murmur & shout

Temporarily lifting the gif ban because there’s no other way to show you this amazing close-up. It’s more striking on a larger screen, obviously, but you get the idea.

This is a good example of the sharp upswing in filmmaking sophistication between The Sheik in 1921 and Son of the Sheik in 1926 that I mentioned in this post. In the first, the cinematography was much more utilitarian and static, whether because they hadn’t yet learned the techniques or because they didn’t have the equipment, I don’t know. In the sequel, the photography becomes much more evocative and bold, creating tension and helping shape the narrative.