Haskell looks out

My favourite image from THE BEST MAN. Cliff Robertson is pretty great as the vicious “man of the people” — kind of a forerunner of Martin Sheen in THE DEAD ZONE.

Cinematographer Haskell Wexler alternates between a simple, theatrical style (often shooting most of a scene from one angle, merely punching in for closeups — a television approach) with some mockumentary handheld sequences which neatly blend crowd scenes from a real Democratic convention with staged action. The beauty of the above shot might even be accidental — Robertson’s hands are pin-sharp but his face is very slightly blurred. The effect is stunning when the shot flashes up, and seems to work as analog of the character — an instinctive reactor, his hands are concrete but his mind is somewhat cloudy…