Cinematographer Nicole Hirsch Whitaker on The Conformist

Cinematographer Nicole Hirsch Whitaker, ASC was in the tenth grade when her English teacher screened “The Conformist” on a film print. A single scene—a car moving through trees, shot by Vittorio Storaro—changed the direction of her life. Now an Emmy-nominated cinematographer with credits spanning Netflix’s record-breaking “One Piece” and the Spirit Award-nominated feature “Dust Bunny,” Nicole brings a career built on visual intelligence to Bernardo Bertolucci’s 1970 psychological thriller.Andy Nelson and Pete Wright dig into Storaro’s color-as-psychology approach, the fascist architecture that makes bodies feel small on screen, and the forest sequence that echoes across decades into the Coen brothers and Roger Deakins. Nicole also talks about the 3:1 aspect ratio on “Dust Bunny” and why scope is worth fighting for in a world designed for phone screens. Her word for “The Conformist”: elegant darkness.🎥 Watch Our Full Conversation on YouTube🎬 Watch & DiscoverWatch “The Conformist”: Apple TV | Amazon | Letterboxd | TrailerWhat to Listen to Next:Costume Designer Jenny Beavan on The Leopard—Italian cinema; visual and moral counterpoint to The ConformistCinematographer Paul Cameron on Apocalypse Now—follow Storaro’s influence furtherOnce Upon a Time in the West on The Next Reel—Bertolucci’s fingerprints on a Leone film🔓 The movie ends. The conversation goes further. Become a member.🎧 Members get this episode early and ad-free in their private feed—plus every show in The Next Reel family. Support The Next Reel Family of Film Shows:Become a member for just $5/month or $55/yearJoin our Discord community of movie loversThe Next Reel Family of Film Shows:Cinema Scope: Bridging Genres, Subgenres, and MovementsThe Film BoardMovies We LikeThe Next ReelSitting in the DarkConnect With Us:Main Site: WebMovie Platforms: Letterboxd | FlickchartSocial Media: Facebook | Instagram | Threads | Bluesky | YouTube | PinterestYour Hosts: Andy | PeteShop & Stream:Merch Store: Apparel, stickers, mugs & moreWatch Page: Buy/rent films we've discussedOriginals: Source material from our episodesSpecial offers: Audible