Guest: Steven Bernstein (Writer, Director, Cinematographer)

In this special episode of Midday Movies, Laura and Stephen are joined by acclaimed cinematographer Steven Bernstein (Monster, White Chicks) to deconstruct the visually haunting masterpiece, Blade Runner 2049 (2017).

Moving beyond simple plot summary, the trio dives deep into the philosophy of filmmaking, challenging the modern orthodoxy that "everyone is a storyteller." Steven Bernstein offers a masterclass on visual language, explaining how cinematography bypasses the intellect to hit us directly in the gut—much like music or abstract art.

Topics Discussed:

The Myth of Storytelling: Why narrative is often just an arbitrary order we impose on a chaotic universe, and how great cinema operates on a visceral, rather than intellectual, level.
Blade Runner's Visual Legacy: How the "music video look" of the late 70s/early 80s British scene birthed the cyberpunk aesthetic we know today.
The "Joy" Paradox: A debate on the AI character Joi—can an algorithm achieve true agency? Is our love for "perfect" partners actually a desire for the predictable?
Behind the Lens: The dangerous history of using "cracker oil" for atmospheric smoke on classic film sets and the tragic cost to cinematographers like Jordan Cronenweth.

00:08 Introducing Special Guest Steven Bernstein

01:06 The Art of Cinematography in Blade Runner 2049

03:09 Visceral Reactions and Cinematic Techniques

08:38 Symbolism and Human Condition in Sci-Fi

10:45 The Role of Ambiguity in Filmmaking

21:21 Realism vs. Idealism in Cinema

26:59 The Imperfection of Heroes

29:13 Exploring Joy's Individuality

30:04 Memories and Personhood

30:30 The Struggle for Independent Agency

31:41 Meaning and Agency in AI

34:47 Biological Predispositions and Programming

37:08 The Complexity of Free Will

42:23 Cinematography and Visual Storytelling

46:47 The Role of Smoke in Cinematography

52:45 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Memorable Quote: “We experience the world as chaotic... narrative is an imposition of an order on a chaotic and disordered world. That is why cinematography is so important—you can’t understand it exclusively in terms of narrative. You have a visceral or physical gut reaction to the images." — Steven Bernstein

For more thoughts from this thoughtful Hollywood professional, Steven Bernstein, check out the following:

His new book ⁠GRQ⁠⁠ being turned into a movie in 2026
His ⁠social media⁠
His podcast ⁠Filmaker and Fans⁠

For more Laura and Stephen, follow@umbrellapodcastcollective and @facehuggersandfriendspod

Ep 278: Reviewing “Blade Runner 2049” (2017) with Steven Bernstein (Cinematographer/Writer/Director)

Midday Movies