vantage Film, IMDb
