Ben Davis Talks Shooting Martin McDonagh's Wild Horse Nine on Easter Island
Cinematographer Ben Davis has spoken about the look of Wild Horse Nine, Martin McDonagh's film shot on Easter Island, at the Camerimage festival in Toruń, Poland. The film screened at the festival earlier this week, according to Deadline.
A cinematographer is the person who decides how a film looks, from the lighting to the lens choices and camera moves. Camerimage is a festival devoted to that craft, and it draws directors of photography from around the world.
The story is set in 1973. CIA agents Chris and Lee are sent from Santiago to Easter Island shortly before the Chilean coup that year. Sam Rockwell and John Malkovich play the leads. Steve Buscemi and Parker Posey also star.
Easter Island sits about 2,330 miles west of mainland Chile, which made it a remote place to shoot. Davis had only just finished work on Bradley Cooper's Ocean's Eleven prequel before he travelled to Toruń. Working on two large projects back to back is common in the business, because crews and camera departments often move from one production to the next with little time between them.
Wild Horse Nine is the fourth film Davis has made with McDonagh, so the two have a long working relationship. Davis also said the photographers William Eggleston and Stephen Shore gave him visual inspiration. Eggleston and Shore are both known for colour photography of everyday American scenes, and their influence shows the kind of quiet, observed images a cinematographer might aim for.
The camera used on the film was the ARRI Alexa 35, a digital cinema camera made by the German company ARRI. Choosing a camera is one of the first big decisions a cinematographer makes, because each model records colour and light in its own way.
For film fans, the appeal of a story like this is often the behind-the-scenes choices. A film set on a remote island, with a cast led by Rockwell and Malkovich, gives the camera team plenty to work with. Davis's comments at the festival offer a look at how those choices came together.
The film has not yet been given a release date. Further details on its distribution have not been announced.
