Often overlooked movies with beautiful cinematography?

Tim Tyler · September 5, 2007

I recommend:

Making Pictures: A Century of European Cinematography

http://www.amazon.com/dp/0810943859?tag=cinematographyco

The first 150 pages are essay-like writing from Tovoli, Cardiff, Nykvist, Rotunno, Bertolucci, Mastoianni and more.

The remaining 300 pages are images, stats, and descriptions of 100 great looking European movies from 1913 to 1995.

Page 156 lists those 100 films, which makes it easy to fill your NetFlix cue. I found that about 20 of the films were not available though.

Dan Salzmann · September 5, 2007

Ang Lee's "Ice Storm" looked good but wasn't a brilliant movie.

Three great movies that I thought looked very good yet were not highly touted for cinematography:

"Sweet Smell of Success"

"Aguirre Wrath of God"

"Taking of Pelham 1,2,3"

klas persson · September 8, 2007

Utvandrarna & Nybyggarna (The Emigrants & The New Land) by Jan Troell. Adapted from the novels of Vilhelm Moberg they where filmed back to back.

It is not overlooked in the sense that in 1973 Utvandrarna had 4 oscar nominations, one of them best picture and Nybyggarna had the nomination of best foreign film. What's weird is that Utvandrarna was nomiated best foreign film 1972 too and then got the best picture nomination the next year. Has that happened before and/or since?

But it seems that it's not that well known other than in Sweden now, but I might be wrong and it is well recognized everywhere. Amazing and beatiful film though, shot by the director himself. I might be wrong but I think the US dvd is dubbed.. But I'm not sure.

Edited September 8, 2007 by klas persson

Patrick Cooper · September 8, 2007

The Black Stallion - good story in addition to good cinematography but often overlooked.

The Emerald Forest - another 'forgotten' film.

Legend

The Black Hole

Satsuki Murashige · September 8, 2007

Don't know if it's "overlooked", but I just watched "A Snake of June" on DVD recently and was blown away by the cinematography. Shot on B&W reg.16 with a Canon Scoopic! Great use of stylized handheld for select scenes -- they also put the lens into macro mode and zoomed in and out to make the image go in and out of focus which created a crazed, out-of-control feeling. Otherwise, static frames with deliberately unbalanced compositions were used to great effect. The lighting incorporated the film's water motif into dripping "rain patterns" on the interior walls -- Conrad Hall would have been proud.

Leo Anthony Vale · September 8, 2007

What's weird is that Utvandrarna was nomiated best foreign film 1972 too and then got the best picture nomination the next year. Has that happened before and/or since?

Off hand, "The Battle of Algiers". Might have been a two year gap.

Probably others, but someone else can look those off.

My web time is limited, damn library. They just designated TCM.com a porn site, thus inaccessible on the library system.

& 'They call Her One Eye' was an interesting Swedish film, can't recall the original Swedish title.

klas persson · September 8, 2007

Ah, so it is quite common then. Hadn't heard of it before. You learn things every day.

& 'They call Her One Eye' was an interesting Swedish film, can't recall the original Swedish title.

Thriller, en grym film(Thriller, a cruel picture I think it was also released as in the us...)

Under the name "they call her one eye" it lacks the hardcore scenes i think. It influenced Tarantino in some respects when doing Kill Bill. Daryl Hannah's character is based on the one eyed hooker.

They called her one eye, than ran for their lives.... B)

Leo Anthony Vale · September 10, 2007

They called her one eye, than ran for their lives....

I saw ages ago when it was first released here by probably AIP. Would taunt my Sjoman fan friend with it.

i'm remembering the last scene where the bad guy is buried up to his neck in a pasture with a noose around his neck and the other end of the rope is tied to a grazing cow.

I keep thinking of movies to add to this list.

'Zulu', Technirama. Michael Caine's first starring role. Good sense of landscape. The last last reel is a stunner. Starts off with call and response sing off between Zulus and welsh choir. Well staged and dazzling charge and battle, then good denoumont (pardon my french).

PD versions seem to be from a Technicolr print, while MGM DVD is from preprint materials. Looks great, though the PDs are okay.

'Fall of the Roman Empire' is also good. Ultra Panavision. Anamorphic 65mm, the best of both worlds. Directed by a German who went from film noirs to well regarded westerns. Photographed by Robert Krasker. Good use of landscape and large masses of people.

Marcus Aurelius' funneral in the snow is a visual high point. A genuine epic.

If plot elements seem like 'Gladiator', this came first. In reality Commodus was strangled in his sleep by a wrestler payed by Commodus' mistress. The next day, the Senate applauded her.

Dan Goulder · September 10, 2007

"Tempest", released in 1982, showcases outstanding work by DOP Donald McAlpine. This movie, which was shot spherically in 35mm and blown up to 70mm for distribution, utilizes superb framing and coverage of panaramic, wide-open spaces. "Giant", starring James Dean, is another good example of interesting lensing of large spaces.

David Auner aac · September 10, 2007

'Fall of the Roman Empire' is also good. Ultra Panavision. Anamorphic 65mm, the best of both worlds. Directed by a German who went from film noirs to well regarded westerns. Photographed by Robert Krasker. Good use of landscape and large masses of people.
Marcus Aurelius' funneral in the snow is a visual high point. A genuine epic.

Name of that German, Anthony Mann. Did a number of nice films back in the day... ;)

Cheers, Dave

Leo Anthony Vale · September 10, 2007

Name of that German, Anthony Mann. Did a number of nice films back in the day... ;)

Another one of his that's overlooked is 'The Black Book' AKA 'Reign of Terror'.

The French Revolution as film noir.

Photographed by John Alton, Production designed by Wm.Cameron Menzies.

& Robespierre gets to say: 'Don't call me Max.'

Michael Waite · September 11, 2007

Mr Hulot's Holiday!
Beautiful/funny story, and beautifully shot B+W. Definitely overlooked by the "general" audience...

Mitch

I watched that this week & the B&W looked beautiful. I found the story overly sentimental & cliched in parts but in other bits it was very funny & he had good comedy skills. I kept wanting to stop watching it but then it would get better & I managed to hang on until the end.