Not surprisingly, the majority of the Academy Award-nominated films for Best Picture and Best Cinematography this year were filmed on the ARRI Alexa, as more and more filmmakers move away from film cameras. Resisting the trend towards digital cinematography, Theodore Melfi’s Hidden Figures and Damien Chazelle’s La La Land were the two major works that stood out for being shot on film.
Silence
Cinematographer: Rodrigo Prieto
Of the five cinematographers honored for Best Cinematography, all five are receiving their first nomination except for Rodrigo Prieto, who was once tapped for his work on Brokeback Mountain. Rodrigo was Emmanuel “Chivo” Lubezki’s second unit DP on Birdman and shares his love of long flowing shots and wide angles. His work on Silence, Martin Scorsese’s introspective drama about two Jesuit priests in Meiji-era Japan, shares the stable, handsome style that marked Brokeback Mountain. The sets are elaborate, and the camera floats through the tight corridors settling into painterly moments; or rises high above the actors, showing them as small and lost in the foreign land. Colin Anderson’s Steadicam work is impeccable and unobtrusive. Best Cinematography is the only category Silence was nominated for this year and it certainly deserves the nod, it is slow and deliberate and very well executed.
Moonlight
Cinematographer: James Laxton
Moonlight was the lowest budget film nominated and has garnered the most accolades. Eight nominations including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay and Best Cinematography. There is a lot to talk about here, but the real achievement is in the POV shots of the protagonist’s mother. They are visceral, gritty and powerful and for the brief moments that her despicable character is laid bare, the hopelessness of his situation is tangible. The masterful use of the handheld camera in simple ways lets the performances stand on their own and truly demonstrates James Laxton’s ability to subtly let the story develop in front of his lens. It will be exciting to see how his style develops now that he has helmed such a powerful and beautiful film.
Lion
Cinematographer: Greig Fraser
It is very very difficult to make an ugly movie when you have India and Australia as your backdrop. And Lion cinematographer Greig Fraser was doubly blessed to not only film in his home country of Australia, but to work with his best friend, director Garth Davis. According to an interview in Variety, Fraser debated between shooting film or digital, and ultimately ended up shooting on the Arri Alexa XT. Fraser told Variety, “We used vintage Panavision lenses because I found that we wanted to keep a consistent look throughout the movie.”
La La Land
Cinematographer: Linus Sandgren
Shot almost entirely on film La La Land had a huge budget and elaborately designed elements and camera choreography. Shooting on film was really the only logical choice for this film that pays tribute to Old Hollywood with modern interpretation. Swedish cinematographer Linus Sandgren used anamorphic lenses and 35mm film as a nod to cinema’s past, and shot the film extra wide. “Damien really wanted the film to be very anamorphic. Today, scope films are usually shot in 2.40 to 1,” explains Sandgren in the film’s production notes. “But we were thinking it would be interesting to shoot it in 2.52 to 1 to give La La Land the extra scope of those old films. I talked to Panavision about it, and they actually modified some lenses to fit. They had to build new ground glasses for us but I think it really helps add to the spirit of the film.”
Arrival
Cinematographer: Bradford Young
Saving the best for last…spoiler alert! Arrival is a masterpiece of technical storytelling, Amy Adams mental state drives cinematographer Bradford Young’s camera work; as Adam’s perception of time expands, the visions she has grow more vivid. The choice to use vintage super speeds and the impossibly shallow depth of field really brings the viewer into her experience. The soft, blurry moments as she contemplates the alien language stand in stark contrast against her razor sharp interactions with the alien visitors. As her understanding of her life to come crystallizes, so does the imagery and the film, culminating in a scene shot underwater that is truly breathtaking. The VFX are also superb and use hyper-realistic deep background CG coupled with the extreme closeups of the characters reactions.
What is your pick for this year’s Best Film and Best Cinematography? Tell us in the comments below or tweet us at @adorama.
Written by Blake Steigerwald and Liz Daza
