In the episode “Deer Lady,” FX’s Reservation Dogs reveals the backstory of the mysterious eponymous character played by guest star Kaniehtiio Horn (pictured) — a spirit who presents as a woman with hooves and kills “unsavory men.”
“This is like the whole episode in one quick shot,” says Emmy-nominated DP Mark Schwartzbard of this moment in the episode, after which Deer Lady exacts revenge on an abusive man from her past. “The episode is about historical trauma — reclaiming it and trying to move on from it,” continues Schwartzbard. “This one shot manifests that, not through anything we did with the camera, but basically through the performance.”
This episode, directed by Danis Goulet, is a departure from the typical shooting style on the show, which Schwartzbard describes as “observational.” But here, as Deer Lady leaves the scene of her latest crime, she leads the camera as she processes and overcomes a traumatic moment. “I think we did a second take, but what she brought to it, and the turn she takes silently as she’s walking away from the house, was just so perfect,” recalls Schwartzbard, who used a Steadicam to capture this “heavy but graceful” scene.
Still, he maintains, the magic is all in Horn’s acting. “It was one of those takes where, just on account of her performance, all of us at the monitors just kind of looked at each other like, ‘Oh shit!’ “
This story first appeared in an August stand-alone issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe.
