Mark Lee raided the filmmaker's toolbox and used every technique imaginable, high contrast black and white, various aspect ratios, complex long take, and even slow motion. The filmmakers effectively utilized contrasting lighting and unconventional visual techniques (like putting a silkscreen in front of the lens) to make 9th century China come alive. The Assassin's visuals mark it as an art-house film and distinguish it from other more mainstream martial arts movies. Every frame, whether it was captured on location in rural China or on an exquisitely decorated set, is meticulously controlled. The sumptuous imagery is shot with restrained precision. Ultimately, this list is a celebration of cinema and the people who create magnificent images.Ĭinematographer Mark Lee Ping Bin, who is best known for his work with fellow DP Christopher Doyle on In the Mood for Love (2000), visually knocks this period drama out of the park. Some were chosen because of their use of color, others for their expressionistic lighting designs, and others for their insanely complex shots. The elements of cinematography, whether the director of photography was responsible for them or not, have all been considered. While we recognize that the whole nature of cinematic aesthetics is subjective, for the fun of it, this list endeavors to praise the cinematographers and movies that have stood out from the rest. Each of them uniquely achieving beauty, but unfortunately, this review couldn't acknowledge all of them. They cry out, “but what about me? Don’t I look great too?” There are so many great movies that didn't make this list. How do you go about comparing action extravaganza John Wick (2014) to Academy Award-winning La La Land (2016)? During the selection process, movies would spring up out of nowhere to offer up their excellence. For the risk of his own life, a member of the Sonderkommando, a Jewish prisoner detained in the prison camps, was ordered to assist in the gassing of other inmates.Creating this list was far more difficult than originally expected.
Son of Saul (2015)Īs he observes the atrocities of a German concentration camp, László Nemes’ dramatic Holocaust movie clutches to the back of its lead character’s head, making him present in practically every scene of the 107-minute film. In an article, the director stated that we conduct our lives as if they were shot on Steadicam with no edits and that the viewers had to do the same with this protagonist. Birdman (2014)Īlejandro Iárritu’s Best Picture victory resurrected Michael Keaton’s career, gave cinematographer Emmanuel Lubeski another Oscar, and portrayed an elaborate comedy about an actor attempting to abandon his movie star history in the face of the growing industry and other outside forces. His 96-minute picture used 2000 on-screen actors and three live orchestras traversing the huge Winter Palace of the Russian State Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg, depicting a 300-year chronicle of Russian history. While other directors used phantom edits and other tricks to hide their cuts, director Alexander Sokurov shot “Russian Ark” in one continuous take. However, due to technological limitations at the time, he composed the script in 10-minute segments and equipped his camera with the largest film canisters possible, then placed the unseen cuts as the camera turned behind a chair or a table. With his crew and performers, the filmmaker staged intricate choreography and filmed the motion as if it were a show. His film “Rope,” based on a play by Patrick Hamilton, was about two gentlemen who murdered someone, concealed his body in a large wooden chest, and then had a banquet with the trunk as the centrepiece, all to prove they could conduct the ultimate crime. Rope (1948)Īlfred Hitchcock, the master of horror, was the first to undertake a single-take feature picture, attempting a revolutionary experiment with a large budget and A-list stars such as James Stewart. Here are some others that paved the way for 1917. For his World War I epic “1917,” Sam Mendes is the latest to accomplish the feat.
However, it’s sometimes so complicated and demanding that only a few directors have ventured to make their film look like it was shot in one constant, unbroken shot. One of the best methods to gain praise and demonstrate your directorial talent is to film a long, continuous shot film.