The acclaimed Netflix film Maestro is a complicated love story between the protagonist Leonard “Lenny” Bernstein (Bradley Cooper) and his wife, Felicia Montealegre (Carey Mulligan). In real life, the 25-year marriage between Lenny and Felicia spiralled downwards due to the former’s insatiable appetite for fame, music and male lovers. Digital Studio India takes a look at the craft expertise that went into making this acclaimed film.
While the film was still in the conception stage, award-winning editor Michelle Tesoro (of Queen’s Gambit fame) was attracted to this subject. She, along with the director, felt the need to work this subject in such a way as to make the high-profile celebrity story relatable to regular people. In particular, Tesoro felt the need to bring out Felicia’s side of the story, a side which was eclipsed by her famous husband’s life and work. Digital Studio India takes a look at the editorial and cinematographic craft expertise that went into making this acclaimed film. Cooper was keen on making Maestro a formal experiment, and cinematographer Matthew Liba Tique shot the film in two distinct aspect ratios of 1.33:1 and 1.85:1 respectively. The cameras used were the Panavision Pana-flex Lightweight II, Panavision P-Vintage Lenses, Panavision Pana-flex Millennium XL2, Panavision P-Vintage Lenses. The sound mix was accomplished using Dolby Digital and Dolby Atmos. Another unique point of the film is that Cooper chose to shoot on celluloid, mixed black-and-white and color and recorded the orchestra live on set, while he himself conducted. The use of prosthetics to create a face that was midway between Cooper and Lenny was met with polarised reactions across the board, but it served to enhance the detailing and authenticity of the film.
The film spans forty years in the life of the couple, and the first half (from the 1940s to the 1950s) was shot in black-and-white. The 1.33:1 ratio provided a box-like result which Cooper preferred. Tesoro further added that she interpreted the movie in terms of foreground and background, which was best depicted in the 1.33:1 ratio. The monochromatic first half has the emotional pitch of a vintage romantic comedy, with quick cuts underscoring the whirlwind courtship of the leads. The second half transitions into color, which works as a visual metaphor for the “true colors” of their relationship. Tesoro worked closely with Cooper during editing to draw parallels between the graph of their personal relationship and the graphs of their individual careers. The pace and pitch of the film slows down as the couple ages, and their resentment and distance culminate in the Snoopy Thanksgiving fight in their apartment. Cooper shot the whole scene in a single take, so as to maintain the overall pitch of the scene and build up Felicia’s meltdown at optimal pitch. This scene went on to become a landmark for the film as it juxtaposes the merry gathering around them with their meltdown. A lot of music was pre-written into the script but the director left room for improvisation on the editing table.
Another key sequence was the one shot at Ely Cathedral over two days. It involved a captivating sequence, including Lenny conducting the orchestra, a brilliant response from the orchestra, a spiritual moment with the choir, Felicia enraptured in the wings, and the couple embracing after the performance. The scene captured the energy and emotion of the live musical performance. Bradley Cooper was so taken by the orchestra and choir during the Ely Cathedral scene that he kept returning to those elements during the editing process. The director’s fascination with the musical elements influenced the editing choices, potentially prioritizing the orchestral and choir performances over his own on-screen performance. Camera operator Scott Sakamoto was credited with capturing all the necessary moments and providing ample coverage for the scene. Bradley Cooper was undecided on the specific shots he wanted during the shoot, but ultimately decided to focus on a single take that captured the essence of the scene.
The film, as Tesoro’s husband later described it, was like a reverse version of Wizard of Oz, and the ending was suitably feel-good, with Lenny being presented in a human light with her memories in his heart and music in his mind. The collaborative effort paid off as the film went on to garner good viewership numbers, generally favourable reviews, seven nominations at the 96th Academy Awards and an official spot in the top ten list of the American Film Institute.
