Five Shots: PETER HUJAR'S DAY

just what it says on the cigarette pack

Five of our favourite shots from Peter Hujar’s Day; shots which visually demonstrate what the film is about, and how it’s about it.

Opening Shots

A lot of films ‘teach you how to read them’ in the first several minutes; this one shows you in the first thirty seconds.

First, there’s a shot of Peter (Ben Whishaw) in an elevator, followed by several lines of text explaining the origin and discovery of the film’s source material — a transcription of a 1974 interview.

Then, this:

The title card; a quick blink of Peter in the elevator again with a cigarette burn effect; a drifting shot of a table which finds Peter lighting his cigarette; a square-on shot of Peter talking with the microphone in shot.

The title card is self-explanatory.

Everything on the table sums up what we’ll see and hear for the next 70 minutes: the tape recorder, Peter’s handwritten notes, reflections, a glass of liquid (they constantly drink water, tea, and whiskey), and Peter’s omnipresent lighter and cigarettes.

As or more importantly than these items, style is being established.

The film uses sometimes-uneven cutting; out-of-focus shots; voice over incongruous images, including the person talking sitting silent; an occasionally drifting camera; Linda Rosenkrantz (Rebecca Hall) being heard but not seen; and near-infinite shots of Peter smoking.

These opening shots prime us to expect all that.

Levels

While the camera does pan and/or tilt and/or zoom at times, it often merely sits and observes, allowing the characters to come in and out of frame.

The blocking also utilises the many heights and half-stories of the house, as in this shot. A wide of Linda in the kitchen has been established for a good minute or so before Peter walks into it.

The camera doesn’t move, it simply waits for Peter to come down to Linda’s level. And we wait with it.

Changing Locations

A stutter-edit sets us up for the location change; both the edit and the scene change which also symbolise Peter’s words.

Peter’s recounting of his intimidation and unsurety is signified with a stutter edit; then we change location to the rooftop; after a moment, Peter’s voice continues over a shot of him standing looking around; then a cut into a two-shot, showing his audio was not a continuation of the inside discussion, but a J-cut of his rooftop dialogue, or perhaps suggesting it could somehow be both.

Then Peter continues his train of thought from the scene prior, in keeping with the sort of stream-of-consciousness used all film.

Use of Light and Silhouettes

Besides Peter’s constantly flaring cigarette lighter, the cinematography showcases candles, practical lamps, glow through windows and curtains inside and out, the sunset in multiple locations, and highly concentrated light shapes through architecture.

Then there’s this shot-reverse-shot which does both light and silhouette — casting the setting sun full on Linda’s face, while backlighting Peter so you can barely make out his face.

Unusual Focus

This out-of-focus shot — like other shots which drift around, or which sit still and let characters come to it — is symbolic of the subject’s frame of mind and what he’s discussing.

“Printing can sometimes . . .”
”Bring out things?”
”Yeah.”

Takeaways

You don’t necessarily have to be as direct (or literal) as the table shot which opens the interview, but if you’re constantly going to use certain techniques throughout your film / TV show, introducing them in the opening minutes / episodes is very helpful.

Film Details & Further Reading

Peter Hujar’s Day (2025)
Director: Ira Sachs
Cinematographer: Alex Ashe
Other: Mel’s review explores the textures, reflections, and sound of the film