Quizzed about his favorite black-and-white cinematographers, Lachman gave props to noir master John Alton and Fellini’s genius cameraman Otello Martelli. He tries to use color the way they used black-and-white film, he said, with an eye to Ozu’s poetics that transcend realist realism. (Hence the Technicolor pastels of Far from Heaven, 2002, where he equals—or surpasses—the great Douglas Sirk.) Pressed on Shadow, which cinematographers endure in Hollywood, Lachman was gracious. He did allow that there’s only so much a great cameraman can do for a lousy director. While Bradley’s past efforts have been interesting and well received, if at times lackluster, Shadow wouldn’t have had the same impact had it not been shot by an artist of Lachman’s caliber. Near the end of dinner, someone whispered to me that the piece really was about Bradley discovering Lachman; I would agree.