July 2025

Escaping From Chains: O Brother, Where Art Thou?

This in-depth look at the making of O Brother, Where Art Thou? first appeared in AC's October 2000 issue. For full access to our archive, which includes more than 105 years of essential motion-picture production coverage, become a subscriber today. Someday industry aficionados may look back on Joel and Ethan Coen’s O Brother, Where Art Thou? as a landmark film that began to redefine the cinematographer’s role. Roger Deakins, ASC, BSC originally photographed the film in the standard manner at practical locations in Mississippi, but then retooled the film’s color palette with the latest digital technology, fine-tuning the look and image quality until it closely matched the Coen brothers’ vision. Well-received at this year’s Cannes Film...more