MILAN – Edward Hopper is considered by many to be the painter with the cinematic eye. Born and raised in a middle-class neighborhood in New York, the painter soon became interested in the representation of American life. Starting from the first black and white engravings, ending up with the paintings that took a prominent place in American culture, Edward Hopper’s realism strongly influenced several arts, especially cinema. It is no coincidence that Hopper was a great visitor to cinemas and this close relationship with the film as a source of inspiration, has led the film industry to allow itself to be influenced by his paintings since the 40s. Through his paintings, the films have drawn inspiration for techniques and settings, using lights and shadows to represent people and places that belong to a certain historical period. From the paintings of rural or city settings, from the decentralized frames immortalizing the last customers in a bar, the employees in the night offices or the couples enjoying the evening, we see thanks toTaste of Cinema , some films inspired by Hopper’s paintings. The Shadow of the Wind (1943, Alfred Hitchcock)
After moving to Ameica in 1939, Alfred Hitchcock began shooting some of his most famous classics, deepening the relationship between cinema and Hopper’s realism. The shadow of the wind is one of those classics that have been heavily influenced by the artist’s works. In fact, in this film, not only the locations chosen are similar to some of those illustrated by Hopper in his works such as Hodgkin’s House (1928) or Room for Tourists (1945) , but also the use of windows, doors and the positioning of the characters within a given space recall other “Hopperian” works such as Summertime (1943) .The forces of evil (948, Abraham Polonsky)
The use of light and themes are the main characteristics that link Polonsky’s film to Hopper’s paintings. The film, in fact, gives a complete sense to Hopper’s New York, with the typical New York architecture, the Brooklyn Bridge, the lighthouses and the rocky coastal area. It is said that during filming, the director took cinematographer George Barnes to see an exhibition of Edward Hopper’s works as he wanted the image to look like those paintings. And in this he succeeded in a great way. Psycho (1960, Alfred Hitchcock)
It is probably one of the most famous films directed by Alfred Hitchcock in which a woman named Marion, who escaped with her boss’s money, stops at a lonely motel near Phoenix (Arizona), where she will be stabbed to death in the shower. . The mystery of who the murder is becomes even more dense, after the disappearance of an investigator called to investigate. The main connection between Hitchcock’s film and Hopper’s paintings becomes clear once we know that Bates House is actually inspired by “The House by the Railroad” , painted by Hopper in 1925. Painting also served as inspiration for the Benedict family in Giant (1956) . Zabriskie Point (1970, Michelangelo Antonioni)
After signing a contract with producer Carlo Ponti in the mid-1960s, Antonioni made three films in English, the second of which was Zabriskie Point. The film serves as a portrait of America and the end of the freedom culture of the 1960s. He draws inspiration from Hopper’s paintings when Antonioni chooses to shoot along the American desert, placing characters isolated and distant from that modern society whose values have apparently returned to the past. Deep red (1975, Dario Argento)
Another Italian director was influenced by Hopper’s works for his films. We are talking about Dario Argento, in his 1975 film, Profondo Rosso. Highly stylized, the film is influenced by Hopper’s paintings in several places. First, the scenography, in which you can see a great variety of colors. Red in particular and in the way the objects are meticulously positioned. Second, a more direct reference is the blue bar which somewhat resembles the bar painted in Nighthawks (1942).. In this bar people seem to be suspended in time because they barely move or interact with each other. This is another key reference to Hopper’s style because in various scenes of the film, a number of extras appear in the background, alone or simply standing without moving while languidly smoking a cigarette or waiting for someone next to a shop window. These figures are reminiscent of lonely people immortalized in some of the painter’s works such as Sunday (1926) or Hotel Window (1955) . Blade Runner (1982, Ridley Scott)
Director Ridley Scott cites Hopper for having been a major influence in the design of his futuristic film noir Blade Runner. He in particular he says he redone the paintingNighthawks (1942) stating that he constantly waved a reproduction of this painting under the team’s noses, to illustrate the look and mood he was looking for. Blue Velvet (1986, David Lynch)
David Lynch has affirmed in many interviews the close relationship he has with painting, underlining how the works of Francis Bacon and Edward Hopper have had the greatest impact on his films. This is how by looking at Blue Velvet, you can trace the noir details to Edward Hopper’s paintings. The influence of light and shadows on the lights and shadow on the color is particularly evident, creating different dark shades and a palette of “noirish” colors that dominate the screen and the atmosphere of the film. Details, then, that well illustrate the mysteries hidden in the seemingly calm suburban American lifestyle.
