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Exodus (1960)


Jon O'Brien

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For that sort of ext. shot, with close ups of faces in bright sunlight, in that era what sort of lighting was used? Just one big light, or two for extra fill? Or a light and a reflector board?

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Interestingly there's a few occasions where the camera tracks in close, with impeccable focus pulling that was obviously well-rehearsed, but with the camera's shadow looming into frame. It actually occurs at the 'climactic' scene where Newman and Eva Marie Saint kiss. They're meant to be alone on a hill but it looks like someone has walked right up to them and the director is showing us this by the shadow. But no, it's just the camera. Happens a few times in the movie. I'm not being critical - it's a brilliantly made film. Just worthy of comment.

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Interestingly there's a few occasions where the camera tracks in close, with impeccable focus pulling that was obviously well-rehearsed, but with the camera's shadow looming into frame. It actually occurs at the 'climactic' scene where Newman and Eva Marie Saint kiss. They're meant to be alone on a hill but it looks like someone has walked right up to them and the director is showing us this by the shadow. But no, it's just the camera. Happens a few times in the movie. I'm not being critical - it's a brilliantly made film. Just worthy of comment.

It happens more often than you'd think or like. Presumably non- reflex finders and it just wasn't spotted.

I have a pet theory that audiences were more accepting of artifice such as this, or fringey travelling mattes that we point at now and say "how did they ever buy that?". They just did.

My theory doesn't account for Hitchcock's apparently deliberate use of jarring opticals as an abstraction.

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Could be, too, that while rehearsing the scene including framing the shot and getting the focus perfect, speaking with the actors, the sun had moved just enough. And as you say, just wasn't spotted. On a difficult and hot shoot no doubt.

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