letters from iwo jima

SALLYNABIL · Mar 7, 2007

i watched this movie recently and i was amazed by the lighting. Tom Stern, the cinematographer, used low key lighting during most of the scenes in a way that was realistic on one hand, since it depicts the life of soldiers in the desert living mainly in inderground caves, and expressive the state of isolation, depression the whole island suffered from, on the other. besides, stern painted a desaturated picture throughout the whole movie, thus standing in an in-between area that is neither colored no black-and-white. how can we make this kind of desaturated pictures ?

David Mullen ASC · Mar 8, 2007

Other than the use of desaturated costumes and production design, the desaturated look was created in post using the digital intermediate process. Taking down the chroma level is easy in electronic post. They also added more contrast and selectively added back some color to reds like blood or explosions, the Japanese flag, etc.

SALLYNABIL · Mar 8, 2007

thank u Mr. David for these information but what do u think was the dramatic purpose behind this desaturated look ?

David Mullen ASC · Mar 9, 2007

What do you think the reason was?

SALLYNABIL · Mar 9, 2007

i felt that this desaturation was part of the general mood of the movie. it reflected isolation (from military support one hand, and families with all the warmth they symbolize on the other),imminent defeat, hopelessnes especially as we aprroach the end, and finally the ghost of death or suicide always lurking around; this strong presence of death justifies intensifying the red colour as contrasted to the generally pale picture. on the contrary, we find the flash back scenes particularly ken's part in america fully saturated.

Lazlo · Mar 9, 2007

I loved the desaturated gritty texture given to the majority of the picture. It was so refreshing after I had (for the first time) seen The Pianist, which paints this beautiful and glossy image that I don't think was suitable at all to the subject matter other than to make the cinematographer look really good (which it did).

I was more curious about how they achieved the incredible wide shots (in letters). I m not even sure how I'd describe them after one viewing. Really saturated grays and extremely sharp, but that's really vague still. My guess was DI and at least some CG... Really breathtaking.