INDELIBLE IMAGES

One of the biggest challenges in shooting Mank, the new movie set around the filming of 1941 classic Citizen Kane, was to recreate the beautiful black and white look of that lavish movie.

So Mank cinematographer Erik Messerschmidt set out to pay homage to the talents of Kane cinematographer Gregg Toland by using elements of the late lensmaster’s innovative work.

That’s why the new film is full of low camera angles and deep focus, both signatures of the influential director of photography.

Instead of using Toland’s original Mitchell BNC film camera, which for years has been on display at the American Society of Cinematographers’ clubhouse, Messerschmidt photographed the film with a state of the art Red Helium Monochrome camera in a wider aspect ratio and enhanced the film’s period look in post-production.

He is among countless cinematographers who grew up worshiping the work of Toland who, in addition to Citizen Kane, also worked on The Grapes of Wrath, The Best Years of our Lives and Wuthering Heights, winning an Oscar for the latter.

Netlix film Mank is directed by frequent Messerschmidt colleague David Fincher and stars Gary Oldman as screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz.