What Is Chiaroscuro in Film? Definition, Techniques, and Examples

For decades, filmmakers have been exploring creative lighting and cinematic techniques. Yet some of the best lighting methods, such as chiaroscuro, still have a profound impact on film today. Although chiaroscuro has been popular in cinema for nearly a century, modern films still highly value its use. So what exactly is chiaroscuro in film? And how is it used today? Let’s explore some examples of chiaroscuro in movies, from past to present.

Where Did Chiaroscuro Originate?

Chiaroscuro is a film term that sounds highly technical, but its concept is actually easy to understand. Simply put, chiaroscuro is the contrast between light and dark. But where did it originate, and how did it develop into such an important artistic movement?

Essentially, chiaroscuro has two aspects: a lighting technique and an artistic movement. But first, let’s formally define chiaroscuro.

What Is Chiaroscuro?

Chiaroscuro is an Italian term used to describe the use of light and shadow in works of art, especially painting. It originated in the artistic movements of the Renaissance, and comes from the Italian words “chiaro” (meaning “clear” or “bright”) and “oscuro” (meaning “obscure” or “dark”). It refers to the dramatic effect created by using contrasting areas of light and dark in visual works.

In cinematography, the term refers to high-contrast lighting that creates strong light–dark contrasts in a film. This is especially true of black-and-white movies, particularly those of German Expressionism. Later, Hollywood film noir turned chiaroscuro lighting into a standard stylistic choice.

Examples of Chiaroscuro in Film

• The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920)

• Nosferatu (1922)

• The Maltese Falcon (1941)

• The Third Man (1949)

• Apocalypse Now (1979)

Exploring the Art of Light and Darkness in the Renaissance

Before analyzing chiaroscuro lighting in film, we first need to understand the chiaroscuro art movement of the Renaissance (roughly 1400–1600). If you’re familiar with the Renaissance, you’ll know it was a time of flourishing artistic creation. One of its most important developments was the technique of light and shadow in painting.

Caravaggio, Leonardo da Vinci, and Rembrandt are among the most famous painters of the Italian Renaissance, all renowned for their use of chiaroscuro in their works; but perhaps no one used the technique more masterfully than Caravaggio.

In his video on Caravaggio, Nerdwriter1 makes an important point: when people first saw the masterful use of chiaroscuro in these paintings, they must have felt an unprecedented sense of shock. Compared with medieval and ancient paintings, the clarity, richness of detail, and color saturation in Caravaggio’s work were unmatched.

During the Renaissance, artists all over Europe adopted chiaroscuro. As a result, chiaroscuro came to be regarded as an artistic movement of the Renaissance.

The Return of Chiaroscuro in Film

What is German Expressionist cinema? How is this style defined?

Chiaroscuro remained an important part of visual art after the chiaroscuro art movement, but it didn’t truly resurge until the early days of cinema. The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari is widely considered the pioneering work of German Expressionist film, and it greatly propelled the revival of chiaroscuro. In the image below, you’ll notice how the juxtaposition of light and shadow is used to create a surreal effect.

Chiaroscuro in film • The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari

In the later stages of the German Expressionist movement, directors began using strong chiaroscuro techniques in film noir. Fritz Lang’s M is perhaps the most representative example of chiaroscuro in German cinema. Just look at the visual depth in this still:

Chiaroscuro in film • The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari

This still from M may be a bit overexposed, but it’s clear the use of light and shadow is carefully designed. When filmmakers like Fritz Lang and cinematographer Karl Freund moved to the United States, they brought their lighting style with them.

During Hollywood’s Golden Age, chiaroscuro remained a vital part of the cinematic arts. Consider what’s often called the greatest film in Hollywood history:

Chiaroscuro in film • The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari

Orson Welles’s masterpiece Citizen Kane broke new ground in Hollywood film technique. For that, we must credit Welles and the great cinematographer Gregg Toland. One reason Citizen Kane achieved such lasting and enormous success is its bold and adventurous cinematography.

We had seen the interplay of light and shadow before, but never like this. We had seen deep focus before, but never like this.

Citizen Kane’s visual style is unique and spectacular, but another genre of the same era made similar use of light and shadow. Hard-boiled detective films like John Huston’s The Maltese Falcon applied this gloomy, dramatic lighting to the world of crime.

Though these are clearly not horror films, the lighting hints at the darkness we sometimes find deep within ourselves.

Chiaroscuro in film • The Maltese Falcon

Chiaroscuro lighting became a defining feature of film noir in the 1950s and 1960s and even became a major stylistic trait of New Hollywood cinema.

Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather is famous for its dark lighting, often illuminating only half of a character’s face—a key element of chiaroscuro.

Because this technique obscures part of the subject, it is often used to create suspense and is very common in thrillers or horror films. Of course, The Godfather is not a typical thriller or horror movie, but it still uses chiaroscuro to build suspense. In addition, it greatly enhances the moral ambiguity running through the Corleone family saga—a clear reflection of film noir’s influence.

Again, this lighting technique is obviously an homage to the era of film noir. It serves both as a tribute to earlier filmmakers and as an effort to carry on that cinematic tradition.

What is film noir?