Analysis of the cinematographic style of Emmanuel Lubezki

Based on the analysis of the film Children of Men, which was created in collaboration with director Alfonso Cuarón, and subsequent comparison with the films Gravity and The Y tu mamá también from the same collaboration, the author observed certain recurring traits in the work of cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki. To verify the relevance of the obtained results, the author then confronted these findings with the cinematographer's work on projects from other collaborations. Specifically, films from collaborations with Terrence Malick – The Tree of Life and The New World – and with Alejandro González Iñárritu – Birdman and The Revenant – were analyzed. The author found that key elements in Lubezki's work primarily utilize aspects of framing and perspective, moving frame, long takes, and lighting techniques. Specifically, this includes frequent use of natural and practical lighting, extensive camera movement, long takes, or a preference for very short focal lengths and a clean image. Although the dominant features of the individual films examined may vary to some extent, from the perspective of cinematography, the repetition of certain dominant aspects with similar, if not identical functions across collaborations was demonstrated. It was also shown that a significant unifying factor for all these aspects is a tendency towards natural aesthetics. These aforementioned aspects define Emmanuel Lubezki's cinematographic style. The insights are subsequently applied in the production of a short film focusing specifically on long takes and camera movement.