Best Film to learn about Cinematography?

Chinatown
The Road to Redemption
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
The Tree of Life
Pulp Fiction
Children of Men
Saving Private Ryan
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Fargo
There Will Be Blood
The King's Speech
Requiem for a Dream
Alien

or just about any movie that Roger Deakins (cinematographer) has worked on.

I would also recommend Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II, because Eduardo Serra's work alone made that film worth the price of admission.
 
I'll ditto "The Assassination of Jesse James by the coward Robert Ford" - the cinematography is just sublime, and actually very simple (in theory) and utalized basic technology to achieve the results.

I'll also throw in "Bram Stokers Dracula" as the horror film candidate, and another example of a film that achieved amazing visuals with basic tried and tested techniques (nearly all of the visuals were achieved 'in-camera' in the style of early special effect movies from the early 1900's). The special edition DVD has an amazing behind the scenes documentary on this.
 
City of God opening scene
Goodfellas - great opening scene from a cinematography and editing standpoint. Really shows how important it is to plan for your final edit.
Carmen - Carlos Saura director and Teo Escamilla Cinematographer
Man on Fire
China Town
The Godfather - First one
Empire of the Sun
Apocalypes Now
Saving Private Ryan - Great look and shot in a way that really complemented the story
Barry Lyndon
The Last Emperor

Not in any particular order, just some films with great cinematography that come to mind.
 
Victor Nhat Nguyen said:
1970s and up please
Click to expand...

So all pre 70's are out :) - you're missing some wonders... any reason?

OK - one that's great for it's look - Days of Heaven.

Maybe go French for a while (with a nice dreamy quality) -

City of Lost Children
Delicatessen

or

Le Pacte des loupes (Brotherhood of the Wolf)
Vidocq (one of the first films in HD/Cinealta) - not to everyone's taste back in the early 2000's, but it has a nice look.

What are you looking for in terms of choices - amazing cinematography and a great movie... that magic combination? :)
 
MadMonkFish said:
So all pre 70's are out :) - you're missing some wonders... any reason?

OK - one that's great for it's look - Days of Heaven.

Maybe go French for a while (with a nice dreamy quality) -

City of Lost Children
Delicatessen

or

Le Pacte des loupes (Brotherhood of the Wolf)
Vidocq (one of the first films in HD/Cinealta) - not to everyone's taste back in the early 2000's, but it has a nice look.

What are you looking for in terms of choices - amazing cinematography and a great movie... that magic combination? :)
Click to expand...

Just thought of another nice one:

Ridley Scott's the Duelists - nice use of minimal lighting.
 
If you want to watch for cinematography - Post 1970 (I wont mention any already posted and these do not reflect if I actually like the film or not):

In the mood for love / Hero / 2046 - cinematographer: Chris Doyle
Dances with Wolves - cinematographer: Dean Semler
Norwegian Wood - cinematographer: Ping Bin Lee
Black Swan - cinematographer - Matthew Libatique
Munich - cinematographer - Janusz Kaminski
A Beautiful Mind - cinematographer - Roger Deakins
Inglorious Basterds / Snow Falling on Cedars - cinematographer - Robert Richardson
Apocalypse Now - cinematographer - Vottorio Storaro
MAster and Commander - cinematographer - Russell Boyd
The Prestige / The Dark Knight / Inception - Wally Pfister

Just a few to start with.
 
So many of the greats already mentioned.

I won't repeat the many many mentioned films I agree with, but some I did not see while skimming would include:

Atonement- Seamus McGarvey`
E.T.-Allen Daviau
Blade Runner- Jordan Cronenweth
Days of Heaven- Nestor Almendros
The Natural- Caleb Deschanel
Meet Joe Black- Emmanuel Lubezki
The Little Princess- Emmanuel Lubezki
Se7en- Darius Khondji
 
I'll try to avoid those already mentioned...

Jacques Tati (french) is a master of using the frame effectively. For the purpose of studying if you watch just one I'd suggest 'Playtime'.

Some anime is constructed very cinematically, 'Akira' a good example.

Anything by Kubrick. Every image is deliberately constructed in his films.

In recent times I was struck by the composition in the original 'Let the Right One In'

The cinematography Cronenberg's 'Naked Lunch' served the material well.

Gaspar Noe's 'Exit the Void' went to extremes to serve the material, whether or not you think that makes for good cinematography (or a good movie). I did, many didn't. It's long and asks a lot of the audience.

'Paris, Texas' by Wim Wenders, I particularly loved some of the wide open shots in the desert in this one (matched perfectly by the soundtrack)

'Dead Man' the cinematography was essential to this film by Jim Jarmusch

'City of Lost Children' and 'Delicatessen' have already been mentioned but worth a big +1
 
It just makes it in to the 'Post 1970', at 1970, but stands the test of time as an almost definitive essay on Cinematography - "The Conformist", Shot by Vittorio Storaro.

Go watch in awe,

Neil.
 
+ The Conformist
+ Delicatessen

Blade Runner, Hugo, Schindler's List, Saving Private Ryan, Amelie, Unforgiven, Empire of the Sun, The Piano, The Darjeeling Limited, The Ice Storm. We seriously can't go further back than 1970? That is... torture!
 
These epics are too much to digest all at once. Start smaller. My Dinner with Andre is a deceptively well done film, but with few enough elements that by the time you've studied it a few times through, you'll really start to see how Loius Malle used simple tricks to drive the story.

He once said that someone, after seeing the film, asked hi, "Well, what did you do?" Which he took as the greatest complement. The little things are what get you rehired.
 
I would say it's absolutely necessary to watch at least:

Children of Men
Chungking Express and/or Fallen Angels
In The Mood For Love
Really anything shot by Roger Deakins, but especially Assassination of Jesse James and No Country For Old Men
Stalker and/or Mirror
 
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