The Stories Behind the Stunning Visuals of ‘The Power of the Dog’

  • 📰 VanityFair
  • ⏱ Reading Time:
  • 83 sec. here
  • 3 min. at publisher
  • 📊 Quality Score:
  • News: 37%
  • Publisher: 55%

Entertainment Entertainment Headlines News

Entertainment Entertainment Latest News,Entertainment Entertainment Headlines

The Power of the Dog's Jane Campion and Ari Wegner open up about the work that went into crafting the film's stunning—and layered—visuals.

provide an unsettlingly beautiful backdrop toNary a frame in Western tragedy, shot by fast-rising cinematographer, feels difficult to look at—the blood on a stalk of wheat, a Hula-Hoop twirling in the dark of the night—even as each functions as a kind of ominous sign to come.

operating outside the “tight emotional space” of her core characters. This ebullient visual works at once as an evocation of the seasonal shift to summer—“everything stops for a moment”—and as a setup for a moment later on, when Phil rides by alone, creating a sharp contrast: “For them to be skinny-dipping and just to feel a little uncomfortable at the way he’s looking at them,” Campion says.

“As an audience, we’re also slightly suspicious,” Wegner adds of her approach to capturing Peter’s barn entrance. “I love what Jane and Kodi did here with Peter and his body language. He comes in and he sits like this when he first gets on, and then at a certain point throughout the scene, he moves one of his legs over. So he’s almost kind of sidesaddle—but in a very confident kind of way. I remember Jane and Kodi kind of discovering that moment.

Because the barn had to be built there, then, Campion and Wegner spent weeks at the location as it was being built, finding “frames within frames” and exploring lighting patterns before they could get to filming. They’d storyboard in the morning, surrounded by the construction chaos, and take in the peace of it emptied out in the evening. “Any space like this, with a big window and beautiful dark walls, is a dream for a D.P.,” Wegner says.

Visual effects created “cow clones” to approximate the thousand or so animals described in the book. And an unusually dusty day—so dusty the crew had to wear goggles—aided in the eventual sequence maintaining a thorough authenticity throughout. “The stakes were quite high,” Wegner says.Upon seeing this image, Campion blurts, “Oh, my God.

 

Thank you for your comment. Your comment will be published after being reviewed.
Please try again later.

Great article about a stunning movie. I had to watch it twice. I don't ever do that.

We have summarized this news so that you can read it quickly. If you are interested in the news, you can read the full text here. Read more:

 /  🏆 391. in ENTERTAİNMENT

Entertainment Entertainment Latest News, Entertainment Entertainment Headlines

Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.

Capri, Hollywood Film Fest: ‘Power of the Dog’ Named Best Picture'Cyrano,' however, was awarded more prizes than any other film — three — by the board of the just-wrapped Italian fest. This. Movie. Is. Boring. i already know that i'm gonna hate the oscars this year.
Source: THR - 🏆 411. / 53 Read more »