Happy accidents

A criteria of judging cinematography is its ability to effectively propel a story. Like music, it evokes and instills feelings without verbal cues or instructions. Its meanings are implied, hitting on instinctual notes, and while not wholly graspable, can still be felt by its viewers.

In the late 1920s, many early cinematographers feared that the advent of sound would mean the death knell for cinematography. They presumed that stories would henceforth be explained, as opposed to being tactfully conveyed through thoughtful imagery—the fundamental domain of film.

However, when “The Jazz Singer” debuted in 1927 and other “talkies” thereafter, it was evident that the importance of cinematography remained a vital and foundational aspect of film and filmmaking.

Regardless of dialogue, a story’s mood is still dependent on its framing and lighting and eventually in the late 1930s, its colors. As a visual medium, artistic and technical decisions are what carries films on a conscious, and more importantly, subconscious level. It adds depth and meaning where words fail to adequately express the appropriate emotions.

Richard Brooks’ 1967 film “In Cold Blood" characterizes such an instance. In a scene toward the end, a tormented Robert Blake relays the story of his abusive father before his sentence is carried out. While the play of light and rain reflecting off the window onto his face was a happy accident, it is evident that that moment undoubtedly added so much more to Blake and by extension, the story.