Barry Lyndon, Kubrick 1975

“It’s the flame of a single candle which will illuminate the darkest of souls.”
― Anthony T. Hincks

A candle uses a process called combustion, which is the burning of a substance in the presence of oxygen to produce heat and therefore, light. It is a small light source that produces a warm, flickering flame, which softly spills in an arc. We might describe candle light simultaneously as bright and or dim, due to its bright centre flame but low-volume output. When used as a single light source, the combination of its warm glow and surrounding shadows render muddy, muted tones. The miraculous effect and science behind such a simple tool is fascinating and one we surely take for granted.

The epiphany (yes, it really was for me) in the realisation the unit to measure the intensity of illumination is foot-candles, has encouraged reflection on the quality of candle light itself and its relationship to cinema. In the filmmaking industry, foot-candles remain the most common unit of measure to calculate light levels (interestingly, it prevails even in the transition to digital cinema practises). In short, a foot-candle is defined as the illuminance cast on a surface by a one-candela source one foot away. It is curious to me why this measurement is founded in ‘candles’. After a quick google search and even a tangent in etymology, there was no simple answer. However, it did point to the long term application of candles as artificial light sources, meant they became part of the language of light: ‘foot-candle, candlepower — even lux is short for candela steradian per square meter’(Schubin, 2012 [also below image source]).

Likewise, it illuminated a possible connection to Classical painters and the lighting conditions they were limited to; natural light, candlelight or oil-lamps. In particular, Rembrandt, whose discernible style is somewhat due to his principle decision to model subjects with candlelight. Through this practise, he developed an understanding of light’s relationship to depth, which could render a three dimensional object onto a two dimensional canvas. As a result of this rigorous study, Rembrandt discovered the synthesis of 3 light sources that he developed into a model; a key, fill and back light. As Walsh analyses (2015) on Videomaker.com, these three sources of illumination establish the overall intensity, shape and colour of the subject being lit.

The key light creates shape and overall brightness. The fill light controls the amount of contrast and the level of detail in the shadows, created by the key light. A background or edge light is then employed to provide separation of the subject’s profile from details in the environment or set.

Rembrandt’s practises and understanding of light/depth is no different to that of cinema – since the apparatus photographs a 3D reality into a 2D artifact. We must therefore understand how to manipulate light to suggest depth and, much to Rembrandt’s credit, employ ‘3-point’ lighting. I imagine many of us, as 21st century filmmakers, take this innovation from the 17th century for granted because we have everything at our disposal to accurately, perfectly, easily light our subjects. And we are all too happy to dismiss the 3-point model as rudimentary and as a consequence, forget its effectiveness…

Finally, my thoughts linger on not just the quality of candle light depicted on screen but the values or beliefs we associate with it. The mere candle is able to transcend its physical form to represent, both in reality and cinema, peace, fear, hope, death, religion, the occult, etc. Of course the occasions or settings we associate with candles influence these meanings but its ability to manifest into metaphor is fascinating. For instance, Tarkovsky’s Nostalghia is through its form, a metaphor for the candle. This is breathtakingly illustrated by Kevin Lee (Fandor, 2014) in his visual analysis of the film’s 123 shots, arranging them in a single image that flickers like a candle as it is slowly extinguished.

230. Andrei Tarkovsky’s Cinematic Candles from Kevin B. Lee on Vimeo.

Within the first forty seconds, half of the shots are over; that’s a far longer average than in most movies, but in Tarkovsky’s world it feels like a mass slaughter of images. By the one-minute mark, a third of all shots remain; by two minutes, we are down to seventeen. Remarkably, about half of those shots make it to the three-minute mark.

Like many light sources, we understand the quality, volume and shape of candle light but rarely question its influence on the big screen. It appears the dim candle has in fact, radiantly contributed to practices and knowledge in cinema, we often take for granted.

References

Schubin, M 2012, ‘The Light Fantastic’, Welcome to the Schubin Cafe, accessed 25 May 2018 <http://www.schubincafe.com/tag/foot-candle/>

Walsh, M 2015, ‘A Study of Rembrandt Style Lighting from the Three Point Perspective’, Videomaker, accessed 25 May 2018
<https://www.videomaker.com/article/f03/18351-a-study-of-rembrandt-style-lighting-from-the-three-point-perspective>