Darius Khondji

When I looked up information about Darius Khondji, I realized I had already seen many of his movies: The Beach, The Interpreter, Se7en, and The Ninth Gate. Actually, these are all movies that were memorable to me in some way, and now I know the man responsible for that. I found a quote from him that says, “filmmaking is the orchestration of emotions through light.” Now that I reflect on these films, I see that this is true.

What I like most about Khondji’s cinematography in these films is his use of wide pans, light, and how he captures details. He lets the camera pan over the beautiful or exotic scenery like the tropical island in The Beach or the mysterious European mansions in The Ninth Gate. I also noticed that he is not afraid to place the camera at unique angles, to enhance the mood of a scene. Se7en is a great example of this, since the camera slowly moves over each horrible crime scene that the killer left behind, making the viewer feel as sick as the detectives who found it. Also, the close-up of Brad Pitt’s face at the end of Se7en is absolutely unforgettable, with the clear blue sky behind him, and his eyes swelling with tears and rage, right before he shoots the killer in the head. The long shots of Nicole Kidman running in The Interpreter are so sharp and full of detail, and so are the scenes filmed inside the giant auditoriums of the UN where her character works.

The depth of field (the front to back range of focus in an image) in some of his scenes is filled with detail, yet they appears clear and sharp. Some examples are the UN auditoriums, or the many library-room scenes in The Ninth Gate where, if viewers take their focus off Johnny Depp’s actions, they can probably see each book individually. Khondji doesn’t miss anything! He must have the eye of an eagle to make sure all these details are included.