Jul 16
I came into Clue expecting it to look fairly conventional. Instead, every now and then the film slips into something much more stylized, and this shot is my favorite example.
It's almost pure film noir. The background is swallowed by black, and a narrow shaft of light only partially reveals Mrs. Peacock's face. The deep shadows conceal as much as they reveal, making the image feel mysterious and theatrical.
I also love how the light catches the rhinestones on her glasses. They sparkle against the darkness, becoming the brightest part of the shot and drawing your eye immediately to them.
Moments like this remind me that even broad studio comedies can have surprisingly expressive cinematography.
