Cinematography can be an extremely powerful tool in media and filmmaking. Used correctly, it can convey powerful symbolism, themes and emotions, as well as raise storytelling to new heights. As Leonardo Da Vinci said “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication”. I personally think this is true for many different aspects of life. But in the case of film where visuals are so important, it is essential.

Now don’t get me wrong, clutter and chaos have their place and can be used effectively for certain sequences in media, but a lot of the time it can be over done and distract the audience from what is really happening.

A brilliant example of simplicity in film is in the original Star Wars Trilogy. Take the opening scene from STAR WARS IV: A NEW HOPE (1977) for example:

This shot is incredible because it is so simple, but says so much. The audience immediately knows what is happening in this scene. There is the small, almost fragile rebel ship trying to escape the clutches of the colossal, megalithic might of the Imperial ship. This shot conveys the vulnerable, downtrodden nature of the Rebel Alliance juxtaposed with the dominant, powerful force that is the Empire. It tells the audience what is happening without even one line of dialogue. Not to mention being visually striking.

Next up, we have the iconic shot of Luke Skywalker looking out towards the binary sunset. These two suns almost represent the two choices Luke is faced with in his life. Does he remain a farm boy and stay unsatisfied with his life? Or will he decide to head in a new direction and attain a life of greater significance?

You could also say that the twin suns explain the setting. The reason the Planet is a desert is because of the intensity of the two suns. Again, an example of showing not telling.

Finally, we have my favourite shot in all of Star Wars. Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader duelling on Bespin from STAR WARS EPISODE VI: THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK (1980).

Not only does it present the classic themes of good vs evil, as well as showing Luke’s potential fall to the dark side through the use of lighting and sillouettes, it simply looks gorgeous. There’s a certain visual artistry to the composition, how the shot is framed and where each object or character is placed. I’m a big fan of this style of cinematography and I believe it it is a lot more evocative and appealing, compared to cramming a hundred different things into a shot. Simplicity makes for much more engaging and powerful visuals.

Finally, I wanted to showcase a contrasting example of what I would consider ‘messy shots’. You may know that George Lucas, the creator of Star War released Blu Ray editions of the movies in 2011, where he made various different changes to them. Some good, some horrendously bad. One such example of the changes is that he added many different CGI characters into scenes from the original trilogy as you can see below:

This original shot of Han Solo chasing down stormtroopers, only to then be confronted by a group of them was a comedic and simple scene. However, it was later changed to this:

There is so much happening in this shot and it is jarring, and ultimately feels out of place. The CGI sticks out like a sore thumb and the joke is almost lost. This is a small example but one that I feel is important. George Lucas was guilty of this in the STAR WARS Prequel Trilogy too, sometimes CGI and unlimited resources can be a hindrance to movies as filmmakers can become too reliant on it.

However, that being said, there are also some beautifully crafted shots in the prequel trilogy too such as the ones below:

Thank you for reading,

Joe