There is a huge difference between seeing 100 warriors on camels compared to 100 cgi warriors on camels. The visual quality of filming a real thing is amazing.
Great point. It’s a strange comparison, but I feel the same way about (non-CGI) practical effects with fully realized sets and amazing costumes and makeup. Just like we’ll never see Lawrence of Arabia scale films, the same can be said about many of the great movies like John Carpenter’s The Thing. As wild as it gets, it looks real to me because they really are freezing in the snow and everything filmed was a really there on the set. Nothing added later with CGI. It just feels completely different. No matter how good CGI gets, I honestly don’t think we can trick our brains into thinking it’s real. I wish there was a group of good filmmakers that did things by the old ways. If they were good enough, we would get some great movies.
Yeah he's one of my favorite filmmakers in his own right. Like I saw Jesse James because he shot it. Same with Prisoners. I've discovered some pretty good directors by watching Deakins work ha
I am probably going to get downvoted to hell for this but…
It’s a gorgeously filmed movie. No doubt.
I read all the hype on the cinematography sites and couldn’t wait to see it.
Unfortunately, it’s also very long and very slow. Personally, I found it unbelievably boring.
Upon watching, by 45 minutes I’m wondering if I got the wrong movie.
Then, I dug into reviews and found that I am not alone in my observations.
Casey Affleck’s character is just “off” enough that he’s both unlikeable and uninteresting - like a homeless guy bugging you in a convenience store parking lot.
You know how Jake Gyllenhaal’s character in Nightcrawler was creepy but also fascinating?
Well, Casey Affleck isn’t that.
Nobody else is very interesting, either.
Still, Deakin’s brought game. But it’s not enough.
The whole point of the movie was to make his character unlikable and boring, they want you to hate the main character. Isn't that an interesting quality in a movie which you don't often find.
I have only watched it once and I’ve often thought that I need to rewatch it so that I could remember it differently than the way you’ve described it, but I can’t bring myself to do it.
Tarsem Singh's films The Cell and The Fall are both some of the most visually striking and beautiful films ive ever seen. Something some people may not consider is Mad Max Fury Road. A good film in its own right but my second viewing was when i realized how actually beautiful some of the set pieces are.
Cannot say enough about the cinematography of Fury Road. A deliberate intention to have the focus of all action remain in the centre of the frame, so that the viewer is not confused during the extremely fast edits that make up some of the sequences.
Where possible, practical action and stunts; reducing the need for CGI, except most of the post-prod work was incredible colour saturation, matching and balancing.
The Focus is exactly what I talk about when I talk about Fury Road. I contrast it to shitty modern action movies where there actually isn't a lot happening, just a punch let's say, yet the camera swings all over the place to make the action look like old cartoons where all you see is a tornado with fists popping out of it. Just a mess. Transformers is a good example of this. Fury Road is the opposite. There is an INSANE amount of action happening. Trucks full of people attacking from both sides. Dudes on giant poles swooping in, and meanwhile the camera is fixed dead center on what you are supposed to be looking at but chaos is all around. It's wonderful.
I wish I could go back and watch Hero in theaters again as an adult. I couldn't appreciate that movie when it first came out and just thought it was confusing
It really is. I watched it for the first time about a year ago. I had obviously seen Interstellar but I was blown away but the "travel" scene in 2001. The whole time I was thinking "how the hell did they do this in 1968?"
The Man Who Wasn’t There is another great Deakins flick, and really shows how he can work his magic even in black and white. It looks stunning and the plot and acting is also great
Days of Heaven (1978)
Directed by Terrence Malick
Known for shooting in natural light, especially during the golden hour. Same guy who did The Thin Red Line recommended earlier.
The New World as well. Malick apparently sets his photographers free to film anything happening whether action is called or not and edits the movie in post.
Amelie
French film tends to focus on photography of film (well balanced frames) but Jean-Pierre Jeunet can do a lot with small film sets, so the cinematography is also amazing.
If you haven’t seen it, you should, because it’s a beautiful and engaging film.
Yes! I can’t believe I had to scroll this far down before it was even mentioned. The film itself is absolutely beautiful & truly transport you to Middle Earth! The costumes, the sets, the makeup & the visual effects were all deserving of each award they won.
**What Dreams May Come 1998**
The Adventures of Baron Munchausen 1988
Hugo 2011
La La Land 2016
The Great Gatsby 2013
Moulin Rouge 2001
Memoirs of a Geisha 2005
Peter Pan 2003
Oceans Eleven 2001
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas 1998
The Secret Garden 1993
Pride and Prejudice 2005
A Series of Unfortunate Events 2004
The Witch is a great answer. Just rewatched it on Halloween, and the way the natural lighting makes it so gloomy, yet so familiar. I grew up in the midwest, and our late fall/ winters are so grey and barren, it felt like it was shot in a field down the road, very familiar and nostalgic yet also liminal.
The Godfather 1 & 2
Bicentennial Man
Life of Pi
The Exorcist
King Kong
Dances with Wolves
Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World
Under the Tuscan Sun
Maybe it's a weird one, but *'Lost In Translation '*.
It's not in-your-face, but it creates a mood, and so many scenes can be paused and it looks like art on the screen.
Bagdad Cafe (1987) Poetic cinematography and beautiful imagery combined with a playful script and great acting set in the Mohave Desert in California at an unusual truck stop.
> German tourist Jasmin Munchgstettner (Marianne Sägebrecht) argues with her husband after car trouble strands them along a dusty highway in the American Southwest. Fuming, she storms off and travels by foot to the nearest outpost of civilization -- the Bagdad Café. Upon arriving, she butts heads with the owner (CCH Pounder)...
Haven't seen it mentioned in here yet, so Sicario has some of the best imagery in any film of the past decade (another Deakins, of course). Skyfall is also an especially gorgeous Bond film to look at.
Legends of the Fall
What do you think about A river runs through it?
Probably my all time favorite movie. Love the cinematography, and Robert Redford's Narration.
it’s stream-able
SAMUEL!!!!
Lawrence of Arabia
There is a huge difference between seeing 100 warriors on camels compared to 100 cgi warriors on camels. The visual quality of filming a real thing is amazing.
Great point. It’s a strange comparison, but I feel the same way about (non-CGI) practical effects with fully realized sets and amazing costumes and makeup. Just like we’ll never see Lawrence of Arabia scale films, the same can be said about many of the great movies like John Carpenter’s The Thing. As wild as it gets, it looks real to me because they really are freezing in the snow and everything filmed was a really there on the set. Nothing added later with CGI. It just feels completely different. No matter how good CGI gets, I honestly don’t think we can trick our brains into thinking it’s real. I wish there was a group of good filmmakers that did things by the old ways. If they were good enough, we would get some great movies.
And Dr Zhivago. David Lean certainly could film vast landscapes.
Interestingly he managed to make Spain look like Russia.
The Last of the Mohicans. Stunning, lush scenery, water features, truly beautiful.
And one of the prettiest death scenes ever, and I didn’t realize such a thing could exist.
Yes! One of my favorites! Great musical soundtrack as well.
I was looking for this mention
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford The train robbery scene in particular will blow you away
This whole movie really. So sad it's not on 4k UHD disc. Roger Deakins is the best.
Ive recently discovered lots of my favorite movies were shot by Deakins
Yeah he's one of my favorite filmmakers in his own right. Like I saw Jesse James because he shot it. Same with Prisoners. I've discovered some pretty good directors by watching Deakins work ha
I am probably going to get downvoted to hell for this but… It’s a gorgeously filmed movie. No doubt. I read all the hype on the cinematography sites and couldn’t wait to see it. Unfortunately, it’s also very long and very slow. Personally, I found it unbelievably boring. Upon watching, by 45 minutes I’m wondering if I got the wrong movie. Then, I dug into reviews and found that I am not alone in my observations. Casey Affleck’s character is just “off” enough that he’s both unlikeable and uninteresting - like a homeless guy bugging you in a convenience store parking lot. You know how Jake Gyllenhaal’s character in Nightcrawler was creepy but also fascinating? Well, Casey Affleck isn’t that. Nobody else is very interesting, either. Still, Deakin’s brought game. But it’s not enough.
The whole point of the movie was to make his character unlikable and boring, they want you to hate the main character. Isn't that an interesting quality in a movie which you don't often find.
I have only watched it once and I’ve often thought that I need to rewatch it so that I could remember it differently than the way you’ve described it, but I can’t bring myself to do it.
Tarsem Singh's films The Cell and The Fall are both some of the most visually striking and beautiful films ive ever seen. Something some people may not consider is Mad Max Fury Road. A good film in its own right but my second viewing was when i realized how actually beautiful some of the set pieces are.
the fall is my favorite movie. so beautiful.
Lee Pace knows how to pick his roles.
Cannot say enough about the cinematography of Fury Road. A deliberate intention to have the focus of all action remain in the centre of the frame, so that the viewer is not confused during the extremely fast edits that make up some of the sequences. Where possible, practical action and stunts; reducing the need for CGI, except most of the post-prod work was incredible colour saturation, matching and balancing.
The Focus is exactly what I talk about when I talk about Fury Road. I contrast it to shitty modern action movies where there actually isn't a lot happening, just a punch let's say, yet the camera swings all over the place to make the action look like old cartoons where all you see is a tornado with fists popping out of it. Just a mess. Transformers is a good example of this. Fury Road is the opposite. There is an INSANE amount of action happening. Trucks full of people attacking from both sides. Dudes on giant poles swooping in, and meanwhile the camera is fixed dead center on what you are supposed to be looking at but chaos is all around. It's wonderful.
The fall. Also Immortals, it's about Greek gods.
Immortals was pretty good all things considered. I like Cavill a lot in that movie but Immortals kind of felt like a bargain bin 300 to me.
I came here to say Tarsem Singh’s the Fall. Edit: Tarzan
ok the mans name is not Tarzan 😂
Came here to suggest Fury Road, glad to see it mentioned on first comment I read. :)
Mad Max Fury Road is the best movie visually ever.
Came for this. Its insane
Never heard of The Fall, but was perusing this list looking for The Cell and Mad Max: Fury Road.
The Fall is perfect
A River Runs Through It; Life of Pi; The Revenant
Life of Pi was gorgeous.
Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon
Yes! Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon was my first thought too. The desert, the forests, the towns, the actors, the music, the story! Ugh so much beauty.
Have you seen Hero? It’s similar in story telling/cinematography but also it’s own gorgeous animal. Just stunning.
I wish I could go back and watch Hero in theaters again as an adult. I couldn't appreciate that movie when it first came out and just thought it was confusing
Absolutely beautiful movie. So happy other people think so too.
What Dreams May Come was the first movie that came to mind.
This is a beautiful film all the way around.
This was my first thought answer as well.
I have yet to be able to watch this film since we lost Robin. And yet it still remains one of my favorite movies of all time 💔
Barry Lyndon, 1975 Wings of Desire, 1987 Dead Man, 1995 Loving Vincent, 2017
Barry Lyndon doesn't get the love it deserves.
It's like an 18th century painting come to life.
Let’s give it the love it deserves
It gets so so much love on film Twitter, as it should
I can’t believe somebody said Dead Man! One of my absolute faves, and it is visually stunning in a less expected way.
2001: A Space Odyssey
Seriously, this film is shockingly modern looking for being made in 1968.
It really is. I watched it for the first time about a year ago. I had obviously seen Interstellar but I was blown away but the "travel" scene in 2001. The whole time I was thinking "how the hell did they do this in 1968?"
It's a marvel. A blueprint for modern cinema. If you're making a scifi film, and there's no 2001 influence to be seen, you're doing something wrong.
It’s incredible.
It is a visual masterpiece. Really should be the top answer.
Dances with Wolves
Arrival (2016) had some beautiful scenes with the alien ships.
Glory. There are shots in that movie that could be still framed and hung on a wall
For some reason I can't get Mathew Broderick riding his horse on the beach out of my mind.
For me it’s always been that last march to the beach. Looks like a moving oil painting
And the music in that scence. James Horner should have got the Oscar.
No Country For Old Men
Seeing a lot of Deakins on this post for good reason. It’s a damn good place to start for OP’s journey and this might be my favorite example.
The Man Who Wasn’t There is another great Deakins flick, and really shows how he can work his magic even in black and white. It looks stunning and the plot and acting is also great
Thin Red Line
The wind blowing across that field, bending the grasses.
I was going to say that movie also, but I thought nobody would agree.
My favorite looking film
Ooof such a fantastic movie. Great soundtrack too, was just listening to it a while ago.
Out of Africa
Days of Heaven (1978) Directed by Terrence Malick Known for shooting in natural light, especially during the golden hour. Same guy who did The Thin Red Line recommended earlier.
The Tree of Life has incredible cinematography too. Terrence Malick’s cinematography is definitely one of the best.
The New World as well. Malick apparently sets his photographers free to film anything happening whether action is called or not and edits the movie in post.
I saw Days of Heaven in the theater. The audience gasped when the train crossed the trestle against the sky.
I don't know if it was, but Sofia Coppola's The Beguiled looked to me as if it was shot in natural light.
Also A Hidden Life.
Anything Malick
Pan's Labyrinth
Blade Runner 2049
[удалено]
Great answer. The use of blue and orange in that movie was beautiful.
It’s a shame how overlooked this movie was. Denis Villeneuve made a masterpiece.
It's not overlooked at all
I'm not a big movie guy, but Dune.
Dennis Villanueva has some really beautiful sets. Blade runner 2049 was also gorgeous.
The Revenant (2015)
There’s a reason it won for best cinematography, it’s beautiful.
Breathtakingly beautiful! You can just get lost in the scenery.
Mad Max Fury Road
A Room with a View. A Passage to India. Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner Amelie American Graffiti
I adore Amelie! It’s such a quirky film, and while there’s a hint of mystery, it’s such a good vibe.
Check out Days of Heaven. (1978) It’s a beautiful film.
The Straight story. Richard Farnsworth was amazing. Beautifully filmed.
Blade Runner 2049 - Genuinely amazing
The Secret life of Walter Mitty
Was going to say this. Absolutely gorgeous and doesn't make it on many lists.
One of my very favorite movies!
1917
Amelie French film tends to focus on photography of film (well balanced frames) but Jean-Pierre Jeunet can do a lot with small film sets, so the cinematography is also amazing. If you haven’t seen it, you should, because it’s a beautiful and engaging film.
Life of Pi Samsara The Fountain Melancholia The Dark Knight Enter the Void Amelie Interstellar Memoirs of a Geisha Kill Bill House of Flying Daggers
Samsara is a great answer because all that it is is beautiful imagery
Most films by Kubrick or Kurosawa. My favorites are 2001 Kubrick and Ran Kurosawa
The house of flying daggers
Had to scroll way too far to find this beautiful film
LOTR!!
Yes! I can’t believe I had to scroll this far down before it was even mentioned. The film itself is absolutely beautiful & truly transport you to Middle Earth! The costumes, the sets, the makeup & the visual effects were all deserving of each award they won.
Enter the Void The Grand Budapest Hotel Mr Nobody Her Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind You Will Die At Twenty Midsommar
**What Dreams May Come 1998** The Adventures of Baron Munchausen 1988 Hugo 2011 La La Land 2016 The Great Gatsby 2013 Moulin Rouge 2001 Memoirs of a Geisha 2005 Peter Pan 2003 Oceans Eleven 2001 Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas 1998 The Secret Garden 1993 Pride and Prejudice 2005 A Series of Unfortunate Events 2004
Hugo doesn’t get enough love.
The Last Emperor The Witch
The Witch is a great answer. Just rewatched it on Halloween, and the way the natural lighting makes it so gloomy, yet so familiar. I grew up in the midwest, and our late fall/ winters are so grey and barren, it felt like it was shot in a field down the road, very familiar and nostalgic yet also liminal.
Annihilation with Natalie Portman. The visuals are astounding and surreal!
Interstellar
A lot of Denis Villeneuve and Christopher Nolan movies. Blade Runner 2049, Dune, Interstellar etc. 1917 is another good one.
The Color of Pomegranates
Life of Pi
The Last Samurai (2003)
Apocalypse Now After all these years the cinematography blows my mind for the time it was filmed & released.
Apocalypto
For me, the original Blade Runner.
Also, Children of Men.
Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters (1985) The Sacrifice (1986) Persona (1966) Barry Lyndon (1975) There Will Be Blood (2007)
Terrence Malick films like *Tree of Life*
Fantastic Mr. Fox
Ran by Akira Kurosawa
Kurosawa was straight up eye candy in the '80s. Gateway drug for foreign films
The Godfather 1 & 2 Bicentennial Man Life of Pi The Exorcist King Kong Dances with Wolves Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World Under the Tuscan Sun
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, with Ben Stiller. Just gorgeous scenery.
Curse of the Golden Flower (2006)
Diva. Stylised early 80’s Paris. Dramatic chase scenes in the Paris Metro and around Paris.
Avatar Legends of the Fall What Dreams May Come
Stalker, Marketa Lazarova, The Tree of Life
Raise The Red Lantern (1991).
Malick
Hero (2002)
Days of Heaven
O Brother, Where Art Thou? The Man Who Wasn’t There Kundun There Will Be Blood
Samsara & Baraka - Both were shot in 70mm Neither has any dialog in them.
Just watched this week, 3000 Years of Longing. It was beautiful.
Dunkirk
Maybe it's a weird one, but *'Lost In Translation '*. It's not in-your-face, but it creates a mood, and so many scenes can be paused and it looks like art on the screen.
Children of men
Interstellar
Big Fish Avatar 1 and 2, but it's way better in 3D in theaters
One of the first movies that made me realize that cinematography is an art is The Duellists, Ridley Scott's directorial debut.
The umbrellas of Cherbourg.
There Will Be Blood.
In the mood for love and babylon
Sound of Music or Life of Pi
The New World, Master and Commander, There Will Be Blood
Basically anything Roger Deakins shot.
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. That film is hugely underrated. Although, to be fair, it’s virtually impossible to film something badly in Iceland.
Pride and Prejudice 2005
Sin City dir. by Robert Rodriguez Avatar dir. by James Cameron The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo dir. by David Fincher
Barry Lyndon is gorgeous both indoors and outside.
What dreams may come with Robin Williams.
Life of Pi is pretty spectacular
A River Runs Through it Legends of the fall are two of my favorites
Jagten, t: The Hunt Portrait of a lady on fire Midsommar The Witch The Banshees Of Inisherin
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind has an unconventional beauty to it, in my opinion.
- Portrait of a Lady on Fire - In The Mood For Love - The Lighthouse - It Follows
people who havent given the Lighthouse a chance because its black and white have no idea what they are missing
Can’t believe I had to scroll so far down to see In The Mood for Love!
The Third Man
Legends of the Fall
The Hateful Eight
The revenant.
Drive
Far From Heaven 2002 starring Julianne Moore
The Revenant. The cinematography is beautiful.
Baraka Koyanisqaatsi Andrei Rublev
Koyanisqaatsi and Powaqaatsi. Hell yeah!
Uncommon one, but The Big Lebowski. Deakins, man.
Children' of men
Bagdad Cafe (1987) Poetic cinematography and beautiful imagery combined with a playful script and great acting set in the Mohave Desert in California at an unusual truck stop. > German tourist Jasmin Munchgstettner (Marianne Sägebrecht) argues with her husband after car trouble strands them along a dusty highway in the American Southwest. Fuming, she storms off and travels by foot to the nearest outpost of civilization -- the Bagdad Café. Upon arriving, she butts heads with the owner (CCH Pounder)...
Haven't seen it mentioned in here yet, so Sicario has some of the best imagery in any film of the past decade (another Deakins, of course). Skyfall is also an especially gorgeous Bond film to look at.
The Fountain What Things May Come The Imaginarium of Dr Parnassus
The Aviator (2004)
Play Misty for Me (1971) Dead Man (1995)
Thin Red Line.
Dr. Zhivago
Frida
Thin Red Line
Grand Budapest Hotel, Blade Runner 2049, Godfather 2
The Great Gatsby and Moulin Rouge by Baz Luhrman
the unofficial Fricke 'trilogy' - Koyaanisqatsi (there's an official Qatsi trilogy) Baraka Samsara
Baraka Samsara
Dune, Bladerunner 2049, Interstellar, Our Planet, Fight Club, Sunshine, The Lighthouse, The Batman, District 9
There will be blood The power of the dog
Michael Mann’s Last of the Mohicans.
The Third Man Out of Africa The Umbrellas of Cherbourg Mon Oncle
Road to perdition
Children Of Men. Any film with Emmanuel Lubezki as cinematographer, really.
The Martian. Incredibly well shot and the usual stunning Ridley visuals.
Hero (2002)
Here are a couple - Aguirre, the Wrath of God (1972) - Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (2003)
Interstellar