Sharper Director Wanted His Cinematographer To Be 'The Princess Of Darkness' And Emulate Gordon Willis [Exclusive]
Gordon Willis is considered by many to be one of the greatest cinematographers in the history of cinema, with his work on films like "The Godfather" trilogy, "Annie Hall," "Manhattan," and "Klute" hailed as the definitive cinematic look of the late 1970s. Willis was given the nickname "The Prince of Darkness" by fellow cinematographer Conrad Hall, a reference to Willis' sophisticated use of shadow and underexposed film. Think of Marlon Brando as Vito Corleone in "The Godfather," often cloaked in shadow just as dark as his pitch-black tuxedo jacket.
Willis' skills were on another level, and in our current era where everything seems to be plagued by a curse of darkness, it's a shame that more cinematographers aren't looking toward his example. Fortunately, director Benjamin Caron of "Andor" fame specifically wanted to channel the work of Gordon Willis for his upcoming A24 thriller with Julianne Moore and Sebastian Stan, "Sharper." The film centers on a con artist who attempts to take down Manhattan's community of billionaires, which sounds like a film that would feel right at home with the 1970s crime thrillers of Willis' filmography.
During a recent interview, /Film's Ben Pearson spoke with Caron about his influences for "Sharper," and he name-dropped the Alan J. Pakula neo-noir crime thriller, "Klute." This 1971 film has been having a hell of a cultural resurgence as of late, as Matt Reeves cited the film as a massive influence on "The Batman," as well. For Caron, however, it was the specific visual language of Willis' cinematography that he most wanted to capture. To do so, he needed cinematographer Charlotte Bruus Christensen to become "The Princess of Darkness."
Shooting in the shadows
During the interview, Benjamin Caron tells Ben Pearson that "Klute" was the "biggest reference point" while working on "Sharper," citing the film's visual language. "There was just something about the atmosphere of that film that I've always loved," he says. "So I said to Charlotte [Bruus Christensen], who was our brilliant cinematographer on this, I was like, 'Look, I want you to be the Princess of Darkness on this.'" The Danish cinematographer has her fair share of impressive credits to her name, having shot films like "The Girl on the Train," "Fences," "Molly's Game," "A Quiet Place," "The Banker," and recently, "All the Old Knives."
Caron says that he wanted the film to emulate "these sophisticated compositions of using light and darkness," being a huge fan of how Gordon Willis and Alan J. Pakula utilized shadows and underexposed long takes to tell the story in "Klute." In describing Willis' work, Caron says, "He just basically infused every frame with meaning and atmosphere, and there was a beautiful delicacy to it. So it was a heavy leaning into the feeling of that film." With such a powerful film as a reference point, it's all but certain that "Sharper" will have audiences ready to venture into the darkness.
"Sharper" will be released in select theaters on February 10, 2023, before its Apple TV+ arrival on February 17, 2023.