My dad needs a list of films with great cinematography.
May 23, 2013 2:07 PM Subscribe
He says cinematography makes or breaks a film for him; plot and acting are secondary. He likes Netflix, but find it frustrating that it keeps suggesting films he doesn't like. I tried to get him to give me examples of films he's enjoyed, but he just said "Oh, you know, old black and white things, when cinematography was good."
Can you please help me come up with some suggestions of things for him, perhaps something newer than Citizen Kane?
Is your dad OK with foreign films, or does he prefer English-language only?
posted by scody at 2:09 PM on May 23, 2013
posted by scody at 2:09 PM on May 23, 2013
Response by poster: Sorry, I should say that he's watched an awful lot of film, and so classic stuff like the Godfather is great, but not what he's looking for. Thanks.
posted by Specklet at 2:10 PM on May 23, 2013
posted by Specklet at 2:10 PM on May 23, 2013
Response by poster: Okay with foreign. (Crap, what else have I forgotten?)
posted by Specklet at 2:10 PM on May 23, 2013
posted by Specklet at 2:10 PM on May 23, 2013
Is this streaming, or via mail? If the former is okay, he could get a subscription to Hulu Plus for a few months and go through the Criterion Collection... there's a ton of good stuff in there.
Has he seen Le Cercle Rouge? For whatever reason that's always the movie I think of when people are talking about cinematography.
posted by selfnoise at 2:16 PM on May 23, 2013 [1 favorite]
Has he seen Le Cercle Rouge? For whatever reason that's always the movie I think of when people are talking about cinematography.
posted by selfnoise at 2:16 PM on May 23, 2013 [1 favorite]
Powell & Pressburger films are gorgeous (though more so on the big screen). Same for Jean Renoir's films. But the ones I love most are in IB Technicolor, not B&W
2nding films in the Criterion Collection
posted by estherbester at 2:16 PM on May 23, 2013
2nding films in the Criterion Collection
posted by estherbester at 2:16 PM on May 23, 2013
How about this list of Acadamy awards for best cinematography?
posted by borkencode at 2:17 PM on May 23, 2013 [3 favorites]
posted by borkencode at 2:17 PM on May 23, 2013 [3 favorites]
Anything shot by Roger Deakins. (Especially the Coen Bros movies, though, and especially The Man Who Wasn't There.)
Dark City, and get him the DVD so he can listen to the Ebert commentary track.
In The Fall, the location selection dictates the grandeur of much of the cinematography, but it is a very well-shot film even without the gorgeous scenery.
For good ol' (mostly) black & white, but with a distinctly modern twist, Sin City. It was shot entirely on green screen in a studio, and is a testament to Robert Rodriguez' vision and abilities. It's a little violent and senseless, plot-wise, but the look of the film is incredible.
posted by carsonb at 2:19 PM on May 23, 2013 [2 favorites]
Dark City, and get him the DVD so he can listen to the Ebert commentary track.
In The Fall, the location selection dictates the grandeur of much of the cinematography, but it is a very well-shot film even without the gorgeous scenery.
For good ol' (mostly) black & white, but with a distinctly modern twist, Sin City. It was shot entirely on green screen in a studio, and is a testament to Robert Rodriguez' vision and abilities. It's a little violent and senseless, plot-wise, but the look of the film is incredible.
posted by carsonb at 2:19 PM on May 23, 2013 [2 favorites]
Some of the best black and white cinematography I've seen is in John Frankenheimer's The Train, from 1964. It's a great movie too.
For a modern B&W, maybe The Man Who Wasn't There? It was actually shot in color and converted to black and white because no one makes high-quality black and white film stock anymore. Or it was too hard to work with real B&W. I forget exactly, but the Coens explained it in the commentary on the DVD. To be honest, I don't think you can go wrong with the cinematography in any of Roger Deakins's films, though they do tend to feature significant color corrections (e.g. washing out the greens in O Brother Where Art Thou? so it looked like it had been filmed during 1930s-appropriate drought conditions).
posted by stopgap at 2:21 PM on May 23, 2013 [2 favorites]
For a modern B&W, maybe The Man Who Wasn't There? It was actually shot in color and converted to black and white because no one makes high-quality black and white film stock anymore. Or it was too hard to work with real B&W. I forget exactly, but the Coens explained it in the commentary on the DVD. To be honest, I don't think you can go wrong with the cinematography in any of Roger Deakins's films, though they do tend to feature significant color corrections (e.g. washing out the greens in O Brother Where Art Thou? so it looked like it had been filmed during 1930s-appropriate drought conditions).
posted by stopgap at 2:21 PM on May 23, 2013 [2 favorites]
I thought of a couple other recent films as well. Good Night, and Good Luck was similarly filmed in color and converted to black and white. And The Cat's Meow was filmed in color, but the set direction, clothes, and lighting are primarily black-and-white, to evoke the 1920s era. It has a very distinctive look.
posted by stopgap at 2:24 PM on May 23, 2013
posted by stopgap at 2:24 PM on May 23, 2013
Oh, btw, here are two chanbara films with b&w shooting I particularly liked:
The Sword of Doom
Kill!
The former in particular is at times a heart-stoppingly beautiful movie.
And of course all Kurosawa, all the time. I really like the end of High and Low in particular.
posted by selfnoise at 2:26 PM on May 23, 2013 [1 favorite]
The Sword of Doom
Kill!
The former in particular is at times a heart-stoppingly beautiful movie.
And of course all Kurosawa, all the time. I really like the end of High and Low in particular.
posted by selfnoise at 2:26 PM on May 23, 2013 [1 favorite]
(Relatively) modern black and white is actually a great place to start. Paper Moon, The Elephant Man, Young Frankenstein, The Last Picture Show, all excellent.
posted by Sys Rq at 2:26 PM on May 23, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by Sys Rq at 2:26 PM on May 23, 2013 [1 favorite]
For some more older movies, you could also look at some of James Wong Howe's movies. I liked the look of Sweet Smell of Success and Hud. And Paul Newman makes me think of The Hustler. I think it won the Oscar for B&W cinematography its year.
posted by stopgap at 2:31 PM on May 23, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by stopgap at 2:31 PM on May 23, 2013 [2 favorites]
he just said "Oh, you know, old black and white things, when cinematography was good."
The thing is that cinematography back then was good given the standards and the methods of the time. Modern "good cinematography" films like Picnic at Hanging Rock might be unappealing to your father because he likes films that were basically that transition between "early film" and "modern" film that was more professional/sophisticated without being avant garde. Like he likes the experiments in cinematography that created modern "good" movies but isn't interested in experimental cinematography in general.
But this AskMe named a lot of "good cinematography" films, albeit of the more slow-moving kind.
posted by deanc at 2:32 PM on May 23, 2013 [1 favorite]
The thing is that cinematography back then was good given the standards and the methods of the time. Modern "good cinematography" films like Picnic at Hanging Rock might be unappealing to your father because he likes films that were basically that transition between "early film" and "modern" film that was more professional/sophisticated without being avant garde. Like he likes the experiments in cinematography that created modern "good" movies but isn't interested in experimental cinematography in general.
But this AskMe named a lot of "good cinematography" films, albeit of the more slow-moving kind.
posted by deanc at 2:32 PM on May 23, 2013 [1 favorite]
It might be worth noting that with a Hulu Plus subscription you get a lot of the Criterion Collection.
I don't know what your dad's opinion of Yasujiro Ozu is: he has a very distinctive style of cinematography. If you haven't watched his movies, the camera doesn't move much, and tends to be positioned about 3 feet off the ground. Tokyo Story and Late Spring are both good movies by him. Most of what he did was in black and white.
A modern director who he has heavily inspired is Hirokazu Koreeda. Still Walking and After Life are both fantastic and beautifully filmed.
Koreeda and especially Ozu are very quiet and focus on the little rituals and minutiae of everyday life, and they tend not to move the camera much. If he likes sweeping, impressive, spectacular cinematography then he probably won't like these movies. But both directors are very careful and skilled, and their films are beautiful because of their cinematography.
posted by vogon_poet at 2:34 PM on May 23, 2013
I don't know what your dad's opinion of Yasujiro Ozu is: he has a very distinctive style of cinematography. If you haven't watched his movies, the camera doesn't move much, and tends to be positioned about 3 feet off the ground. Tokyo Story and Late Spring are both good movies by him. Most of what he did was in black and white.
A modern director who he has heavily inspired is Hirokazu Koreeda. Still Walking and After Life are both fantastic and beautifully filmed.
Koreeda and especially Ozu are very quiet and focus on the little rituals and minutiae of everyday life, and they tend not to move the camera much. If he likes sweeping, impressive, spectacular cinematography then he probably won't like these movies. But both directors are very careful and skilled, and their films are beautiful because of their cinematography.
posted by vogon_poet at 2:34 PM on May 23, 2013
Blancanieves (trailer, Youtube, Spanish language) is an absolutely gorgeous Snow White retelling filmed recently in black and white.
posted by Juliet Banana at 2:34 PM on May 23, 2013
posted by Juliet Banana at 2:34 PM on May 23, 2013
Not everyone's cup of tea, but Peter Greenaways films are all beautifully shot.
posted by crocomancer at 2:34 PM on May 23, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by crocomancer at 2:34 PM on May 23, 2013 [1 favorite]
A number movies off the top of my head. Most of these are not B&W, but I get the idea you're not necessarily only looking for B&W.
* Amelie
* The Tree of Life (Not much plot here, but the Cinematography is BEAUTIFUL).
* 300
* The Fall
* Samsara and Baraka (ALL about the Cinematography)
* The Artist
* Danny Boyle's movies tend to have great, stylized Cinematography (Slumdog Millionaire, for one).
* House of Flying Daggers, Hero and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.
posted by cnc at 2:34 PM on May 23, 2013 [1 favorite]
* Amelie
* The Tree of Life (Not much plot here, but the Cinematography is BEAUTIFUL).
* 300
* The Fall
* Samsara and Baraka (ALL about the Cinematography)
* The Artist
* Danny Boyle's movies tend to have great, stylized Cinematography (Slumdog Millionaire, for one).
* House of Flying Daggers, Hero and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.
posted by cnc at 2:34 PM on May 23, 2013 [1 favorite]
I would approach it a different way. Back when I rented a lot of movies (oh, sounding old already....), my wife and I bought a VideoHound's Golden Movie Retriever book. Link to Amazon.
In the back of the book, they have a cinematographer index (among other treasures). Find what he liked before, and look for movies from that cinematographer.
posted by China Grover at 2:36 PM on May 23, 2013
In the back of the book, they have a cinematographer index (among other treasures). Find what he liked before, and look for movies from that cinematographer.
posted by China Grover at 2:36 PM on May 23, 2013
I asked a similar question a while ago, good stuff on Netflix was recommended.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 2:38 PM on May 23, 2013
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 2:38 PM on May 23, 2013
Trance, the recent Danny Boyle film. It's not a great film but the cinematography was exceptional.
posted by mani at 2:40 PM on May 23, 2013
posted by mani at 2:40 PM on May 23, 2013
Zatoichi, the 2003 version by Takeshi Kitano is one of our favourites. Rural Japan with populism and humour sneaking in the broader shots, showing the life beyond just the gangster film happening on screen.
posted by bonehead at 2:42 PM on May 23, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by bonehead at 2:42 PM on May 23, 2013 [1 favorite]
I will admit to cribbing from the Academy award list Borkencode mentioned - I had remembered L.A. Confidential as a gorgeous film (note: very violent in spots) Another one from that era that was nominated I really liked was Howard's End.
In general many, if not all, of the Merchant and Ivory films are beautiful/striking visually. Makes you wish there was a way to view them again on a huge screen. When I win the lottery I'll stage a MeFi meetup in my viewing room.
posted by randomkeystrike at 2:43 PM on May 23, 2013
In general many, if not all, of the Merchant and Ivory films are beautiful/striking visually. Makes you wish there was a way to view them again on a huge screen. When I win the lottery I'll stage a MeFi meetup in my viewing room.
posted by randomkeystrike at 2:43 PM on May 23, 2013
He may just want to watch Visions of Light and get everything that sticks out to him. Off the top of my head:
Night of the Hunter shot by Stanley Cortez, ASC
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf shot by Haskell Wexler, ASC
Days of Heaven shot by Nestor Alemandros, ASC
Children of Men shot by Emmanuel Lubezki, ASC
Bullhead shot by Nicolas Karakatsanis
In the Mood for Love shot by Christopher Doyle, HKSC
Three Colors: Blue shot by Slawomir Idziak, ASC
There Will Be Blood shot by Robert Elswit, ASC
No Country for Old Men shot by Roger Deakins, ASC
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly shot by Janusz Kamiński, ASC
Elephant shot by Harris Savides, ASC
Persona shot by Sven Nykvist, ASC
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford shot by Roger Deakins, ASC
Uzak shot by Nuri Bilge Ceylan
The Double Life of Veronique shot by Sławomir Idziak, ASC
The City of Lost Children shot by Darius Khondji, ASC
posted by nathancaswell at 2:44 PM on May 23, 2013 [11 favorites]
Night of the Hunter shot by Stanley Cortez, ASC
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf shot by Haskell Wexler, ASC
Days of Heaven shot by Nestor Alemandros, ASC
Children of Men shot by Emmanuel Lubezki, ASC
Bullhead shot by Nicolas Karakatsanis
In the Mood for Love shot by Christopher Doyle, HKSC
Three Colors: Blue shot by Slawomir Idziak, ASC
There Will Be Blood shot by Robert Elswit, ASC
No Country for Old Men shot by Roger Deakins, ASC
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly shot by Janusz Kamiński, ASC
Elephant shot by Harris Savides, ASC
Persona shot by Sven Nykvist, ASC
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford shot by Roger Deakins, ASC
Uzak shot by Nuri Bilge Ceylan
The Double Life of Veronique shot by Sławomir Idziak, ASC
The City of Lost Children shot by Darius Khondji, ASC
posted by nathancaswell at 2:44 PM on May 23, 2013 [11 favorites]
Christopher Doyle is one of the best craftsmen there is, and he's incidentally responsible for Hero, which was mentioned above. His films with Wong Kar-wai are all worth checking out, with In the Mood for Love really topping the list in my opinion (it's a good bet for your dad, too, because it really plays up its retro, noir-ish sensibilities, although it's in color).
Unrelated to that, Munich is just one of the most gorgeous films I've ever seen. It was edited with a Moviola, which seems to give the visuals a particular cadence that I think would appeal to someone who likes classic film.
posted by invitapriore at 2:44 PM on May 23, 2013 [1 favorite]
Unrelated to that, Munich is just one of the most gorgeous films I've ever seen. It was edited with a Moviola, which seems to give the visuals a particular cadence that I think would appeal to someone who likes classic film.
posted by invitapriore at 2:44 PM on May 23, 2013 [1 favorite]
Probably the best way for your dad to find stuff he'll like is to take note of who the cinematographer (also listed as the director of photography) was on things he likes. Since a DP's career will usually span decades, he should be able to get out of the Citizen Kane era pretty easily.
If there are ANY more recent films he thinks were nicely shot, finding other films shot by the same DP will give him a wealth of choices.
posted by Sara C. at 2:56 PM on May 23, 2013 [1 favorite]
If there are ANY more recent films he thinks were nicely shot, finding other films shot by the same DP will give him a wealth of choices.
posted by Sara C. at 2:56 PM on May 23, 2013 [1 favorite]
The Master shot by Mihai Malaimare is extraordinary visually.
A mess of a movie otherwise, but your mileage may vary...
posted by lewedswiver at 3:04 PM on May 23, 2013
A mess of a movie otherwise, but your mileage may vary...
posted by lewedswiver at 3:04 PM on May 23, 2013
Seconds by John Frankenheimer has some of the best black and white cinematography of all time. It also happens to be a great movie.
Tetro also has some terrific cinematography.
Snake Eyes is not a "good" movie, but it has absolutely terrific cinematography. I'm not just talking about the opening eleven minutes, either.
posted by Sticherbeast at 3:10 PM on May 23, 2013
Tetro also has some terrific cinematography.
Snake Eyes is not a "good" movie, but it has absolutely terrific cinematography. I'm not just talking about the opening eleven minutes, either.
posted by Sticherbeast at 3:10 PM on May 23, 2013
Heaven's Gate shot by the great Vilmos Szigmond. It's a much maligned film but if you pay close attention to the images alone, it becomes sublime.
posted by cazoo at 3:10 PM on May 23, 2013
posted by cazoo at 3:10 PM on May 23, 2013
I don't know anything about anything, but I found Punch Drunk Love to be visually gorgeous. Don't know if that counts as cinematography.
posted by everythings_interrelated at 3:11 PM on May 23, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by everythings_interrelated at 3:11 PM on May 23, 2013 [1 favorite]
'Good' cinematography is also very much a matter of taste. Two good suggestions from the thread were 'Snake Eyes' and 'Tokyo Story' - but there's a huge gap in terms of what the cinematography of these movies are.
Anyway here are recommendations of films which struck me as being very unusual, and beautiful:
Shara, by Naomi Kawase
"The cyclical nature of this – one son lost at the beginning of the film, another brought into life at the end – is literally enacted in Shara’s remarkable camera style. It’s a camera that’s constantly on the move, never tied to one character or one point of view, forever circling and exploring the contours of this world. Again and again, the camera takes flight, relentlessly pursuing characters down the meandering, interconnecting side alleys of the neighbourhood, sometimes – as when it follows the two brothers in their running game, or again when Shun and Yu race back to his home in the latter part of the film – at a breakneck pace. "
Cure, by Kyioshi Kurosawa
posted by Riton at 3:16 PM on May 23, 2013
Anyway here are recommendations of films which struck me as being very unusual, and beautiful:
Shara, by Naomi Kawase
"The cyclical nature of this – one son lost at the beginning of the film, another brought into life at the end – is literally enacted in Shara’s remarkable camera style. It’s a camera that’s constantly on the move, never tied to one character or one point of view, forever circling and exploring the contours of this world. Again and again, the camera takes flight, relentlessly pursuing characters down the meandering, interconnecting side alleys of the neighbourhood, sometimes – as when it follows the two brothers in their running game, or again when Shun and Yu race back to his home in the latter part of the film – at a breakneck pace. "
Cure, by Kyioshi Kurosawa
posted by Riton at 3:16 PM on May 23, 2013
Nthing Akira Kurosawa in general and High and Low in particular. He may also like some of Louis Malle's work - it's understated but very assured.
posted by smoke at 3:20 PM on May 23, 2013
posted by smoke at 3:20 PM on May 23, 2013
List of Academy Award Winners for Cinematography
Ack, on preview, this has already been suggested.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 3:22 PM on May 23, 2013
Ack, on preview, this has already been suggested.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 3:22 PM on May 23, 2013
Vilmos Szigmond
You mention that your dad isn't an entry-level movie buff, so it's possible that he's seen a lot of these films, but both Szigmond is considered one of the greats. He shouldn't just see Heaven's Gate, he should see EVERYTHING Vilmos Szigmond has shot.
posted by Sara C. at 3:22 PM on May 23, 2013
You mention that your dad isn't an entry-level movie buff, so it's possible that he's seen a lot of these films, but both Szigmond is considered one of the greats. He shouldn't just see Heaven's Gate, he should see EVERYTHING Vilmos Szigmond has shot.
posted by Sara C. at 3:22 PM on May 23, 2013
he should see EVERYTHING Vilmos Szigmond has shot.
...with the possible exception of The Black Dahlia from a few years ago, which -- despite Szigmond's always-excellent work -- is just awful.
posted by scody at 3:40 PM on May 23, 2013
...with the possible exception of The Black Dahlia from a few years ago, which -- despite Szigmond's always-excellent work -- is just awful.
posted by scody at 3:40 PM on May 23, 2013
So... I'm biased. Having said that:
Paths of fucking Glory, followed by Full Metal Jacket. I disliked FMJ and thought it was jingoist, until I saw it back-to-back with Paths. Now I think it's brilliant.
Also, Ashes & Diamonds (the bullet scene in particular, the final scene is more famous, but I prefer the earlier shots).
posted by aramaic at 3:50 PM on May 23, 2013
Paths of fucking Glory, followed by Full Metal Jacket. I disliked FMJ and thought it was jingoist, until I saw it back-to-back with Paths. Now I think it's brilliant.
Also, Ashes & Diamonds (the bullet scene in particular, the final scene is more famous, but I prefer the earlier shots).
posted by aramaic at 3:50 PM on May 23, 2013
Cabaret. Cinematography by the great Geoffrey Unsworth.
posted by BostonTerrier at 3:54 PM on May 23, 2013
posted by BostonTerrier at 3:54 PM on May 23, 2013
Bela Tarr's later films, all b&w and beautiful:
Satantango
Werckmeister Harmonies
The Man from London
The Turin Horse
posted by perhapses at 4:08 PM on May 23, 2013
Satantango
Werckmeister Harmonies
The Man from London
The Turin Horse
posted by perhapses at 4:08 PM on May 23, 2013
Unexpectedly, I thought the Damned United was quite beautiful.
posted by hoyland at 4:12 PM on May 23, 2013
posted by hoyland at 4:12 PM on May 23, 2013
Has he seen everything in Visions of Light? If not, I'd start working through it.
And he might enjoy looking at the ASC's magazine.
posted by Ideefixe at 4:21 PM on May 23, 2013
And he might enjoy looking at the ASC's magazine.
posted by Ideefixe at 4:21 PM on May 23, 2013
Everything I've seen that was shot by Christopher Doyle has been amazing, echoing others. Specifically, I thought your dad might like The Quiet American, as it's from the novel by Graham Greene.
posted by janey47 at 5:16 PM on May 23, 2013
posted by janey47 at 5:16 PM on May 23, 2013
Delicatessen, a surrealist French black comedy directed by Marc Caro and Jean-Pierre Jeunet, the same guys who also directed La Cité de Enfants Perdus (The City of Lost Children, mentioned by someone else in this thread...same cinematographer as well - Darius Khondji - the 3 of them are buds). Jeunet also directed Amelie and Micmacs à tire-larigot.
Hell, one of the reviews on IMDB even says, "If Citizen Kane is the number one movie to see to learn anything about cinematography, this might as well be at number 2."
I'll be honest - the film was a bit too bizarre for my taste, and I get the impression people either freaking love it or don't much care for it. There isn't much middle ground on this one, I don't think. However, there is no denying that it is a beautiful film. The cinematography alone makes it worthwhile to watch at least once.
Finally, I mentioned Micmacs up there in the first paragraph. I think this film should also be added to your dad's list. It's once again a bit weird, but it's a more pleasant and whimsical kind of weird. Much more light-hearted and "childish" than Delicatessen but still with a dark edge to it. In fact, I want to say that it was advertised as a children's film, though it's entirely possible that I'm just imagining that and my brain remembered it wrong because its quite a bit darker than your average kids flick... Anyway, it's a visually stunning film as well that your pops might very well enjoy.
posted by slightlyamused at 5:49 PM on May 23, 2013
Hell, one of the reviews on IMDB even says, "If Citizen Kane is the number one movie to see to learn anything about cinematography, this might as well be at number 2."
I'll be honest - the film was a bit too bizarre for my taste, and I get the impression people either freaking love it or don't much care for it. There isn't much middle ground on this one, I don't think. However, there is no denying that it is a beautiful film. The cinematography alone makes it worthwhile to watch at least once.
Finally, I mentioned Micmacs up there in the first paragraph. I think this film should also be added to your dad's list. It's once again a bit weird, but it's a more pleasant and whimsical kind of weird. Much more light-hearted and "childish" than Delicatessen but still with a dark edge to it. In fact, I want to say that it was advertised as a children's film, though it's entirely possible that I'm just imagining that and my brain remembered it wrong because its quite a bit darker than your average kids flick... Anyway, it's a visually stunning film as well that your pops might very well enjoy.
posted by slightlyamused at 5:49 PM on May 23, 2013
Anything Kubrick is the first thing that comes to my mind. Then -- more out there, usually deeply upsetting but always fascinating, and love-or-hate for most people -- but the films of Gaspar Noé. Then, and this is a one-off but I recently watched it, Leos Carax's Holy Motors.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 6:23 PM on May 23, 2013
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 6:23 PM on May 23, 2013
Ooh, also Terrence Malick's stuff, the most recent of which I watched was Tree of Life.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 6:24 PM on May 23, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 6:24 PM on May 23, 2013 [1 favorite]
These are all what I would consider well known films, so he might have seen them, but just in case...
I actually don't like Kubrick, but even I have to admit that Barry Lyndon is a gorgeous film.
Manhattan had a good plot, but the magnificent shots of NYC almost made me forget about the actors. If he likes musicals, Everyone Says I Love You is also great for both staging and plot. Very old school. While the story was a little slow and tedious, I greatly enjoyed the cinematography in Vicky Christina Barcelona.
IMHO, everything Coen Brothers -- even the flops -- is worth watching for its cinematography alone. I see some of their films recommended above. Most of them are a new style film noire, if he's into film noire that is.
It doesn't sound like your dad is avant-garde, but if he's willing to open his mind, the very recent Upstream Color is breathtaking. It's a very visceral film.
posted by sbutler at 7:37 PM on May 23, 2013
I actually don't like Kubrick, but even I have to admit that Barry Lyndon is a gorgeous film.
Manhattan had a good plot, but the magnificent shots of NYC almost made me forget about the actors. If he likes musicals, Everyone Says I Love You is also great for both staging and plot. Very old school. While the story was a little slow and tedious, I greatly enjoyed the cinematography in Vicky Christina Barcelona.
IMHO, everything Coen Brothers -- even the flops -- is worth watching for its cinematography alone. I see some of their films recommended above. Most of them are a new style film noire, if he's into film noire that is.
It doesn't sound like your dad is avant-garde, but if he's willing to open his mind, the very recent Upstream Color is breathtaking. It's a very visceral film.
posted by sbutler at 7:37 PM on May 23, 2013
I've been really impressed with BBC documentaries recently.
posted by sebastienbailard at 8:00 PM on May 23, 2013
posted by sebastienbailard at 8:00 PM on May 23, 2013
IMHO, everything Coen Brothers -- even the flops -- is worth watching for its cinematography alone."
Agreed. I know nothing about cinematography and one of the few times I ever notice its presence is in their films, from the stunning landscapes in True Grit and Fargo to the surreal dream sequences in Big Lebowski and Barton Fink.
I wouldn't overlook Barry Sonnefeld's work on their first films, either. For example, there's the great scene of the shovel being dragged along the asphalt in Blood Simple and the shot of the diaper package POV in Raising Arizona. In fact, the trailer for Blood Simple has no dialogue at all.
posted by Room 641-A at 10:56 PM on May 23, 2013
Agreed. I know nothing about cinematography and one of the few times I ever notice its presence is in their films, from the stunning landscapes in True Grit and Fargo to the surreal dream sequences in Big Lebowski and Barton Fink.
I wouldn't overlook Barry Sonnefeld's work on their first films, either. For example, there's the great scene of the shovel being dragged along the asphalt in Blood Simple and the shot of the diaper package POV in Raising Arizona. In fact, the trailer for Blood Simple has no dialogue at all.
posted by Room 641-A at 10:56 PM on May 23, 2013
I actually don't like Kubrick, but even I have to admit that Barry Lyndon is a gorgeous film.
I was going to suggest Barry Lyndon, too. I think it's probably Kubrick's best, at least from a cinematography point-of-view. it's just...beautiful.
There are a lot of ways to evaluate cinematography, though. It can definitely be about beautiful, well-composed images. But, it's also about how well the camera plays a more active roll and injects the viewer into the story. I'm thinking about films like Das Boot, where the camera succeeds at making you a member of the crew. Hitchcock's Lifeboat does a similar thing, where you never leave the confines of that tiny boat.
posted by Thorzdad at 5:46 AM on May 24, 2013
I was going to suggest Barry Lyndon, too. I think it's probably Kubrick's best, at least from a cinematography point-of-view. it's just...beautiful.
There are a lot of ways to evaluate cinematography, though. It can definitely be about beautiful, well-composed images. But, it's also about how well the camera plays a more active roll and injects the viewer into the story. I'm thinking about films like Das Boot, where the camera succeeds at making you a member of the crew. Hitchcock's Lifeboat does a similar thing, where you never leave the confines of that tiny boat.
posted by Thorzdad at 5:46 AM on May 24, 2013
Response by poster: Thanks, everyone! I'm going to direct him to this thread and watch him go nuts.
posted by Specklet at 7:58 AM on May 24, 2013
posted by Specklet at 7:58 AM on May 24, 2013
If no one else has recommended him, I'd say anything by Zhang Yimou. I really liked his older movies like Shanghai Triad.
posted by Ms. Moonlight at 11:08 AM on May 24, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by Ms. Moonlight at 11:08 AM on May 24, 2013 [1 favorite]
I love Robby Muller's work with Jim Jarmusch and Wim Wenders, particularly Paris, Texas, Mystery Train, and Dead Man.
posted by Chenko at 12:29 PM on May 24, 2013
posted by Chenko at 12:29 PM on May 24, 2013
I remember walking out of City of God thinking it was one of the best looking movies I had seen in a long time. Amazing editing, too.
posted by zorseshoes at 8:56 PM on May 24, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by zorseshoes at 8:56 PM on May 24, 2013 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Quisp Lover at 2:08 PM on May 23, 2013 [2 favorites]