soren k jensen
Well-known member
one is impossible, but today:
city of god
city of god
Pick ONE movie for cinematography excellence
- Thread starter matthewd5
- Start date
Lucas Adamson
Well-known member
Exactly what sprung to mind for me, and I'm amazed I'm not alone. Exceptional craft.
Paulfilm_LTD
Member
The Passion of the Christ
Paulfilm_LTD
Member
Once Upon A Time In The West
I really liked the lighting in "Hollywoodland"
Billy Pilgrim
Stye in my eye
Probably Eraserhead for me. But I'm picking on just a personal level, what pleases my eye.
Gary French
Active member
.
Last edited:
DeSica
Well-known member
It's been said before, and for good reason.
Citizen Kane
I see it and weep that at 26 I was merely watching what Welles (with Toland) was creating at the very same age.
One of the most influential films of all time and revered by those who actually make movies.
RKO 281 wasn't bad, either.
Citizen Kane
I see it and weep that at 26 I was merely watching what Welles (with Toland) was creating at the very same age.
One of the most influential films of all time and revered by those who actually make movies.
RKO 281 wasn't bad, either.
Prodigi Pictures
Carbonite Member
I personally think its important to define what one means by cinematography. Does one mean the lighting? Or the camera position? Occassionally, people confuse the Mis-en-Scene with cinematography. Is Kurosawa's use of color in RAN strictly art direction or would the average person consider it to be part of the cinematography?
For my list, I'll break it down into the two major elements of light and composition.
LIGHTING:
A Few Good Men (I'm surprised no one mentioned this film. The lighting in this movie is as good as it gets. Classic, clean three point lighting.)
Schindler's List
Saving Private Ryan
Searching For Bobby Fisher (Someone else mentioned this. Kudos!)
Se7en
Fight Club
Babe (don't you dare laugh! There is a reason this children's movie was nominated for best picture!)
The Incredibles (It may be CG, but they still have to manually place virtual lights in each shot!)
TLOTR Trilogy (every movie is amazingly well lit.)
Ed Wood (kudos to whoever said Ed Wood!)
Aliens
Terminator 2: Judgement Day
MOVIES THAT AREN'T CONSISTENTLY WELL LIT BUT HAVE HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE FOR LIGHTING INNOVATIONS:
Pinocchio (The Disney animators invented the term Area Of Interest for this movie. They were borrowing the concept from classical painting, but this is the first time its consistently used in a feature film of any kind. The concept was lost until rediscovered by one of the layout artists on Beauty & The Beast. He was rummaging through the archives and found some notes attached to a background from Pinocchio. The notes explained the concept of the Area of Interest.)
The Third Man (Some scenes are lit like crap...however the entire chase sequence through the sewers of Berlin is the definition of perfect, noir lighting. Anyone considering a black and white movie needs to study the final act of this movie.)
Citizen Kane (like many movies of the era it has way too much front-lighting. However, the scenes in the screening room and the use of silhoette throughout the film is truly innovative. From beginning to end its not a well lit film, but it has moments that are stunning.)
Scarface (the original film by Edward Dmytryck. Its amazing how one can have an "X" in so many shots and yet the average audience member can't see it! This was the inspiration for many of Scorsese's choices in The Departed.)
The Searchers (I'm a bit stunned no one mentioned a John Ford movie...particularly this one! His use of underlit foreground framing elements to contrast with the massive vistas in the distance is unlike any other movie. Yet again, there are lengthy passages that suck, but the shots that are stunning are SO stunning that anyone serious about lighting should study this film.)
The Godfather (I personally think a lot of the lighting has aged. However, it still is an amazing example of a cinematographer pushing the boundaries of technology and creating a result that is better than reality. I've always believed that most people have a false memory about the lighting of these films...they see the poster to the third movie and think every shot throughout the films was lit like that poster.)
COMPOSITION:
Fight Club (perhaps the tightest composition ever achieved.)
Lawrence Of Arabia (The lighting in this movie is actually fairly boring...but David Lean's use of extreme wide shots transforms this film. Every desert movie ever done since LOA has copied this film, even if they weren't deliberately doing so.)
Se7en (Yet again, David Fincher proves he's the master of composition and storyboarding.)
The Color Of Money (All I gotta say is damn...Scorsese shoots pool better than the people shooting pool!)
Ferris Beuler's Day Off (Don't you dare dismiss this film. Yes, it is simple. But, the camera placement makes half the jokes in this film. The second unit shots are flawless. This is a deceptively simple movie.)
GoodFellas (Amazing composition. The best dolly-counter-zoom PERIOD. He takes the dolly-counter-zoom and does the exact opposite of what every director before him had ever done with that camera move. His is the slowest, longest, most invisible dolly-counter-zoom in history.)
Raiders Of The Lost Ark
TLOTR Trilogy (hey, Peter Jackson ends up on both lists!)
MOVIES THAT AREN'T CONSISTENTLY WELL COMPOSED BUT HAVE HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE FOR AMAZINGLY WELL COMPOSED SEQUENCES:
Psycho (Despite the work of storyboard oriented directors before and after Hitchcock, he deserves credit for being the first and best to use storyboards to pre-edit a film. The shower sequence has been copied and lampooned for four decades, but it is still an innovative sequence filled with masterfully composed second unit shots.)
To Kill A Mockingbird (The opening credits of this film has been studied for five decades. They're directed by a different director...a second-unit director who was specifically hired to do opening credit sequences. Damn, these are some fine opening credits!)
Citizen Kane (I love this movie. I'm also willing to admit its faults. We've all been programmed to treat it like its a flawless gem. It is a STUNNING achievement. And despite the fact that some of the sequences feel "stagey" there are camera shots that continue to blow me away. The crane shot through the glass ceiling is an example.
Rope (The movie has aged, but Hitchcock attempted to create a movie that looks like it is one continuous take. Technology limited him, and so with great innovation he has the camera dolly behind a character to hide the few cuts in the movie.)
The Right Stuff (I friggin' hate this movie. Its so slow. Its slow pretentious. How on EARTH did they make travelling to the moon so damn boring? But, they invented the "wall of heroes walking in slow motion at the camera." That shot has been copied so many times its become a cliche.)
JAWS (Because the film stocks of the 70's sucked the color and lighting are hard to look at...but, Spielberg proves he knows where to put the camera! His dolly-counter-zoom, or zolly-shot, is amazing.)
Phew...I love this subject! :thumbsup:
For my list, I'll break it down into the two major elements of light and composition.
LIGHTING:
A Few Good Men (I'm surprised no one mentioned this film. The lighting in this movie is as good as it gets. Classic, clean three point lighting.)
Schindler's List
Saving Private Ryan
Searching For Bobby Fisher (Someone else mentioned this. Kudos!)
Se7en
Fight Club
Babe (don't you dare laugh! There is a reason this children's movie was nominated for best picture!)
The Incredibles (It may be CG, but they still have to manually place virtual lights in each shot!)
TLOTR Trilogy (every movie is amazingly well lit.)
Ed Wood (kudos to whoever said Ed Wood!)
Aliens
Terminator 2: Judgement Day
MOVIES THAT AREN'T CONSISTENTLY WELL LIT BUT HAVE HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE FOR LIGHTING INNOVATIONS:
Pinocchio (The Disney animators invented the term Area Of Interest for this movie. They were borrowing the concept from classical painting, but this is the first time its consistently used in a feature film of any kind. The concept was lost until rediscovered by one of the layout artists on Beauty & The Beast. He was rummaging through the archives and found some notes attached to a background from Pinocchio. The notes explained the concept of the Area of Interest.)
The Third Man (Some scenes are lit like crap...however the entire chase sequence through the sewers of Berlin is the definition of perfect, noir lighting. Anyone considering a black and white movie needs to study the final act of this movie.)
Citizen Kane (like many movies of the era it has way too much front-lighting. However, the scenes in the screening room and the use of silhoette throughout the film is truly innovative. From beginning to end its not a well lit film, but it has moments that are stunning.)
Scarface (the original film by Edward Dmytryck. Its amazing how one can have an "X" in so many shots and yet the average audience member can't see it! This was the inspiration for many of Scorsese's choices in The Departed.)
The Searchers (I'm a bit stunned no one mentioned a John Ford movie...particularly this one! His use of underlit foreground framing elements to contrast with the massive vistas in the distance is unlike any other movie. Yet again, there are lengthy passages that suck, but the shots that are stunning are SO stunning that anyone serious about lighting should study this film.)
The Godfather (I personally think a lot of the lighting has aged. However, it still is an amazing example of a cinematographer pushing the boundaries of technology and creating a result that is better than reality. I've always believed that most people have a false memory about the lighting of these films...they see the poster to the third movie and think every shot throughout the films was lit like that poster.)
COMPOSITION:
Fight Club (perhaps the tightest composition ever achieved.)
Lawrence Of Arabia (The lighting in this movie is actually fairly boring...but David Lean's use of extreme wide shots transforms this film. Every desert movie ever done since LOA has copied this film, even if they weren't deliberately doing so.)
Se7en (Yet again, David Fincher proves he's the master of composition and storyboarding.)
The Color Of Money (All I gotta say is damn...Scorsese shoots pool better than the people shooting pool!)
Ferris Beuler's Day Off (Don't you dare dismiss this film. Yes, it is simple. But, the camera placement makes half the jokes in this film. The second unit shots are flawless. This is a deceptively simple movie.)
GoodFellas (Amazing composition. The best dolly-counter-zoom PERIOD. He takes the dolly-counter-zoom and does the exact opposite of what every director before him had ever done with that camera move. His is the slowest, longest, most invisible dolly-counter-zoom in history.)
Raiders Of The Lost Ark
TLOTR Trilogy (hey, Peter Jackson ends up on both lists!)
MOVIES THAT AREN'T CONSISTENTLY WELL COMPOSED BUT HAVE HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE FOR AMAZINGLY WELL COMPOSED SEQUENCES:
Psycho (Despite the work of storyboard oriented directors before and after Hitchcock, he deserves credit for being the first and best to use storyboards to pre-edit a film. The shower sequence has been copied and lampooned for four decades, but it is still an innovative sequence filled with masterfully composed second unit shots.)
To Kill A Mockingbird (The opening credits of this film has been studied for five decades. They're directed by a different director...a second-unit director who was specifically hired to do opening credit sequences. Damn, these are some fine opening credits!)
Citizen Kane (I love this movie. I'm also willing to admit its faults. We've all been programmed to treat it like its a flawless gem. It is a STUNNING achievement. And despite the fact that some of the sequences feel "stagey" there are camera shots that continue to blow me away. The crane shot through the glass ceiling is an example.
Rope (The movie has aged, but Hitchcock attempted to create a movie that looks like it is one continuous take. Technology limited him, and so with great innovation he has the camera dolly behind a character to hide the few cuts in the movie.)
The Right Stuff (I friggin' hate this movie. Its so slow. Its slow pretentious. How on EARTH did they make travelling to the moon so damn boring? But, they invented the "wall of heroes walking in slow motion at the camera." That shot has been copied so many times its become a cliche.)
JAWS (Because the film stocks of the 70's sucked the color and lighting are hard to look at...but, Spielberg proves he knows where to put the camera! His dolly-counter-zoom, or zolly-shot, is amazing.)
Phew...I love this subject! :thumbsup: