Behind the Scenes: Rodrigo Prieto

In addition to reviewing older films, I’ve also decided to include this new feature called “Behind the Scenes.” Here, I’m going to pick a certain person working professionally in films today. Their professions will range from directors, producers, writers, actors, cinematographers, editors, and numerous others. I hope you enjoy a peek into the world that keeps movies alive.

RODRIGO PRIETO

Born: November 1965

Occupation: Cinematographer

Best Work: Brokeback Mountain

Other Highlights: 21 Grams, Alexander, Frida, Babel, Lust-Caution

Upcoming Films: Biutiful, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps

When it comes to high profiled cinematographers, Rodrigo Prieto is surprisingly in high demand. Even before he got a well deserved Oscar nomination, his resumé was pretty extensive throughout the 1990s working on nearly twenty short Mexican films. Sadly, these films have escaped my viewing, but considering how much he racked up in that short time period tells me that those directors found something to appreciate in his work.

Prieto’s style has generally been appreciated for its blend of chaotic grittiness and elegant beauty. This is most evident in the films he has worked on with Alejandro González Iñarritú: Amores Perros, 21 Grams and Babel. Of these three films, I would say 21 Grams is my favorite, not only due to its storytelling but because of Prieto’s work. He always bleeds a great amount of flare and color, but always keeps the scenes grounded in a gritty reality, a perfect sense to capture within the world of the film. Despite some of the story problems, Prieto always managed to keep the camera visually stimulated in a world that inhabited a bleak sense of ironic beauty.

Prieto’s first big success was probably his work on Frida. Director Julie Taymor has a heavy theatrical background, and such extravagance provided perhaps the greatest level of freedom and creativity in his entire career. The colors flare vibrantly and the dramatic lighting works well to bring out the vivid artistry that Kalho was widely known for. Prieto’s efforts were large enough to earn him his first nomination from the American Society of Cinematographers.

Of all the great work that Prieto showed in the earliest part of his career, his crowning achievement is without a doubt Brokeback Mountain. In the long list of great elements of that film, the cinematography beautifully captures all the details. It helps that Prieto had the majestic natural scenery to immediately transport us into the world of this film. However, Prieto also uses the methods to offer a quiet, soft romanticism to the piece which fully envelopes the mindset of these tormented characters. By the time we get to the final moments, the mountains peeking in the back symbol the wide gap that

has grown between them and adds another layer of heartbreaking beauty. It’s no wonder why he received an Oscar nomination, and if it were up to me, I’d say that he should have taken it.

But the great thing about Prieto is that his work has never stopped succeeding. Sometimes his achievements are the best parts of the film (Alexander and Lust,Caution are some examples). The bottom line is that when you get a film that is shot by Rodrigo Prieto, you’ll be getting an elegantly designed look that helps to amplify the emotions that the story puts forth. Of his upcoming films, I believe his reuniting with Iñarritú on Biutiful will provide the most vibrant work from him, and I simply can’t wait to see it.