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JUNE 2007

In Person with Longoni and Storaro

By Dorothy Davis

Mittorio Storaro, cinematographer, winner of 3 Academy Awards—for Apocalypse Now, Reds and The Last Emperor
was thrilled when Director Longoni called him and asked if he would be the cinematographer of Caravaggio. He was fascinated by the painter ever since first seeing “The Calling of Saint Matthew.”  “I had just finished film school,” he said “and with my fiancee I walked into the Contarelli Chapel, San Luigi dei Francesi in Rome. Looking around I discovered this painting by Caravaggio, ‘The Calling of Saint Matthew.’  It was a shock to me.  That beam of light! The visible little dust particles. That feeling of life—the visualization of a moment beyond our consciousness, a visual element connecting earth with sky, the human with the Divine.”

“In working on this film, I was able to devote a portion of my life to try and completely understand the personality of this man Caravaggio, how he reached the level he did as a painter, trying to figure out how in my cinematography I could attempt to reach that same level.”

The culmination of this effort in the film—it is the morning after Caravaggio, superbly played by Alessio Boni, has painted “The Calling of Saint Matthew”—but something is lacking. He awakens to see a beam of sunlight coming through his window striking the canvas, bringing it to life. Cinematographer Storaro brilliantly re-created this moment, we see the painting through Caravaggio’s eyes, understand in a flash exactly what that light meant. It is a shock to us.#

By Dr. Pola Rosen

The Italian movie Caravaggio had its world premiere as Education Update went to press. It was one of the most masterful, magnificent, moving masterpieces that we have seen. Featured at the Lincoln Center Film Festival this movie should win every academy award.

Directed by Angelo Longoni and filmed by three-time Academy Award winning cinematographer Vittorio Storaro (Apocalypse Now, The Last Emperor, Reds
) Education Update had a chance to speak to both of them after the viewing.

Storaro’s amazing scenes captured the light of Carvaggio, his sensuality, his aggression and torture. When asked what the most challenging part of the filming was, Storaro’s shared his quest for capturing the personality of Caravaggio through capturing the beam of light, that he first saw as  a student in “The Calling of St. Matthew”.

Angelo Longoni said Caravaggio took nearly two years from start to finish. The film captures the essence of the early 1600s with the brawling streets of Rome, the distinction between courtesans and titled women, the violence and power of the wealthy classes, the role of religion and politics and the brutal legal murders of prostitutes as well as philosophers.

Alessio Boni is masterful as portraying the artist in tempestuous rage, wild lovemaking, gentle caressing, beautiful painting, and grief. When Boni kisses his sweet mistress/model’s tear-stained, bloodied, slashed face and says, “You are beautiful,” everyone sheds tears.

Do not miss this film. You will remember it forever!#

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