Visual style
This seems to be a film which owes as much to Edward Hopper as it does to Dennis Hopper.
shareCorrect
I wanted to evoke the lonely, solitary world of Hopper's paintings. To do it you have to sacrifice warmth and audience comfort.
It was, indeed, a Hopper-fest.
Jevon
Jev, there's a scene 43 minutes in with Harry and Pierre in the bar ("it's about taking risks"). Before I twigged the Hopper connection, this immediately reminded me of Rembrandt's Nightwatch, a painting which I know was a big influence on Hopper. Was the Rembrandt at all in your thoughts when you came to light the scene, or was there anything more directly from Hopper?
Derrick (just fishing)
Hi Derrick
Hope you’re well.
Hopper’s ‘Nighthawks’ was a very important reference for me. The loneliness inside and outside of the bar were exactly what I was striving to achieve. I wasn’t aware that Rembrandt had influenced Hopper but I can see it now I look.
There are Hopper paintings titled ‘Hotel Room’ and ‘A Woman in the Sun’ which influenced Simeon’s bedroom – sharply angled, large walls, sparsely propped.
‘Office at Night’ has the feel of Michael’s office with it’s strong greens and bare, flat walls and old wooden desk.
I love the way that Hopper used framing devices to portray his subjects, giving the feeling that they were imprisoned – I tried to do this wherever possible in Out of Season.
best
Jevon
I'm well thanks and typing this from my south-facing study with the sun streaming through the window onto green walls and carpet. Hmm, maybe I should have twigged the connection sooner. I can remember seeing Nighthawks and also I think A Woman In The Sun at the Tate Modern in 2004. Did you by any chance get to see that exhibition before or during the shooting of Out Of Season?
There's something about the empty darkness "out there" in Nighthawks and in your scene with Harry and Pierre which fires the imagination, as lonely and confining as it is. I love the way in which the glass of spirit in Harry's hand lights up!
Hope all's well with you and we have more work from you on the way.
Best, Derrick