Cinematography technique · used in 2 films
Filling the set with smoke or fog so lights show up as visible beams and backgrounds go soft. The haze gives action a moody, stylized look.
Examples
Kenji Mizoguchi · 1953
The Lake Biwa crossing was shot in a studio pool with added smoke. The mist hides the shore, and the boat seems to move through a dream. The scene sets up the film's feeling of danger and of leaving ordinary life behind.
Where to see it: The Lake Biwa crossing. The two couples sail across the lake through fog, afraid of pirates.
Russell Mulcahy · 1986
Mulcahy keeps the air busy. Reviews describe the fights as painted in strokes of light, smoke and color, with backlight cutting across the frame. You can see the light itself, which makes a story about immortal swordsmen feel larger than life and a little dreamlike.
Where to see it: The final duel with the Kurgan. Connor and the Kurgan fight inside a building, shot in silhouette against a wall of windows, with light bouncing off a flooded floor.
Questions