Shawn Levy is the kind of filmmaker who does not have the experience of only one genre. From coming-of-age sci-fi to action-thriller to now, the war series, the Canadian director has done it all. To add to his creative genius, he recently delivered All the Light We Cannot See on Netflix. The mini-series is a tale of a visually impaired girl and a German soldier trying to survive World War 2. While putting his brilliant vision into the creation, the director has delivered one of his best aesthetic works.

Amidst the success of the series, Levy opened up about who inspired him along with the explanation of his unique aesthetics.

Shawn Levy gets inspired by many brilliant filmmakers

The 55-year-old director sat down on Salon Talks to discuss the Netflix series. During their conversation, the interviewer pointed out the commonality in all of Shawn Levy’s work and asked him about his inspiration. The first and foremost name he uttered was Steven Spielberg, whose Saving Private Ryan he rewatched for war presentation references. Shawn Levy said his work had always been inspiring to him.

Additionally, he mentioned Peter Weir, the director of Dead Poets Society, Master and Commander, and so on. Levy accepted he would never achieve the same style as these legendary filmmakers. However, explaining his own style, he said, “I take my aesthetics and my style from the tone of the story.” Citing an example of his previous film Free Guy, he said, was more poppy, primary, and video game-inspired. However, this was not the case with All the Light We Cannot See.

With war as the base of the story, photography of the ’30s and ’40s actually inspired the aesthetics of the 4-part series. Apart from the set designs and costumes, there were some very specific advances made by the creator to bring the war-ridden yet beautiful world to life.

How did the director create All the Light We Cannot See to be aesthetically rich?

It is the smallest details that can create an enormous difference in the portrayal. Keeping that in mind, Shawn Levy explained how he made the series aesthetically rich. His focus was on the way the light had a certain softness to it, and “the way the history of French designs and French aesthetics you see a collision of pattern and color but all with the patina of age, of a history“.

So, he, along with his production designer and cinematographer, looked at the aesthetics of the time rather than the films of the era. While taking inspiration from the pioneers, Shawn Levy used his instincts and vision to create a work of art in cinema. Much like his instincts for the newcomer, Aria Mia Loberti, his instincts to represent the mood of World War 2 did not fail him.

What is your take on Levy’s inspiration and how he used it to represent his aesthetics in his works? Drop your views in the comments below.