It Happened One Night

Frank Capra - 1934
This film is a real pleasure. Capra has some long takes, but in the main he edits pretty rapidly, even when nothing is changing r.e. content. He might shoot a conversation on the inside of a bus from three angles, along the aisle, to the side, at a diagonal, and closer. He often goes right back from people for reverse shots, flying from inside to outside for doorstep conversations.
I wouldn't like to vernture too much on the general framing, but we certainly have some very long shots, often with a more than decent amount of depth. The camera, as in that wonderful hayfarm scene, can track in and out of this to keep things reasonable. Nevertheless, Capra has a surprising facility of, though they are in shot, allowing people to speak even if their face is in the dark.
Which brings me to lighting; and this is truly sensational. Massive, massive backlighting (seemingly floods outside a window at night!), the hair is atomic, outlined figures. This film is incredibly beautiful, through the lighting scheme, generally, and also a soft look. Yet this soft look is combined with such a degree of backlighting, in particular (also hair and side?) that there is massive contrast, very black blacks, so to speak. At least this is my explanation.
Capra's scenes are long, quite loose affairs allowing some moving about. The film is split into quite clear episodes. The diallogue is a delight, not really 'hardcore' screwball but funny without being mawkish, without an undertone of kindness. It also allows itself to be pretty erotic; 'the walls of jericho' motif is hugely primed, but without getting boring, and allows for that big payoff. A fine end to a fine (and incredibly lit) film.