The Cinema of Walter Murch (w/ Dir. Jon Lefkovitz)

Walter Murch is one of the seminal figures in American cinema in terms of defining film craft. His editing and sound design work, in many ways, provides the audio-visual architecture to the most influential films of New Hollywood and his collaboration with Francis Ford Coppola on The Conversation, The Godfather and Apocalypse Now would influence a generation of filmmakers to follow. Jon Lefkovitz's feature length audio-visual essay, draws upon a wealth public interviews, discussions and lectures by Murch which demonstrate how his technical craftsmanship is borne out of a deep philosophical understanding of cinema as an art form, and how we respond, cognitively and emotionally, to it. Dario discusses with Jon the labour of love in amalgamating the hours of audio with images that visually enhance and reflect Murch's ideas. This gives rise to many topics of conversation including: cinema as a sound as much as a visual medium, the role of the cinematographer in relation to the director, Murch's continued influence on cinema from analogue to the digital age, the difference between the craft and art of film, and the cold realities of working in the film industry when you are not the one with final creative control.

The film Sight and Sound: The Cinema of Walter Murch is free to view on Vimeo. 

With the pandemic still wreaking havoc in all areas of life, Dario and Neil discuss the present and future of cinema particularly in light of Warner Bros. decision to put it all new releases onto the streaming service HBO Max at the same time as they go into cinemas.

Also under discussion are the recent viewings of David Fincher's ode to old Hollywood Mank, brutally honest and intriguingly subjective documentary Time (Garrett Bradley), highly entertaining Russian horror sci-fi but with a Hollywood sensibility Sputnik, and an even more terrifying socially conscious British horror from Remi Weeks: His House.

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Music Credits

‘Theme from The Cinematologists’

Written and produced by Gwenno Saunders. Mixed by Rhys Edwards. Drums, bass & guitar by Rhys Edwards. All synths by Gwenno Saunders. Published by Downtown Music Publishing.

Transition music - P.O.V. - Composed and performed by Jon Lefkovitz https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u90H1x3AJm4