The Cinematography Podcast Episode 315: Stephen Murphy
The FX and Hulu limited series Say Nothing is a historical drama that explores the harrowing period known as The Troubles in Northern Ireland, spanning four decades from the 1970s to the 1990s. The series delves into the complexities of the conflict, focusing on sisters Dolours and Marian Price and their part in the IRA. The sisters’ involvement in the 1972 abduction and murder of Jean McConville, a widowed mother of ten, is a devastating narrative in the show. Her disappearance, and her family’s decades-long search for answers, provides a heart-wrenching backdrop to the larger conflict.
Irish cinematographer Stephen Murphy, BSC, ISC worked on the final two episodes of the series. He’s earned a Best Cinematography BAFTA and IFTA nomination for his work on Say Nothing. “Say Nothing is a real story about the very real horrors of what happened in Ireland during The Troubles,” he says. “But I think in a modern context, given what’s going on in the rest of the world, it has a lot to say about the idea of romanticizing rebellion and how somebody could be interested or attracted to that, and slowly over time, fully come to realize the consequences of what they’re doing.”
Stephen has cultivated a reputation for his masterful use of darkness in his work, a key reason he was brought on board for the series’ conclusion. “A lot of the work I do is dark and it deals with darkness. I really like darkness more than I like the light probably,” he laughs. In the finale, Dolours Price finally reveals her role in Jean McConville’s disappearance. To depict the events of what happened that night, the crew was on a rural stretch of dirt road and dunes alongside the ocean. As a storm approached, Stephen had to change the lighting plan, relying instead on car headlights and flashlights to illuminate the scene. “It actually worked out far better than my original plan was going to. It was more truthful, it was probably darker, but I think it worked better for the story and better for the tone and the atmosphere,” he says.
When approaching emotionally resonant scenes, Stephen strives for a visual simplicity that guides the audience without distraction. “I think for me, it’s a question of figuring out a way to get out of the way of the camera and not try and impose anything overly stylistic on the scene,” he says. “I love visual simplicity. And I’m trying to present the scene in a way that is helping the audience focus on what’s important to the scene and not be distracted by unnecessary showmanship.”
Beyond Say Nothing, Stephen Murphy also served as director of photography for two episodes of the second season of The Tourist, the Netflix dark comedy starring Jamie Dornan as an amnesiac.
Find Stephen Murphy: https://www.stephen-murphy.com/
Instagram: @stephenmurphybsc
See Say Nothing on FX on Hulu
See The Tourist on Netflix
Hear our previous interview with Stephen Murphy: https://www.camnoir.com/ep303/
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