Top 10 Cinematographers

It’s the piece we sometimes forget, the camera. A good director of photography will glide us through an environment and tell his or her own story with the way they move their rig, rack a lens, light a room or pull off an impressive dolly. Being one of the hardest jobs on set, cinematography lends itself to endless creativity. But with that creativity comes the risk of serious downfall. These ten cinematographers have achieved visual glory through precision, boldness and raw talent. 

10. Vilmos Zsigmond

Capitalizing on using a lot of long range photography, Vilmos Zsigmond gives us the classic 70’s pan the we just don’t see that much of anymore. Zsigmond, reflective of the style of the time period, also tees up still alignment nicely – notice how well framed DeNiro is around minute 3:20. Alongside framing and long lens shots, and to use The Deer Hunter as an example, the environment is beautifully respected here. Whether we are tight up or far away, panning left to right, Zsigmond is allowing the environment and nature to be its own character. The reason this seems so easy to do? Well, because Zsigmond’s talent makes it look easy.

9. Freddie Young

Contrary to the previous style comes Freddie Young. Mr. Young helps give us a good glimpse into what it means to glide. We can see a great example of this precisely at minute 1:50. In 1962, and previously, the actual act of aggressively moving the camera was not at all as well know as it is today. To say this is a tracking shot isn’t doing it justice – it’s a gliding shot that is beautifully mounted and well executed. What makes this specific style interesting is that Lawrence of Arabia was further along in Young’s career. He was brought up on a much more basic routine of motion picture. I give him the number nine spot for breaking his own mold and genuinely taking advantage of what it means to shoot a “motion picture.”

8. Alwin Kuchler

Coming in at number eight is one of my absolute favorites, Alwin Kuchler. Granted I am bias towards the tragically scripted, but brilliantly directed Sunshine, it boasts a hell of a shot list. For half a second you might think you are watching a Tony Scott film, but then you will realize one thing… it’s much better (I still love you, True Romance), and an angled camera here actually works. Kuchler does two things very well: symmetry and perspective. At second .48 we are shown a perspective that lets us creep into the situation at hand (heightened by Murphy’s perfect score). At 3:16 Kuchler shows us symmetry that basically looks like a geometry problem on screen – yes, it is that good. This symmetrical precision is what makes Kuchler stand out and what also makes him more adept to making science fiction films.  

7. Haskell Wexler

Representing the ultimate classic cinematography crowd is Haskell Wexler. Wexler does not have highly notable, specific shots, but his canon is just too good to look past. From Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? to One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Wexler has put a lens on some of the most interesting storylines to date. One shot that is noteworthy though, albeit basic, is the reflective shot from the television screen in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Simple? Yes. Vital to the theme of repression? Very.

6. Emmanuel Lubezki

Emmanuel Lubezki is a talented cinematographer, but his talent seems to only be dependent on his director and source material. He has made the number six spot due to his beyond talented work on Gravity – a movie that benefits from its full-time swivel camera and well-produced special effects. Although he is on this list, be wary of his work with Terrenc Malick – it can sometimes be nauseating and reflects Malick’s pretentiousness as a new-age director. Sad, but true.

5. Barry Sonnenfeld

Again, one of my favorite cinematographers (turned Director), Sonnenfeld is a dolly perfectionist. Miller’s Crossing is Sonnenfeld’s best shot movie, and granted this scene does not show it off well (from 2:50 on there is some good juice), there is a high-speed dolly shot that tracks John Turturro running through the woods that is a scene worth rewinding about five times. Unfortunately, we don’t see as much creativity behind the actual camera nowadays with Sonnenfeld as Director, but during his prime it was great to watch.

4. John Toll

Coming in just outside of the top three is John Toll. Now, to combat Emmanuel Lubezki, Toll is a cinematographer that Terrence Malick works brilliantly with and it shows in this scene from The Thin Red Line. Toll, takes us through a first person perspective with some great dolly shots, all mainly at mid-range, while also giving us well framed tight first persons. Toll puts his audience in the driver seat with his photography and makes us feel like soldiers running around in this scene – which is gloriously terrifying.

3. Wally Pfister

A somewhat newer cinematographer compared to the previous, Pfister’s photography can be described in one word: clean. His talent in all of Christopher Nolan’s films lies within his ability to frame a scene quite well. But what puts Pfister in the top three is his ability to sustain this clean-cut framing in motion – very hard and lots of room to have too much “shaky cam.”

1. Robert Elswit

And finally, the big kahuna of cinematographers who is responsible for one of the most famous and intriguing steadicam shots of all time, Mr. Robert Elswit. Teaming up with P.T. Anderson midway through his career Elswit developed a “Scorsese-esque” style of photography, but on steroids. Some will say his style resembles every Martin Scorsese film, but I think it is better and pulled off with more grace. I mean, there are floor maps that depict this opening scene alone and how it was pulled off in one fell swoop. What other cinematographers can say they have generated that much underground dedication?