What is your favorite cinematography? (movie/tv/etc.)

[zackiedawg]

I enjoy good cinematography from two different aspects - one is the achievement in structuring shots, angles, and camera motions that are just stunning to watch and imagine how it was done (Cuaron, Mendes, etc)...and others from the more artistic aspect - just visually gorgeous films with amazing framing, use of color, where just about any shot from the film could be a beautiful still photo.

I agree with so many suggestions so far, so I'll just stick to a few I haven't seen mention of:

Amelie

Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring

O' Brother Where Art Thou

Collateral

Life of Pi

 

[Phil A Martin]

Akiri Kurosawa was an absolute genius with the camera.

Indeed. For me B&W cinematography doesn't get better. There are other greats, but he he's the best for me.

For colour, probably between Amoldovar and Wong Kar Wei (Christoper Doyle.)

Yes Amoldovar as well. We probably should also include Derek Jarman for his ability to conjure up fantastic images with minimal props and simple costumes.

--
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[Charles2]

...”Barry Lyndon” ...

Kubrick had a couple of Zeiss lenses adapted and shot all or nearly all the movie with it. The lenses opened to f/0.7! The candlelight scenes are amazing. Unfortunately, the story itself was not worthy of the cinematographic wizardry.

Put kubrick barry lyndon 0.75 lens into a search engine to find articles about the lenses.

 

[Phil A Martin]

...”Barry Lyndon” ...

Kubrick had a couple of Zeiss lenses adapted and shot all or nearly all the movie with it. The lenses opened to f/0.7! The candlelight scenes are amazing. Unfortunately, the story itself was not worthy of the cinematographic wizardry.

Put kubrick barry lyndon 0.75 lens into a search engine to find articles about the lenses.

 

[Charles2]

The lenses opened to f/0.7! The candlelight scenes are amazing. Unfortunately, the story itself was not worthy of the cinematographic wizardry.

Screen capture from Barry Lyndon.

 

[MediaArchivist]

I think he had them designed specifically for the film. At least that is the legend.

They were lenses made by Zeiss for NASA. NASA has "special needs"... who knew?

He did, however, have the cameras specially adapted for the lenses which was quite an engineering feat.

 

[Phil A Martin]

• MediaArchivist wrote:

I think he had them designed specifically for the film. At least that is the legend.

They were lenses made by Zeiss for NASA. NASA has "special needs"... who knew?

He did, however, have the cameras specially adapted for the lenses which was quite an engineering feat.

That must have been the origin of the legend

--
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[EOS GUY]

Akiri Kurosawa was an absolute genius with the camera.

Indeed. For me B&W cinematography doesn't get better. There are other greats, but he he's the best for me.

For colour, probably between Amoldovar and Wong Kar Wei (Christoper Doyle.)

Yes Amoldovar as well. We probably should also include Derek Jarman for his ability to conjure up fantastic images with minimal props and simple costumes.

Heh heh if any of you are in lockdown like me and looking for inspiration , I can guarantee watching Kurasawa's 'Seven Samurai' will have you out shooting B&W with B&W Live view turned on in the EVF (if you shot mirrorless) really soon If you want a quicker inspiration, the intro with title music to Raging Bull with De Niro warming up in the ring can suffice....

 

[kilofox]

[No message]

 

[Tuloom]

Sergio Leone for the dope landscapes. Once Upon A Time In The West. Classic that always needs a mention.

Peter Greenaway for sheer brilliance: The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover and so on.

Andrei Tarkovsky because wow.

Louis Malle and the auteurist gang.

I'll second Terrence Malick in this thread. Badlands, The New World. Both are treats.

Boy, and that's just a drizzle.

 

[embie]

# 1 Silence of the lambs with my favorite actor Anthony Hopkins

# 2 Titanic

# 3 Pearl harbour

# 4 The legends of the fall

# 5 The big red one (war) with Lee Marvin

# 6 The boy in the striped pyjama

# 7 Die Fälscher (war) with Karl Markovics

# 8 Men of honour with Cuba Gooding Junior

# 9 Patriot with Mel Gibson

Order can change depending of my mood ;-)

I don't stick with directors.

eMBie

 

[Bobthearch]

My black and white photos are certainly influence by film noir. Fritz Lang, Orson Wells, Alfred Hitchcock.

Watching films by Robert Altman, Kurosawa, and Jim Jarmusch are visually inspirational.

Every frame of a Ingmar Bergman film could be a gallery image, masterfully composed.

Also, the wide open landscapes and solitary outdoor locations are reason alone to watch some films. The English Patient, Dances with Wolves, The Revenant / Man in the Wilderness, and The Unforgiven.

 

[tbcass]

Sergio Leone for the dope landscapes. Once Upon A Time In The West. Classic that always needs a mention.

Excuse a senior citizen's ignorance but what is a dope landscape? I assume it means beautiful and majestic because that is what they were. Some credit should be given to cinematographer Tonino Delli Colli

 

[Dweeble]

Utterly fascinating thread. Although oddly I disagree with the number of Third Man picks, I adore the film but don't the cinematography that great.

But in general I think moving picture people are rather ahead of us stills photographers in many ways. I hugely admire their insane levels of technical skill and their "eye". One day I might have the time and money to try and learn....

However, for a least fave, I would say anything CGI or green screen. Full stop. Perhaps in 10 years, but not here, not now. Not yet. PS Prize if you can attribute the quote, which I may actually have gotten wrong

 

[jerry1]

I can think of countless films in which cinematography has impressed and influenced me, and this can be a topic of endless discussion. But for the sake of brevity I will narrow my most influential to two areas.

I enjoy film noir. These were low budget crime stories, but quality was not compromised. They were (almost all of them) black and white, which enhances the noir mood. Those old time cinematographers were absolute masters of light and shadow, composition, wet reflections, smoke and steam. To this day, if I am in a large city at night (very seldom any more since we live so remotely), especially if it has been raining, I will be out taking photographs, and thinking about Sam Spade.

I grew up with westerns, and my favorite genre still, by far, is westerns. I think any John Ford film, not just his westerns, is cinematography at its finest. During the filming of 'She Wore A Yellow Ribbon' there was to be a scene of a cavalry column in Monument Valley. It was late in the afternoon and a storm was coming in. The cinematographer, Winton C. Hoch, said there was insufficient light and wanted to shut down. Ford overruled him, said there was enough light, film the scene and he (Hoch) would win an Academy Award for best cinematographer. Hoch did film it and did win the Oscar. Ford was known to have studied the works of Charles M. Russell and Frederick Remington for ideas and inspiration. Ford was especially artful at capturing the dignity and majesty of cavalry movements. 'She Wore A Yellow Ribbon' was no fluke. The opening credits in 'The Horse Soldiers', with the cavalry silhouetted on the levee and Stan Jones' title song 'I Left My Love' being sung by the troops is masterful.

As I qualified earlier, Ford's consummate skill to set a scene and direct his cinematographers encompassed all the genres he filmed. 'The Quiet Man' has been termed John Ford's postcard from Ireland. It is a visual treat. Making that film was a labor of love for him, and it shows.

The Searchers was one of my favorites and the theme song by the Sons of the Pioneers was a song that I love even to this day. I was ten when it came out and I saw it with my whole family. Never forgot it and at 74 I still watch it if it comes on TV. I've always been a western fan too. A boy growing up in the 1950's in the USA was living in western heaven.

 

[Bobthearch]

Fellini and Bergman. When I'm looking at people in B&W, I tend to be looking through their eyes.

Can't believe I forgot Fellini on my list.

I wonder if you saw the episode of Northern Exposure where the young man finds a ring inscribed "FF" and imagines it was Frederico Fellini's. The episode is filmed in Fillini-esque style.

 

[KAAMBIC]

We all watch movies, television shows and video shorts. ("motion pictures" for short)

Cinematography can be hugely influential on photography (and vice versa). Many of the same skills and tools are involved in each.

What motion pictures have influenced you? Are there specific directors or cinematographers you follow because of their aesthetics?

How has cinematography affected your photography? Or has it had no influence?

I tend to go against the grain, even if for the sake of it. Im big on individuality, i absolutely detest herd mentality, so i can't say i've consciously followed any movie in particular in my own photography style. Not saying there isn't something there subconsciously but if there is, no way to tell.

As for my favorites, i have a top 5 as there are several greats. In no particular order...

1) The Abyss

2) The Terminator

3) Collateral

4) The 4th Kind

5) Big Trouble in Little China

There's probly another dozen i could sub in but these are the ones that come to mind off the bat.