Mank

Erik Messerschmidt's Oscar-winning monochromatic cinematography on the RED Helium 8K sensor, shot natively in black-and-white rather than desaturated in post, captures the tonal three-dimensionality and period authenticity of 1940s Hollywood. Fincher and Donald Graham Burt meticulously recreated San Simeon's opulent interiors and MGM's soundstage architecture, digitally scratching final prints and adding cue marks to simulate aged celluloid artifacts. The Reznor and Ross score — performed by orchestral musicians recording remotely during COVID-19 lockdown — evokes Bernard Herrmann's Citizen Kane aesthetic through period-authentic big-band arrangements.