Bladerunner (and 2049) has a special place in my heart. There are so many classics that stretched film photography. Lawrence of Arabia. Alien. The Cell. Night of the Hunter. Dunkirk. 2001: A Space Odyssey. Just to name a few. What movies are your favorites that aren’t as known?
I’m not a sophisticated cinephile, so maybe this isn’t what you’re talking about, but Ben Stiller’s “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” (2013) just blows me away visually. The writing and plot aren’t anything to shout about, but the movie is just so beautiful and even the opening credits are creative, unusual, and visually engaging. The scoring is phenomenal too.
I really enjoyed this movie more than I thought I would originally.
You just made me realise that the only movies where Ben Stiller is acting which I really enjoyed were ones which he also directed. He’s a solid director, Walter Mitty, Cable Guy, Tropic Thunder, and to a lesser extend Zoolander have quite good cinematography. He seems to also lessen the excessiveness in his acting which I don’t like.
Sicario and, to a (Much) lesser extent, Sicario: Day of the Soldado.
Directed by Denis Villeneuve, who also Directed Arrival, Bladerunner 2049 & Dune.
If you haven’t watcher either of the Sicario’s or those listed above, I would absolutely suggest you give them a watch.
Those have been on my list forever but just haven’t done it. I’ll take this as motivation.
Sicario is just great filmmaking all around. The plot and visuals are fantastic. Honestly though the sequel is pretty mid. I wasn’t impressed; it just felt like a cash grab more than a fully fleshed out sequel.
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Excellent choices! I had forgotten about There Will Be Blood, but that movie left a mark on my mind. I need to go back there again.
The Fall is an absolute treat for the eyes. So many beautiful locations, and the fade between the creepy priest’s face and a landscape shot that has the same features is incredible.
I agree, it was also shot in 24(!) different countries, was self-financed by director Tarsem Singh and doesn’t use any CGI.
Night of the Hunter and Barry Lyndon come to mind. I’m willing to say most any Kubrick film has at least a few indelible shots. Oh and Kwaidan left quite an impression when I first saw it.
Not sure why, but that makes me think of Holy Mountain. They don’t make many like that one.
I haven’t seen that but I’ve been meaning to make an effort to watch Jodorowsky’s work.
I just remembered the film The Fall. I believe that was also Tarsem (like the Cell). I remember it being visually striking but not much else.
Yeah Tarsem will delight the eye, but that’s about it. It is enough though when you want to see the sights.
When you say Night Of The Hunter, my mind immediately jumps to The Sweet Smell Of Success, which came out a year or two later, with
Charlton HestonBurt Lancaster and Tony Curtis. One film is in the country, the other in Manhattan, but the visual style is similar and just as striking.That was a fantastic movie! That’s a James Wong Howe film. But do you mean Burt Lancaster? I don’t recall Heston in that.
Yes! My mistake, meant to say Lancaster.
Have you seen Seconds? That one stars Rock Hudson and was also shot by Howe, so you might at least find the look of it appealing.
Sure did, in fact I owned it on DVD.
First and foremost, that film’s a Frankenheimer. I loved Manchurian Candidate, enjoyed French Connection 2 (that breathtaking final shot of the film elevated it for me), and read that Seconds was his unsung masterpiece at the time it came out.I really liked Seconds, but it’s such a dark story, I never watched it again. Like with Requiem For A Dream, some films are masterpieces but also not really rewatchable.
Then I believe Seconds was the first big Hollywood release that showed full frontal nudity, in black and white, in 1966! The tone of that scene is fascinating, Frankenheimer was truly in uncharted post-Hayes Code waters there.
- The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009)
My favorite movie of all time, simple, yet severly underrated.
- Adult World (2013)
One of the best movies to watch when inviting (girl) friends to a sleepover, also severly underrated.
I would recommend other movies, but they target specific demographics/topics, so i don’t feel they would be worth mentioning here.
The Revenant has gotta be my favorite of all time. Shot with natural light in one of my favorite locations in the world. The meteor scene is probably the best scene cinematography wise. But you can pause the movie at any point and it’s going to be a beautiful frame.
The Fall and The Fountain are two of my favorites. Sunshine (Danny Boyle) has some excellent moments.
Oppenheimer was a please to watch, Dune is another really great one imo.
Some of these will be “as known” but here’s some random examples of beautiful cinematography that I really love:
Journal d’ un cure de compagne
The Red Shoes
Bringing Out The Dead
The Seventh Seal
Mirrors (Tarkovsky)
Beau Travail
Red Sorghum
In The Mood For Love
I don’t think I have ever seen anyone mention Bringing Out The Dead. I love that film. Awesome choice! You’ve got a really solid list here.
Thanks! Yeah I love everything about Bringing Out The Dead but the cinematography really stands out. If I remember right, Scorsese had seen Robert Richardson’s work on Snow Falling On Cedars and asked him to bring that same luminous quality. Which is an achievement because very different subject/setting, but it works.
Malick! The Tree of Life was something special.
Yes! They’re all great but it’s Days of Heaven for me.
Brat (Brother), i just love how the scenes where filmed!
I love Mulholland Drive.
Conan the Barbarian - it was a perfect fusion of imagery and music (not much dialogue in that movie for obvious reasons). Any of you people who want to laugh at this, I dare you to watch the first few minutes of the movie as we watch Conan’s childhood into his enslavement.
Aren’t there a few versions. Are you referring to the Schwarzenegger ones?
The barbarian one is the first Arnold one
