In “Maestro,” Leonard Bernstein (Bradley Cooper) leads an inspiring performance of Mahler’s “Resurrection” inside London’s historic Ely Cathedral. The music romanticizes a swirl of emotions, attuning viewers to Bernstein's love of directing, but even more so, to his love for his wife, Felicia (Carey Mulligan), whom he passionately embraces upon realizing that she is present. It's a moment when Bernstein, a man who lived a double life as a promiscuous bisexual, realizes that she is more important to him than the symphonies he conducts. In creating the elevation sequence that reconnects them, cinematographer Matthew Libatique lit the location knowing that “the music was going to drive the performance.” “From a lighting standpoint, we made sure we could move the camera around the space without focusing too much on where the light was,” he says. “Bradley had the idea that we would float a crane shot above the orchestra and we did a single take of this performance where the camera would pan and wander before pulling back and finally landing on Felicia.” Upon seeing her, Leonard rushes over as the camera envelops them in a profile shot (a stylistic motif previously illustrated in the film) to capture a lasting embrace where the two are in harmony as one. —Daron James
