Cinematographer


With title as all-encompassing as Cinematographer you might expect director Dan Asma’s 2022 documentary to be a comprehensive look at the art and history of the craft, profiling cinematic legends whose names are etched in celluloid.  But - to be blunt - it’s most definitely not that.  Asma’s film is a personal profile of Donald M. Morgan; not a name that pops into most cinephile’s heads, instead a journeyman DP who changed his style to suit the director and the medium.  His professional career might get the most attention (with movies like Seven, Starman and Christine under his belt), but it’s his personal impact on the lives of others that gets top billing.

 

A loose cannon in his youth, Morgan struggled with drug and alcohol addiction for years before finding steady work as an aerial cameraman.  Early collaborations with Robert Zemeckis led to steady feature and TV work, most notably a three-movie relationship with John Carpenter.  Morgan’s blue-collar approach (he rarely knew the technical names for the equipment he was using) and genuine loyalty to his crew earned him a reputation as a straight-shooter who could be counted on in a pinch.  That included helping fellow addicts struggling with their own personal demons.

 

Cinematographer is a love letter to Morgan, whose blunt life philosophy seems refreshingly simple.  Supporting interviews with co-workers and crew (including legendary DP Owen Roizman) reinforce the rare air he occupies in an industry that is consistently self-centered.  But, as a casual fan, the most interesting bits are probably the leaked behind-the-scenes gossip about directors like Carpenter, Friedkin and Fincher.  Morgan comes off as decidedly unfiltered, providing unexpected insight into the often-fraught relationship between directors and their closest collaborators.   As a film, Cinematographer feels more like a poetic epitaph.  But it’s one Morgan has most certainly earned.

 

The Blu-ray release is bare bones but sharp as a tack.

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