Nothing But a Man is Talbot’s all-time favorite film. He took cinematography inspiration from Yasujirō Ozu’s films, particularly An Autumn Afternoon for a pivotal conversation scene between Jimmie and a family member on a bus. Spike Lee’s Do the Right Thing and Leos Carax’s Mauvais Sang informed some of the…

As praise for the film mounts, particularly for its art direction, cinematography and soundtrack, we asked Talbot to share the movies that fed into the look and feel of his film.

Joe Talbot picked up the Best Director prize at Sundance 2019 for his debut feature, The Last Black Man in San Francisco , a story drawn from the life of his best friend (and the film’s leading man), Jimmie Fails.

Joe Talbot picked up the Best Director prize at Sundance 2019 for his debut feature, The Last Black Man in San Francisco, a story drawn from the life of his best friend (and the film’s leading man), Jimmie Fails.

As praise for the film mounts, particularly for its art direction, cinematography and soundtrack, we asked Talbot to share the movies that fed into the look and feel of his film.

Nothing But a Man is Talbot’s all-time favorite film. He took cinematography inspiration from Yasujirō Ozu’s films, particularly An Autumn Afternoon for a pivotal conversation scene between Jimmie and a family member on a bus. Spike Lee’s Do the Right Thing and Leos Carax’s Mauvais Sang informed some of the tracking shots-with-movement. For the old Hollywood lighting and rich colors (such as the “Rock Hudson red” of Jimmie’s ubiquitous shirt), Talbot looked to All That Heaven Allows and Le Havre.

“Le Havre was big,” Talbot told us. “I talked to [the film’s Finnish cinematographer] Timo Salminen early on about shooting the film, but we couldn’t get him a visa under Trump.” Instead, Talbot hired Adam Newport-Berra, and now, “I can’t imagine the film in anyone else’s hands other than Adam’s. He shot his ass off. He has the rugged determination of a dude that grew up shooting skaters mixed with the elegance of someone who thinks deeply about story and character.”

Read more in Jack Moulton’s interview with Joe Talbot.