Thor Cinematographer Reveals the Reasoning Behind a Key Creative Decision

Thor cinematographer Haris Zambarloukos breaks down the driving factors behind a creative decision which informed the MCU film’s visual style.


Thor Cinematographer Haris Zambarloukos has revealed why the God of Thunder's debut MCU film uses so many Dutch angle shots, where the camera is at a slant.


While speaking with The Direct, Zambarloukos admitted that choosing to so heavily use Dutch angle shots throughout 2011's Thor “was a hard decision to make." He then began to unpack the nuance of Thor's tilted frames: "But it seemed to be a very simple way of showing kind of the difference between dissonance and harmony in a character or a landscape, and without much, and it seemed to work in that graphic world that the comic books had come from. And it also seemed to trace back to the German expressionist idea of delving deep into the soul and into the psyche."


Zambarloukos also drew a connection to Thor's original roots. "And Thor is a kind of mythological, modern-day interpretation of mythology. And mythology has always delved into the human condition and the human psyche," he noted. "And it's dissonant, and it goes back to creating and earning a kind of harmony or dissonance."


"So that play when you use it, and when you don't, I think, is a very useful and interesting tool," the cinematographer added. Zambarloukos went on to talk about the personal significance of the Dutch angle technique to him. "I think we've never used it - we've never used it as much with [Kenneth Branagh] as we had in Thor. But it always comes back to us. We always feel like there's a certain moment in some films that we need to - it has its place.”


Thor's MCU Journey

Directed by Kenneth Branagh, Thor delves into the titular Asgardian's origin story. After being banished from Asgard by his father Odin, Thor adjusts to a new life on Earth, developing a strong connection with scientist Jane Foster. But before long, Thor finds out about Loki's sinister conspiracy to take over Asgard and learns the lesson of humility, as he becomes worthy of wielding the hammer, Mjolnir.


Looking ahead, Thor actor Chris Hemsworth has expressed uncertainty about when he will be reprising his role in the MCU. "I've got to be careful how I word that because I have no idea what's happening in the next phase," he revealed. "There's always conversations [...] But officially, I don't know."


"I don't want to continue to do it until people are so exhausted that they roll their eyes when they see me come on the screen as that character," Hemsworth noted. He emphasized the importance of taking Thor into the next stage of his evolution for any future appearances. He said, "I've loved being able to reinvent that character a few times. I don't have the answer yet, but I would love to try and [figure out] how we can do that again and keep it a little unpredictable."


All of the MCU's Thor movies are available to stream on Disney+.

Popular posts from this blog

Sofía Vergara Is the Cocaine Godmother in First Griselda Photos

Netflix shares a sneak peek of the miniseries Griselda, created by the team behind Narcos & starring Sofía Vergara as Miami drug lord Griselda Blanco. Netflix gives viewers their first look at the upcoming miniseries Griselda, produced by and starring Sofía Vergara. First shared by Entertainment Weekly, the preview images show Vergara in the title role as Griselda Blanco, a Colombian immigrant who became involved in America's burgeoning cocaine business in the 1970s and a prominent figure in the Miami drug wars of '80's. The series was created by Eric Newman and Ingrid Escajeda alongside Doug Miro and Carlo Bernand, who previously created the similarly-themed Narcos for the streamer. Another Narcos alum, Andrés Baiz, will direct the series, though he specified that Griselda will have a different feel to the team's previous collaboration. "The stylistic landmarks of Narcos are not in Griselda," Baiz explained. "Griselda has its own identity ... its own
Read more

Rami Malek’s 20th Century Thriller ‘Amateur’ Among First Studio Shoots To Get Rolling In UK After Strikes

After a grueling few months for UK film and TV producers, there are signs that the industry is starting to head back to work following twin actors and writers strikes in the U.S. Amateur, the 20th Century terrorism thriller starring Rami Malek, will be among the first studio shoots to resume filming in London next month, sources tell Deadline. Amateur, which also stars Rachel Brosnahan and Laurence Fishburne, was halfway through production when the feature’s hundreds of cast, crew, and contractors were put on hiatus in July. The film’s cast has prioritized the project ahead of other commitments they would be shooting had the strike not happened. “Productions needing lead actors back to complete means other shows and films cannot schedule starting,” said a source. Amateur is directed by James Hawes, whose debut feature, the Anthony Hopkins vehicle One Life, has generated plenty of buzz during the fall festival season. Bleecker Street has acquired U.S. rights. Amateur follows a CIA crypt
Read more

Every Underworld Movie, Ranked by Rotten Tomatoes

Fans and critics have shared opinions of the Underworld franchise, and Rotten Tomatoes is no exception. The Underworld series is made up of action-horror films revolving around the ongoing war between vampires and werewolves, each trying to destroy the other. Amidst this conflict, the love story between Selene, a powerful vampire, and Michael, a hybrid being, is a recurring theme. Throughout the series, figures on both sides prove to have hidden agendas. At times, it's hard to tell who is an ally and who is an enemy. One group may be on the brink of extinction, but this might just be what they want the enemies to think. Eventually, even humans learn of the secret war. The Underworld franchise, made up of at least five films and an animated short, has an interesting history. There have even been planned canceled crossovers with I, Frankenstein, Blade, and Resident Evil. Thanks to its fan base, an Underworld reboot had also been planned for the small screen. This is in addition to th
Read more