I saw Ran in my teens, and it was the first film that I felt aesthetically awed by, beyond merely finding pleasingly cool or stylish.
I loved it. But this was shaded somewhat by watching it with my ex who found it extremely uncomfortable. We often watched things neither of us had seen, but if they found it difficult, they blamed the experience upon me somehow. I should watch it again on my own sometime!
I don’t know about “ever made,” but this must be one of the best-looking movies nobody’s ever heard of:
Blade Runner. I mean for god’s sakes it jumpstarted the entire cyberpunk aesthetic and made Used Future popular. Plus it’s a world I just want to take a day trip into because everything looks… like it’s a real functioning (for a given definition) city things happen in when the camera isn’t pointed at what’s going on.
Up.
Is being able to rip out a person’s heart inside of ten minutes considered art?
Birth of a Nation.
Hear me out here. The message and story are cruel and racist and revisionist attempts at making Old Southern Glory a GOOD thing but… it is arguably one of the first if not the first movie to try what we see as modern movie techniques of lighting, use of camera to establish emotion, and there is a beauty in those infantile steps even if its in blackface…
Speaking of Southern Romanticism
Gone with the Wind.
Just… Maybe it’s the nostalgia for me but it’s a classic for a reason.
Sorry to hear that. Funny thing is, I saw this on my second date with my partner, and I think parts of it made her quite uncomfortable; but we talked quite a bit about it afterwards, including about that one scene I referred to above, which helped quite a bit.
One of the first dates I ever went on was in college, and I chose Iphigenia, during the course of which I curled up and whimpered, in a manly fashion.
Sorely missed was Kar Wai Wong’s The Grandmaster (2013). That film took the martial art genre and transformed it into an art of the sensuous and erotic ballet. A very gorgeous movie.
First time I saw it was with my best friend at the time, who also is a diagnosable psychopath (not yet diagnosed because he knows what he is, and just gives the right answers).
I had the opportunity to watch all of the truly gut wrenching parts while he quietly chuckled to himself.
He lives in a different state these days. He doesn’t get along with the law well, and has a few warrants. His banishment is probably the single greatest relief I’ve ever had.
0 voters
Polls max-out at 10 options. So… I don’t know if they’re a good fit for all the nominations.
Life of Pi
3D is mostly used as a gimmick, but here, it really served it’s purpose. I thought Gravity would touch me the same way but 20 minutes in, it already started becoming more movie-isn. Pi continued to be distinguishable throughout, and two and a half hours later, I could’ve easily watched another hour. The acting is good, the script is good, the cinematography is exceptional.
Road to Perdition
A really beautiful film, I absolutely love the subtle water theme and the script: two fathers are defending the acts of their sons and have to sacrifice the best friend they have for a father’s love. And, most importantly, the music. It’s one of the most chill inducing soundtracks ever.
You two are fortunate to have a partnership with communication. My ex and I were married more or less at random, and communication was generally nonexistent, which was horrific.
I’ve watched it 3 times. In 3D. in 2D. and I closed my eyes during a home watching.
It is beautiful each way. It really was well done. But the 3D was pretty great.
No votes for Spike Lee’s Cinematographer Ernest Dickerson? Not sure if I’d say beautiful, but damn he is good. Remember how every scene starts tilting in the frame as the riot draws closer?
No love yet for Kubrick’s Barry Lyndon?
https://www.google.com/search?q=barry+lyndon&tbm=isch
The crazy loon filmed it with special NASA lenses and a lot of it with only available light – candle-light – years before Dogme '95 (who prolly stole the idea off the twitters).
Kubrick?
it’s been so long, I don’t remember the plot at all, but Prospero’s Books, which I was lucky to see in 35mm scope, was probably the most gorgeous piece of cinema I’ve seen.
As mentioned, Ran was definitely in there, but I was like ten or eleven yo when it came out, I barely remember it except the awesome battle scene. Kubrick’s the man. Citizen Kane is pretty mind-blowing even today. Miyazake gets props.
I often see this guy’s name come up on a lot of “normal” films that surprise me with great cinematography:
Tak Fujimoto
Hugs?
It’s been ages since I’ve seen that movie…
Me too. I just watched When the Levees Broke not too long ago - because it was just going to be too heartbreaking to think about Kaitrina and all the devastation, but even though it was sad it was so perfect, a real love letter to New Orleans, with music that matched the elegiac format.
Satisfied that Tarkovsky is mentioned almost immediately.
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