Robert Elswit on There Will Be Blood, Punch Drunk Love and Not Working With PTA Anymore

Taken from the Light The Fuse Podcast. The full Podcast is below.
www.lightthefu...
I own none of the audio.

[@lithantushelo7932]

"Poor Roger, he didn't win again"🤣🤣...I had no idea this was thing even among Cinematographers

[@morgancockram9833]

Sad to hear him say he doesn’t think they will work together again, I hope they do. Their work together is phenomenal

[@rdm5687]

Hum for someone who doesn't know much about the craft is weird, because I can see the astonishing cinematography of The Master, and the DoP is some not-prestigious fella. Instead, other works of Elwsit without PTA doesn't look so impressive, so... is the director THAT important? I think about Woody Allen, who has worked with mythic cinematographers but that films doesn't look... aesthetically amazing. Why? On the contrary, directors like, I don't know, Alan Parker (a respeted "artisan" but not a "great filmmmaker for most of the people") has this "visual touch" in all his films (seems like drawing: some have the gift and others don't). WHAT IS THAT TOUCH?! I wish I could know a lot more about cinematography...

[@SebastianLopez-os9py]

@@rdm5687 I believe it's about the chemestry between the director and the DP. You need good direction so a talented cinematographer can work to his fullest. For example, there are movies that look really mediocre that had Roger Deakins (one of the most talented cinematographers) as a DP, but he was working with not so great directors, but when he works with someone like Denis Villenueve or the Coens they create something really Beautiful and masterfull. You basically need a good director that can explain and express his vision correctly so that a cinematographer can do amazing things

[@cmcmadmakers800]

Erredemé Idk Phantom Thread’s was quite good IMO. And PTA did it himself

[@v-trigger6137]

@@rdm5687 PTA himself did the cinematography for The Master and Phantom Thread

[@rainpeopleperson]

@@rdm5687 >I think about Woody Allen, who has worked with mythic cinematographers but that films doesn't look... aesthetically amazing. I mean this is just flat out wrong. Of course, the first thing that comes to mind with a Woody Allen film is the clever writing, but how can you not think movies like Zelig, Purple Rose of Cairo, Stardust Memories, or especially, Manhattan are beautiful.

[@mattheusmcclure894]

Epic. Robert and PT Anderson capture the quintessential cinematic magic without being pretentious. Gold.

[@plk5520]

"It wasn't a joy" I wish that was the worst thing I could say about any job I've ever had.

[@XxTheGoOfYxX]

Wal-Mart was never a joy

[@eric.almeida]

Punch Drunk Love is a movie that I love each time more for the set stories and the artistic background displayed than for the movie itself. Paul is a true master of his craft. It's a pity he and Mr. Elswit doesn't get along working anymore, but thank God that the work of mihai mălaimare jr. and Paul itself in the cinematography of The Master and Phantom Thread are breathtaking.

[@davidlean1060]

...and even the short films that make up the prologue to Magnolia are beautiful. There is that one shot where the camera sweeps across the roof top to the man standing on the ledge of the building. It's a fantastic bit of camera work..and by that time, we are not even past the opening credits!

[@fiarandompenaltygeneratorm5044]

The cinematography in The Master was extraordinary. Malaimare is a master.

[@mikem4314]

the hawaii sequence is one of the greatest moments from PTA's filmography

[@johnbailey2850]

Love that he actually said, "yeah, I deserved the Oscar." He did. He knew it. It was the truth.

[@anthonymartensen3164]

Of course he did, and it's funny to hear somebody talk about it with such a perspective

[@blindbuymedia7798]

I must disagree. As great as Elswit’s work is here, what Roger Deakins did with The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford is on a whole different plane.

[@mongverongpi2991]

@@blindbuymedia7798 oh yeah! Overlooked, but thankfully getting some following. The train robbery scene *chef's kiss*. Also, No Country For Old Men every frame is cinematography.

[@mongverongpi2991]

@Jaxy Jay amen!

[@willreznicek4202]

​@@blindbuymedia7798 The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford is a much better novel than film, despite Deakins elevating the thing. But Deakins is brought down by the director. There Will Be Blood was easily the best shot movie in 2007. Elswit + PTA are peerless.

[@cameronbrooks3767]

such a cool guy.. I met him on the set of Punch Drunk Love

[@CarletonTorpin]

This answered so many questions I'd wanted to ask Robert, specifically things about how they got the on-demand flares in Punch-Drunk Love.

[@ExLas09]

Damn I wondered about the light on the eighteen-wheeler and how the movement of the light sorta didn't make sense to me. The fact that there was a guy on the truck moving it finally explains it to me.

[@spinecraft1356]

When you don't see him talking he sounds like James Cameron.

[@bubediscuss]

Totally!

[@simiancinema2022]

PTA is now his own DP. And that speaks for itself.

[@TotallyOKaYProductions]

Wait do you mean?

[@simiancinema2022]

Well…the movies don’t look much worse, do they?

[@TotallyOKaYProductions]

@@simiancinema2022 yeah i guess so, if im being honest I liked the look of Phantom Thread way better than his other movies

[@simiancinema2022]

I wouldn’t go that far but…take a look at films shot by Elswit with no PTA!

[@Whoa802]

Yeah, I think PTA's a far better director than Elswit is a cinematographer. Outside of his work with Anderson, most of Rob's other films have looked pretty average. A cinematographer's who's truly great should be able to make good looking films regardless of who's directing it (Deakins, Lubezki, Doyle etc), but Elswit isn't one of them. He's good... only when the director's good.

[@yeniarivarola]

qué genial. gracias! estos son los tesoros del internet

[@richardlopez2932]

I guess it fluctuates, but Punch Drunk Love and Blood are usually my favorites. "There are no absolutes, for the most part."

[@tmyoshimura621]

I love this

[@TheArem453]

IH is my favorite of their films, but it’s clear he hated making it

[@LegendTwentySeven]

I feel like their collaboration is what gave those early PTA films the energy that they had. For me, PTA's subsequent films are missing that a little. I guess it comes down to what PTA wants but I love the energy of those early movies.

[@davidlean1060]

Anderson has changed too. He famously liked the white marching powder back in the day and that's where his films get that 'no fucks given' confidence. Magnolia makes loads of sense when you consider PTA was high while making it. Thankfully, a lot of that narcotic energy is on the screen. Magnolia would not work if he had a shred of doubt what he was trying to achieve with the film.

[@dungeon-wn4gw]

Even though pta is my favorite filmmaker ever i agree that his film have lacked energy in recent years.

[@nick40oz58]

Wtf are u guys talking about. The master... The phantom thread... lol, fuck off

[@2424rocket]

Yes… Paul’s early movies were absolutely amazing. The last two or three movies he’s made are unwatchable.

[@j0n.p]

No one enjoyed themselves with Inherent Vice

[@brandonclark7867]

Is he operating that head AND zooming at the same time?????

[@jlg395]

Yes, but it's just a test. Definitely not the final shot that appeared in the film.

[@tpl6963]

I quite disliked inherent vice. Can someone explain the merits to me, usual great cinematography aside)?

[@pekcamkee1868]

is it because of the seemingly incoherent storyline? if yes, i suffered from it too at times. but upon watching 3 other films of his (boogie, magnolia, phantom) it'd be fair to say that this is maybe the writing style of PTA or in the context of inherent vice, how he interpreted and adapted the novel into the screen. finally, the most difficult part of understanding the film is distinguishing the dream sequences from the real ones.

[@michaelcoy311]

It’s about people trying to make sense of things, and then they realize life is just magic nonsense. Very similar to Magnolia in my mind.

[@davidlean1060]

Have you read much Pynchon at all? If you have, the movie makes more sense. On top of that, there are things in the film you notice a lot more. For example, it is unclear at times what is actually real. The second meeting with Shasta for example...that is happening in Doc's mind. Pay attention to the clocks in the scene, their time never alters throughout that bit. (pay attention to clocks and watches in the film in general as I thin they are Anderson's cue to inform us what is real and what is happening 'out of time'.)That's no surprise considering the protagonist is on something or other throughout the film. We experience the plot from his perspective. The actual detective story isn't that hard to unravel, the thing is Doc is stoned, so he gets waylaid and confused.What is important about the film is not the story, it's the look at American history and politics. In a world where we have government trolls etc on social media, swaying the public's attention this way and that, Anderson makes a film that describes similar government shenanigans in the 60's. It's a very subversive movie in many respects.

[@davidlean1060]

@@michaelcoy311 Magnolia, but seen through the eyes of the doped up protagonist! Inherent vice is much more than nonsense though. Pynchon was writing about 'conspiracy theories' before the phrase had ever been invented! Pynchon wrote the book in the 90's because he obviously saw some connection between that decade and the 60's. Anderson then makes a film in the '10s, set in the 60's, but written in the 90's, I think because he saw some connection between then and now also. That's the brillinace of Pynchon. The worlds he builds in his novels are cartoonish, but look at what they are actually saying about the state of the world.

[@jadchahhal1748]

it's just a garbage movie. Don't feel bad that you don't get it because no one else does. It's a nonsensical jumbled mess. Amateurish filmmaking at best.

[@adamreid5901]

Do you have their permission to reupload their podcast like this?

[@vladimirhorowitz]

Well, it brought me to the Light the Fuse podcast and they have a new listener so it doesn't seem like a big deal since they're drawing attention to it.

[@commonlogic3646]

"teacher teacher John didn't do his homework"

[@Whoa802]

Who the fuck cares?

[@brendantaylor3570]

Elswit really couldn’t remember the composer of multiple Anderson movies name? And then only mentions what Jonny is wearing? He sounds pretentious.

[@RealRussianDuck]

man won an academy award and he's a wonderful dop who worked in the industry for all of his long life. I think he earned a right to be pretentious. :)

[@whatsurbev9868]

keetaisky I dont think anyone deserves the right to be pretentious, it’s about respect at the end of the day, even if you’ve created your magnum opus, they’re has to be an appreciation for the total work done by the crew who helped you. you cant drive a car with just the engine.

[@RealRussianDuck]

@@whatsurbev9868 he didn't say he didn't appreciate him. he may not remember the name of the composer - it's not pretentious, only if you're implying that he pretended he didn't know it on purpose which seems kinda odd. can your memory be pretentious and if so can you be judged because of it? man, Johnny Greenwood showing up in his trunks is pretty funny and kinda pretentious in itself and if I would forget the name of the composer I would most certainly remember him by some weird stuff he did irl.

[@RyanRenteria]

also want to point out that jonny didnt play second violin at this screening. he played Ondes Martenot. jonny is a violist, but he doesnt play publicly. also he got the scene with the brahms violin concerto wrong, thats the end credits, not the oil fire scene.

[@brendantaylor3570]

keetaisky He sounded pretentious, self important, in other things he said throughout. It’s obviously not rooted in any fact, I never met him, it’s purely opinion which could definitely be wrong.