Rob Reiner Hated This Shot from 'The Princess Bride'

Many film fans were shocked by the news of Rob Reiner and wife Michele Singer Reiner's deaths over the weekend. It's a tragedy for the creative community that will hurt for a very long time.

Part of the grieving process for many filmmakers is going back to watch the work of someone we've lost, and that was reflected in much of my Letterboxd feed, with When Harry Met Sally being a frequent choice.

I went back into some behind-the-scenes for The Princess Bride and found an interview with IGN in which Reiner discusses his least-favorite shot from the film. (It's not as negative as you might think, because the shot is objectively beautiful.)

Check out the clip here.

Why Did Rob Reiner Dislike This Shot?

Reiner was an earnest and detailed filmmaker who always focused on characters. His style was all about naturalism, which was probably why he was able to jump between genres so easily without his directing being tied to any one visual language.

In The Princess Bride, he tackles a fantasy love story about a princess and a stable boy overcoming the odds to be together. But there's one moment he was never quite happy with.

"There's a shot where Robin Wright is on a horse, and she's galloping over this bridge," he said. "And we're shooting, and there's backlight, there's sun back there. And there's a flare in the camera. And it really bothers me. To this day, it bothers me."

Reiner disliked the moment because, in his mind, it wrecked the immersion of the scene.

"You become aware that it's being filmed," he said. "We're trying to put people in the days of yore, in fairytale land, and not think that it's being photographed."

There are some directors who specifically want that flare. J.J. Abrams will always take one, for instance. But it wasn't part of Reiner's approach.

"I don't want to call attention to the camerawork, to the acting, to the writing, to the music," he says. "I want it to all be one blended thing, so that the audience is not taken out of it."

Was It Really a Problem? No

He was being a bit of his own worst critic here, because most viewers won't know that a lens flare is an optical effect caused by unwanted light hitting the lens and resulting in those scattered rays. Most people just see a pretty light, or won't even notice it.

Honestly, a lot of people think the flare makes the shot better, as you can see from the comments on that video.

If you're trying to avoid flares like Reiner wanted to, your best tool is a matte box with flags or a lens hood. These create physical barriers that block stray light from hitting your lens at problematic angles.

You can also adjust your camera position slightly to change the angle between your lens and the light source. Sometimes shifting a few inches is enough.

Your DP can also use flags or even have a crew member hold up a card to block light from hitting the lens directly. It's called "netting out" the light. Watch behind-the-scenes footage, and you'll often see someone standing just outside the frame holding something up to control these elements.

If you're trying to create flares intentionally, shoot directly into or near your light source. Vintage lenses with older or less efficient coatings tend to flare more dramatically than modern multi-coated lenses, which is why some cinematographers keep vintage glass around specifically for this effect. You can also experiment with removing lens hoods and shooting wide open to maximize the flare.