Finding harmony at last in ‘Maestro’

In “Maestro,” Leonard Bernstein (Bradley Cooper) conducts an inspiring rendition of Mahler’s “Resurrection” inside London’s historic Ely Cathedral. The music romanticizes a swirl of emotion, tuning viewers into Bernstein’s love for conducting, but more so, his love for his wife, Felicia (Carey Mulligan), whom he passionately embraces upon realizing she’s in attendance. It’s a moment where Bernstein, a man who lived a double life as a promiscuous bisexual, realizes she is more important to him than the symphonies he conducts. In creating the lifting sequence that reconnects them, cinematographer Matthew Libatique lit the location knowing “the music was going to power the performance.” “From a lighting standpoint we made sure we could move the camera through the space without being too precious where the light was,” he says. “Bradley had this idea where we would float a crane shot over the orchestra and did a one-take of this performance where the camera would be moving and roaming around before pulling back and finally landing on Felicia.” Upon seeing her, Leonard rushes over as the camera wraps around them to 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