Cinematography: Le Havre

LE HAVRE (2011)

Director: Aki Kaurismäki

Cinematographer: Timo Salminen

♪ There's a longing that burns you. You'll have to return to the only life you'll ever know. ♪

Those are the first lines of The Renegades' Matelot, a song that can be heard during the opening credits of Aki Kaurismäki's Le Havre. Kaurismäki's latest film is a minimalist yet compelling portrait of humanity. For me, the song gives the film a sense of melancholy and nostalgia. What makes the film more melancholic is Timo Salminen's irresistible cinematography. Salminen's work is composed of dramatic lighting, which is often accompanied by his elaborate use of silhouettes.

 

Le Havre in blue.

 

The night, the night.

 

Wow.