Wednesday, 8 May 2024

POV | Netflix's Ripley | Monochrome Awakening

Inspector Pietro Ravini of the Rome Police (Netflix)

I've been watching "Ripley", the recent Netflix which is a masterpiece of monochromatic cinematography. The main characters are of course odious, but this doesn't change the fact that the principal "characters" in this series are the exterior and interior scenes which are exquisitely filmed using light, chiaroscuro and other impressive artistic devices and sleight of hand by the famous cinematographer Robert Elswit ...which would make Caravaggio jealous.

The only character I find sympathetic and I like is Detective Ravini.

The plot itself irritates me, as I want Ripley to get his comeuppance but that's not happening according to the novel. However, the cinematography is so superb that  I still continue to watch the series.

It has awakened in me the hunger to shoot in monochrome...which I've recently done while photographing the rallies/protests for Palestine. But photographing protests falls under the banner of photojournalism, and that's different. What I hunger for is people photography, street photography and architectural photography. That will happen soon.

Call Me KIJU

Here are impromptu street portraits of Kiju on Crosby Street in Soho, NYC. Kiju is an alternative rock performer.