The Last of Us continues to make a big impact, as HBO's video game adaptation is positioning itself as one of their most popular shows of all time. In a recent interview with Variety, the series' cinematographer, Eben Bolter, talked about some of the inspirations behind the terrifying sequence from last week's episode. When Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey) are close to escaping Kansas City, a sinkhole opens up, allowing an overwhelming amount of infected zombies to crawl from beneath the ground, desperate to attack whoever stands in their way.
Bolter spoke about how the production team knew that they wanted to use fire as a light source since they were pre-visualizing the sequence. When figuring out how they were going to utilize backlighting for the scene, the cinematographer revealed they looked at one of Ridley Scott's classics for inspiration: “Our rationalizing was that maybe underground is oily and wet, so that’s why you get the shine.The Xenomorph from the Alien movies was a reference as to how light would reflect off of something, but also how you can use darkness to see enough that it’s terrifying.”
Another reference for the tone the team wanted to achieve with this scene was Steven Spielberg's Saving Private Ryan. By having Joel protecting Ellie from the infected with a sniper rifle from a vantage point, the wide shots are more organic because they are reflecting the character's point of view. Using a crane for aerial shots wouldn't be just for show in this particular case. Here's how Bolt elaborates on the team's approach to the sequence: “Grounding it in reality, the scene feels like ‘Saving Private Ryan.’ You’re on the beach, and you’re not having to do slick crane moves — because that scene doesn’t need it.”
What Is The Last of Us About?
The Last of Us takes place in a post-apocalyptic world where humanity has been devastated by a pandemic related to the cordyceps fungus. The series is an adaptation of the popular PlayStation video game released in 2013, with the main plot dealing with Joel trying to protect Ellie while transporting her to a lab, where her blood will be able to help stop the spread of the virus. The characters are forced to make hard choices and try unconventional methods for survival in their attempt to escape from the infected zombies, and non-infected people who take advantage of the lawless territory that the world has become.
The first five episodes of The Last of Us are now streaming on HBO Max, with new episodes dropping weekly on Sundays.