Movies for Photographers

[Asim]

Recently someone recommended the movie "Ida" for its excellent cinematography... something all photographers can relate to. The story itself is also very interesting. The director has a background in medium format photography and it shows throughout.

I was wondering what other movies you might recommend as a photographer. Preferably something with visual artistry (great cinematography) as well as a good story.

Movies I might put on this list are:

Raise the Red Lantern
Cinema Paradiso
Brokeback Mountain
Out of Africa
Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring
Motorcycle Diaries
The White Balloon

I think all of these are foreign films (if you're American) except for Out of Africa and Brokeback Mountain.

 

[JChrome]

La Jetee by Chris Marker. It's composed of stills, the basis for many movies about time travel, in French and is a great story. His other films are excellent as well .

 

[maddoc]

I would add "Paris, Texas" by German director Wim Wenders, who is also an avid photographer (and Leica user).

 

[danielsterno]

Ida. outstanding film- for me it was a series of photographs that became a movie:

https://www.lensculture.com/articles/ryszard-lenczewski-cinematography-from-still-to-movie

 

[pharyngula]

"The Great Beauty" is the most recent film I've seen that qualifies for me as a photographer's movie.

 

[ninjin]

Even though I am still somewhat undecided on what I think of the plot,
I found "The Grand Budapest Hotel" [1] to have excellent camera work.

[1]: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2278388/

 

[Asim]

thanks for the suggestions. too bad none of them are on netflix streaming!

 

[ferider]

I would add "Paris, Texas" by German director Wim Wenders, who is also an avid photographer (and Leica user).

Yes !

Other favorites of mine:

- Hero
- Fargo
- The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (the original with Noomi Rapace)
- No Country for Old Men
- The Royal Tenenbaums and The Grand Budapest Hotel
: :

The more I think about it, the longer the list gets ....

Roland.

 

[Lauffray]

The Return, The Banishement by Andrey Zvyagintsev
Three Colors by Krzysztof Kieslowski
Touch of Evil, The Third Man by Orson Welles
The Lives of Others by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck

 

[filmtwit]

See this thread
http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=134016

 

[Taipei-metro]

Follow the DP...

I like Wender's 'Million Dollar Hotel' a lot, dp is Phedon Papamichael,
his newest one is Clooney's (dir.), The Monuments Men,

or, 'Arizona Dream' directed by genius Emir Kusturica, dp is Vilko Filač...

'Chu-ju', 秋菊, 'Not One Less' dir. Zhang Yi-mo, just great movies and great cinema photography

'Legend of 1900', dp Lajos Koltai, directed by Cinema Paradiso's Giuseppe Tornatore, great director, great cinema photography!

Each and every Kurosawa movie, for start, Sanjuro, Yojinbo, Red Beard, Throne of Blood, and his first color movie Dodeskaden...

Another great Japanese director is Imamura Shohe 今村昌平, check out his 'black rain' (no, not that mike douglas movie), 'eel'

latest I found is Yamada Yoji's 'A Distance Cry from Spring'

 

[Rob-F]

"The world Of Suzie Wong." Warner Brothers, 1960; Nancy Kwan (her first film), William Holden. Filmed in Hong Kong. Visually gorgeous and a fine story. I remembered it from years ago and was able to get it from Amazon. They don't keep it in stock but the studio will make a one-off DVD to order!

 

[Swift1]

Two of my favorites for cinematography

Hero - with Jet Li

The Black Stallion

 

[Mlehrman]

Shanghai Express. Drop-dead gorgeous.

 

[peterm1]

If you are into Saul Leiter and the wonderful reflections and colors he used extensively try watching the 2015 movie "Carol" which is set in the 1950s and according to the cinematographer consciously used the Leiter style in the movie. Wonderfully evocative. One of the main characters is a keen amateur photographer - albeit only using an old Argus "brick"
Watch the movie trailer at the following link to see what I mean.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2402927/

Save
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[peterm1]

Another wonderful movie that is a personal favourite of mine which has some very beautiful cinematography that any stills photographer would learn from, is Twilight Samurai by Yoji Yamada. In fact his trilogy of Samurai movies which also includes Love and Honor and Hidden Blade are great too.

But I love the slow moments in Twilight Samurai when he focuses in on the little things of life and you get to see the minutiae of life as a petty Samurai in 1860's Japan just as it is all about to change forever. It is one of the great movies of all time in my book.

You will also learn a lot about the use of shadows and light by watching this movie.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZNKUl4hfjw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=op4KVD-9p2Q

 

[Rangefinder 35]

"Fur" with Nicole Kidman and Robert Downey Jr. for story. Zatoichi the Blind Swordsman (2004) by Beat Kitano for photography.

 

[bayernfan]

most recently, Frantz. Gorgeous movie. Personally, it's a must own.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt5029608/?ref_=nv_sr_1

 

[Ko.Fe.]

The Third Man.

 

[Rob-F]

"Midnight in Paris" by Woody Allen. Beautiful cinematography!