Best Cinematographer Who Never Won...

Jack Barker · July 5, 2006

..an Academy Award for Cinematography? I'd be very interested to hear views from pros. Not, why the other guy shouldn't have won, but citing the outstanding work of a DP who has never won an Academy Award.

Edited July 5, 2006 by Jack Barker

David Mullen ASC · July 5, 2006

Well, many DP's have been nominated once for an Oscar and perhaps should have won that year. "Never won" suggests more someone who has been nominated multiple times but had not won -- but deserves an Oscar. Allen Daviau and Roger Deakins come to mind as multiple nominees who have yet to win but hopefully will someday.

Gordon Willis should have been nomimated more often in his career.

Jordan Cronenweth should have been nominated for "Blade Runner" and Jack Cardiff for "The Red Shoes".

Hal Smith · July 5, 2006

Gordon Willis should have been nomimated more often in his career.

I love his work for Woody Allen. Is it that he's just too quietly competent? No fireworks, just solid craftsmanship?

Dan Adlerstein · July 5, 2006

well, i think we discussed this once before on these boards, but there is a HUGE bias for period films in winning the best cinematography oscar. i think, and correct me if i'm wrong, there's only been ONE non-period film to win in the last 25 years or so (american beauty). So basically, if you want to win an oscar these days, shoot a period film.

also, anybody ever do a comparison between best cinematography winners and best production design winners? i bet they usually go to the same film. i don't belive the academy neccesarally votes for the film where the DP did the best work. but rather, which movie looked most impressive, overall.

Max Jacoby · July 5, 2006

Considering that the Oscars mostly nominate films that are produced on their own doorstep, there is a huge number of cinematographers who work outside the Hollywood/entertainment mainstream whose work enver got recognized.

Just as an example, both Aleksandr Knyazhinsky (Stalker) and Vadim Yusov (Andrei Rublev) did amazing work on films by Andrei Tarkovsky that, I would venture to say, is superior to most films that won an Oscar. While it may be understandable that these films did not get nominated because of political reasons, what I found shocking is that when the American Cinematographer published a list of the 100 best photographed films of all time (althought because of their funny way of counting it contained far for than 100 films), 'Stalker' was not even on it.

NathanCoombs · July 5, 2006

Just as an example, both Aleksandr Knyazhinsky (Stalker) and Vadim Yusov (Andrei Rublev) did amazing work on films by Andrei Tarkovsky that, I would venture to say, is superior to most films that won an Oscar. While it may be understandable that these films did not get nominated because of political reasons, what I found shocking is that when the American Cinematographer published a list of the 100 best photographed films of all time (althought because of their funny way of counting it contained far for than 100 films), 'Stalker' was not even on it.

For me Tarkovsky's best photographed work is Nostalghia by Giuseppe Lanci. The use of light, dollies and compositions are all blended very spectacularly. In comparison I find 'The Sacrifice' by Sven Nykvist too formal and dry to engage completely with the situation, which is already a bit abstract plot-wise.

David Mullen ASC · July 5, 2006

Just as an example, both Aleksandr Knyazhinsky (Stalker) and Vadim Yusov (Andrei Rublev) did amazing work on films by Andrei Tarkovsky that, I would venture to say, is superior to most films that won an Oscar. While it may be understandable that these films did not get nominated because of political reasons, what I found shocking is that when the American Cinematographer published a list of the 100 best photographed films of all time (althought because of their funny way of counting it contained far for than 100 films), 'Stalker' was not even on it.

Well, I haven't seen "Stalker" yet and perhaps many other ASC members haven't either. There is something of a volume effect here, the more a movie was seen, the more likely it would be recalled and put on a list.

I'd like to see more Tarkovsky, but the truth is that I've fallen asleep everytime I've rented one of his movies on a DVD and played it. I must have watched the first third of "Andre Rubelov" three times in a row before nodding off, so I gave up and returned the DVD to the rental place. I saw "Solaris" in a theater but it was intermitable. I like "The Sacrifice" fine. So I am waiting for when his other movies show in a theater and I have the energy to sit through them, because so many people I respect keep telling me how great he is.

Max Jacoby · July 5, 2006

I have seen 'Nostalghia' only once and it was late, so unfortunately I don't remember it too well. 'Sacrifice' I started to watch once, but didn't finish I'm afraid. If your not in the right mood, it's very hard to get into Tarkovsky. But I am continuously amazed at the colors and look of 'Stalker'.

Max Jacoby · July 5, 2006

Well, I haven't seen "Stalker" yet and perhaps many other ASC members haven't either. There is something of a volume effect here, the more a movie was seen, the more likely it would be recalled and put on a list.

Of course these lists are always subjective as art is impossible to quantify objectively. I guess I object more to the titles of these list, which too often claim to be 'The Best Films' when in fact it is merely 'The favourtite films of our readers'. This can take on some bizzare tones at times, like when recently here in the UK Empire magazine had their readers vote for their favourite films and as a result was not ashamed to proclaim that the best film ever is 'Shawshank Redemption'...

I'd like to see more Tarkovsky, but the truth is that I've fallen asleep everytime I've rented one of his movies on a DVD and played it. I must have watched the first third of "Andre Rubelov" three times in a row before nodding off, so I gave up and returned the DVD to the rental place. I saw "Solaris" in a theater but it was intermitable. I like "The Sacrifice" fine. So I am waiting for when his other movies show in a theater and I have the energy to sit through them, because so many people I respect keep telling me how great he is.

Tarkovsky definitely takes some time getting into. I first watched the 3 1/2 hour cut of 'Andrei Rublev' on the Criterion dvd and that was quite heavy. But on the other hand this film is broken down into different chapters which often have no direct plot relationship top one another, so I feel lthat one does not have to watch the whole film in one sitting, but instead can approach it very much like a book and only watch a chapter or two. But don't quote me, I don't want to get hate mail from www.nostalghia.com, the Tarkovsk fan site!

Hamid Khozouie · July 5, 2006

SEVEN is another good example of overlooking

Michael Nash · July 6, 2006

SEVEN is another good example of overlooking

And as I recall it wasn't even nominated. It's interesting when you look at it in retrospect, and see how influential it became.

David Mullen ASC · July 6, 2006

And as I recall it wasn't even nominated. It's interesting when you look at it in retrospect, and see how influential it became.

Yes, "Seven", "The Godfather", "Blade Runner" are all examples of key films that affected cinematography for the next decade but weren't nominated.

Ram Shani · July 6, 2006

just finished to read sculpting in time trkovsky book which he discusses his art

tell you he is so humble and simple to understand

he hate all the things that called simbolism and looked for the truth in his movies

and he is simple to watch all you need to do is WUTCH it and not think about it and try to analyze it

like all great art

try it and you will see how great his work and not boring at all

i learned so match about cinema in its pure form and about the way to look at life as a film maker and as a

person

"in a word the image is not a certain "meaning",expressed by the director , but an entire world reflected as in a drop of water" -tarkovsky

nathan coombs · July 8, 2006

Well, I haven't seen "Stalker" yet and perhaps many other ASC members haven't either. There is something of a volume effect here, the more a movie was seen, the more likely it would be recalled and put on a list.

This is quite a disgrace. You can walk into virtually any store stocking 'foreign language' DVDs in the UK and pick up a copy of Stalker. Im sure some of the opposition is ideological, rather than just ignorance.

Its like television in the UK, it is criminally difficult to watch anything (even in the early morning) that is either artistic or in a 'foreign language'.

I think the BBC and Channel-4 would give themselves a congratulatory pat on the back if they were to show such edgy and challenging foreign product such as 'The Motorcycle Diaries'!

K Borowski · July 8, 2006

Yes, "Seven", "The Godfather", "Blade Runner" are all examples of key films that affected cinematography for the next decade but weren't nominated.

Could you please describe the cinematographic trends that The Godfather inspired, in your opinion? I'm not questioning that it did, but, being born after its release, I don't have the same linear perspective on cinematography that many people here do. I.e. I'll see a film and not realize that it immitates or draws from a film that was released several decades earlier.

~Karl

Edited July 8, 2006 by Karl Borowski