By the way, I have written something about the camerwork in Livanov's The Hound. It's not finished yet too, but may be interesting:
The question about the camerawork in the Russian Sherlock Holmes is extremely interesting for me. Without doubt, Veksler’s vision created this Sherlock Holmes movie to a large. Anyway, if say about the recreation of Conan Doyle’s prose in a screen.
Initially I must to notice that Yuri Veksler was chief-cameraman in all Livanov-Holmes episodes, except The Hound of the Baskervilles, where he was only co-writer with Igor Maslennikov. However, his vision showed itself in The Hound too. Perhaps, thanks to his prudently drawn up camera planning I guess it was. Perhaps, thank to the common cinematographic style that was cultivated by his teacher Dmitry Dolinin, who worked over The Hound in place of Yuri Veksler. Although, I notice some difference in their camera manners, but in whole their vision are very closely.
So, what the signs and peculiarities of Veksler/Dolinin’s camerawork could I mark? (Sic! It’s necessary comment – in the case of The Hound, I prefer to say about common Veksler/Dolinin’s vision, but in the all rest Russian Sherlock Holmes episodes I say about as Yuri Veksler’s style. However, it’s justly to say about some cinematographic way or school, but as one from several trends in Soviet movie of 1970-1980s.) Firstly, it’s a close shot of the actors that may name as “a portrait style”. Yuri Veksler always supposed that an Actor is most important thing in movie. For the sake of the actor in a shot, he was ready to offer all the rest - missing in a shot of any things, an inexact foreshortening etc. If successful actor's playing exceeds the timing, Veksler’s camera, however, continuously follows it, fixes each interesting improvisation. That’s why, I think, we as the viewers have an illusion if we see the events being real witnesses. Another fundamental element of Yuri Veksler’s way is the correlation and conflict of light and shadow in a shot. In almost every shot he emphases the border between light and darkness. Thanks to it, the image becomes more realistic, documentary or more mysterious and held back - depending on a task in view.
As Yuri Veksler confessed himself, he liked the social drama more, than detective genre. I can remember two most famous film social dramas that he worked as cameraman – here are “The Strange Adults / Странные взрослые” (about adopting of seven-old girl from the orphanage; 1974) and “The Holiday in September / Отпуск в сентябре” based on the Vampilov’s play (about “a crisis of middle age” of 37-old clerk: 1979). That’s interesting the same recipe worked in as social drama as detective genre. And later, in 1990 – in historical drama “Tsar’s Hunting / Царская охота” (about the secret foreign mission of Count of Orlov, an Empress’ favourite, in Italy of 18th century) Yuri Veksler used the same contrast aesthetics, and even more thickened and intensified a struggle of light and darkness in a shot.
It’s amazing, but the Veksler’s aesthetics in Russian Sherlock Holmes agreed to a large with the distinctive vision in British cinematograph. Indeed, it’s impossibly to say about the complete similarity – instance, the Granada Holmes TV series are quite far from the aesthetics of the Russian Holmes films (including camerawork), in my view. But you may find very distinctive common signs between the Livanov-Holmes series and, for example, The Murder Rooms series. But not only in the separated British films and series I see this visual crossing. Rather I’d like to say about a common way to a shot as the document highlighting an essence of fact, event, and person. Expressly you may see this way in the British science-educated popular TV productions.
style of camerawork in The Hound
The question about the camerawork in the Russian Sherlock Holmes is extremely interesting for me. Without doubt, Veksler’s vision created this Sherlock Holmes movie to a large. Anyway, if say about the recreation of Conan Doyle’s prose in a screen.
Initially I must to notice that Yuri Veksler was chief-cameraman in all Livanov-Holmes episodes, except The Hound of the Baskervilles, where he was only co-writer with Igor Maslennikov. However, his vision showed itself in The Hound too. Perhaps, thanks to his prudently drawn up camera planning I guess it was. Perhaps, thank to the common cinematographic style that was cultivated by his teacher Dmitry Dolinin, who worked over The Hound in place of Yuri Veksler. Although, I notice some difference in their camera manners, but in whole their vision are very closely.
So, what the signs and peculiarities of Veksler/Dolinin’s camerawork could I mark? (Sic! It’s necessary comment – in the case of The Hound, I prefer to say about common Veksler/Dolinin’s vision, but in the all rest Russian Sherlock Holmes episodes I say about as Yuri Veksler’s style. However, it’s justly to say about some cinematographic way or school, but as one from several trends in Soviet movie of 1970-1980s.) Firstly, it’s a close shot of the actors that may name as “a portrait style”. Yuri Veksler always supposed that an Actor is most important thing in movie. For the sake of the actor in a shot, he was ready to offer all the rest - missing in a shot of any things, an inexact foreshortening etc. If successful actor's playing exceeds the timing, Veksler’s camera, however, continuously follows it, fixes each interesting improvisation. That’s why, I think, we as the viewers have an illusion if we see the events being real witnesses. Another fundamental element of Yuri Veksler’s way is the correlation and conflict of light and shadow in a shot. In almost every shot he emphases the border between light and darkness. Thanks to it, the image becomes more realistic, documentary or more mysterious and held back - depending on a task in view.
As Yuri Veksler confessed himself, he liked the social drama more, than detective genre. I can remember two most famous film social dramas that he worked as cameraman – here are “The Strange Adults / Странные взрослые” (about adopting of seven-old girl from the orphanage; 1974) and “The Holiday in September / Отпуск в сентябре” based on the Vampilov’s play (about “a crisis of middle age” of 37-old clerk: 1979). That’s interesting the same recipe worked in as social drama as detective genre. And later, in 1990 – in historical drama “Tsar’s Hunting / Царская охота” (about the secret foreign mission of Count of Orlov, an Empress’ favourite, in Italy of 18th century) Yuri Veksler used the same contrast aesthetics, and even more thickened and intensified a struggle of light and darkness in a shot.
The Strange Adults / Strannye vzroslye (1974) - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0072220/
The Elder Son / Starshiy syn / Старший сын (1975) - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0073743/
+ info http://russart.com/movie-info-1574-Starshy-Syn-Elder-Son
Screen caps - http://russart.com/movie-pictures-1574-Starshy-Syn-Elder-Son
The Holiday in September / Otpusk v sentyabre (1979) - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0142745/
The Tsar’s Hunting / Tsarskaya okhota (1990) - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0100819/
It’s amazing, but the Veksler’s aesthetics in Russian Sherlock Holmes agreed to a large with the distinctive vision in British cinematograph. Indeed, it’s impossibly to say about the complete similarity – instance, the Granada Holmes TV series are quite far from the aesthetics of the Russian Holmes films (including camerawork), in my view. But you may find very distinctive common signs between the Livanov-Holmes series and, for example, The Murder Rooms series. But not only in the separated British films and series I see this visual crossing. Rather I’d like to say about a common way to a shot as the document highlighting an essence of fact, event, and person. Expressly you may see this way in the British science-educated popular TV productions.