Cinematography is tough to judge on its own merits, because it can be hard to extract it from the other powers of great visual storytelling. At the same time, every beautiful movie shows the signature of a talented director of photography as much as a filmmaker. In the process of considering the finest cinematographic achievements of this decade, this list includes on gorgeous films that — in some cases — achieve more on the level of cinematography than anything else. The past two decades have found the craft of cinematography making extraordinary advances on the level of digital technologies and other innovations, but at the end of the day, these particulars matter less than the sheer impression left by the images and movements captured by cinematographers operating at the peak of their abilities. Here are some of the best examples from this young century.
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40. “Silence” (2016)
39. “Pan’s Labyrinth” (2006)
38. “The Master” (2012)
It shouldn’t be a surprise that Paul Thomas Anderson served as his own cinematographer on his latest untitled film (opening in December). Regardless of whether he’s working with regular DP Robert Elswit, or newcomer Mihai Malaimare Jr. on “The Master,” PTA is a filmmaker completely in charge of his precise images, even down to choosing the exact lenses needed to capture his vision. While for most directors, switching between digital and film hasn’t affected their work, Anderson’s photography has increasingly become specific to the texture, color and magic of celluloid.
37. “All These Sleepless Nights” (2017)
The best example of the new forms of storytelling and cinematic language that are possible with a new generation of light-sensitive, relatively inexpensive digital cameras. Collaborating with his two leads, director and co-cinematographer Michal Marczak created a cinematic portrait of restless youth that feels more closely related to the French New Wave than a documentary.
36. “Enter the Void” (2010)
John Alton wrote the invaluable “Painting with Light” (a title later borrowed for a gorgeous documentary about the craft) to explain how he created the low-key noir lighting schemes that changed Hollywood. One can only hope that one day Benoit Debie will write his own book titled “Painting with Color.” With the recent advent (and vast improvements) of adjustable, lightweight, and affordable-color LED lighting, Debie’s body of work over the last 20 years (which relied more on gels, filters, and practicals) has become one of the most influential in modern cinematography. Filmmakers, now equipped with an easy way to experiment and incorporate color into their own lighting, are increasingly studying Debie’s bold use of color in his collaborations with Harmony Korine (“Spring Breakers” and “The Beach Bum”) and Gaspar Noé (“Climax,” “Irreversible”), but it’s the experimental “Enter the Void” that often leaves them speechless.
35. “Neon Demon” (2016)
34. “The Great Beauty” (2013)
33. “Mudbound” (2017)
When watching the rich, classical elegance of “Mudbound” it is easy to forget how much the filmmaking team went beyond its means (a $9 million dollar production budget) in creating the gorgeous, sprawling period ensemble. Rachel Morrison’s cinematography is impressive not only because of the limitations imposed on it, though. Set in Mississippi of the 1940s, director Dee Rees’ clear-eyed look at the messiness of race is as much about today as our country’s past, leading Morrison to avoid the golden nostalgia of a traditional prestige Oscar play. Shooting digitally, the cinematographer captures the specificity of the era’s WPA photographers, like Dorothea Lange and Walker Evans, who inspired the filmmaker’s approach. Morrison finds the humanity of this tragic story in its striking landscape. Yet the visually stunning movie was the product of simply capturing natural light. Images this sculpted don’t come easily when shooting in cramped, windowless sharecropper homes or under the harsh summer light of the Deep South. Prior to “Mudbound,” Morrison had been one of the independent film world’s most exciting talents. With this film, she transcended that status and entered the A list. —CO Stream on Netflix.
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