Rest In Peace: Jack Cardiff

The great Jack Cardiff, legendary cinematographer and perhaps overlooked director, passed away this week, aged 94. It was odd timing as a friend and I had been discussing him Tuesday afternoon in the pub and at a Q&A with actor George Kennedy that we went to Tuesday night (which given the Wednesday afternoon reports of Mr Cardiff's passing i assume was when he died) Mr Kennedy was discussing Death On The Nile, which Cardiff shot.

Cardiff always seemed to me one of those guys, like Ray Harryhausen, who were destined to live forever. I guess through his incredible, indelible images he will do.

The man photographed some amazing movies but none more beautifully in my opinion than his first project as sole director of photography, Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger's masterpiece A Matter Of Life And Death (right). The film, which i watched again last night in tribute to Mr Cardiff, is in my top 10 film's of all time and features a stunning mix of technicolor glory for the Earth-bound scenes and beautiful black-and-white for the heavenly scenes, including dissolves from one to the other - most notably that early one focussed on Marius Goring's lapel rose, which his character even comments upon. If you haven't seen A Matter Of Life And Death it's an absolute must and you will then feel ashamed for not having previously seen it.

Of course The Red Shoes and Black Narcissus followed in the collaboration between Cardiff and Powell and Pressburger, Cardiff winning the Oscar for the latter (right).

In fact, and slightly oddly, it was following a Q&A he took part in about working with Michael Powell that followed a screening of Powell's under-rated Peeping Tom (which Cardiff didn't shoot, making it a slightly odd selection) that i had the good fortune to meet Cardiff. It was April 1, 2001 and only a week after he had been awarded an honorary Oscar for his work on March 25 of that year. He was a true old-school gent and seemed genuinely pleased that so many people there were interested in him and his work. Perhaps because technical guys like cinematographers so rarely get the credit they deserve. It was a highlight for me amongst people in the industry i have either met or listened to speak in person at Q&As and such, and interestingly that was how he came up on Tuesday afternoon as my friend said he was the most interesting film personality she had ever heard speak, when he visited her university in the 90s.

Other non-Powell films he worked on as cinematographer included The Barefoot Contessa, The Prince And The Showgirl, War And Peace, The Vikings, Death On The Nile; the slightly surprising Conan The Destroyer and Rambo: First Blood, Part 2; and another of my favourites John Huston's The African Queen (right).

I am ashamed to say i am not very familiar with his work as a director, having only seen the enjoyable My Geisha, starring Shirley Maclaine, which i have on DVD. Amongst his other films was 1960's Sons And Lovers for which he received an Oscar nomination for Best Director, while the film was also nominated for Best Picture. It also appropriately won Best Cinematography, for Freddie Francis. I intend to seek out Sons And Lovers as soon as possible. It lost out at the Oscars to another of my top 10 all-time films, Billy Wilder's The Apartment, but even to be considered in the same company makes it a must see.

I am glad to have had that opportunity to meet him just over 8 years ago and through his films, especially the Powell/Pressburger collaborations and The African Queen, i will always remember his huge contribution to cinema.

Farewell Jack. Rest in Peace. I hope heaven is all you made it look in A Matter Of Life And Death.