Gordon Willis shot it like it is. We hear this term a lot: he tells it like it is, usually applied
to people who speak their minds and have the audacity and impressive vernacular
to back it up. But Willis didn’t need to talk. Instead, he shot. As one of film’s
greatest cinematographers, Willis bucked convention with each passing frame, consistently
changing the game.
Failing eye sight forced Willis into retirement in the late
‘90s, and on Sunday, news broke that at the age of 82, we had lost The Prince
of Darkness to cancer. Below are a handful of my favorite frames that Willis
ever captured. Presented here in their original aspect ratio, the frames show
Willis’ penchant for shadows, magic hour, and his masterful ability to capture
architecture. Seriously, no one photographed the interior or exterior of a
building better than Gordon Willis. And instead of explaining why I love these
stills, I thought it be best to let the pictures do the talking.
Klute (1971)
The Godfather (1972)
The Paper Chase (1973)
The Parallax View (1974)
The Godfather: Part II (1974)
All the President’s Men (1976)
Annie Hall (1977)
Interiors (1978)
Manhattan (1979)
Note: this is my favorite shot of Willis’ career
Note: this is my favorite shot of Willis’ career
Stardust Memories (1980)
Zelig (1983)
Broadway Danny Rose (1984)
The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985)
Bright Lights, Big City (1988)
The Godfather: Part III (1990)
Beautiful work and beautiful tribute! His work with Allen was tremendous. I just saw Klute a month ago and was blown away by the cinematography. I had no idea he was behind that camera.
ReplyDeleteThanks man. Willis really did put out such great, revelatory work over the years. Funny enough, I actually rewatched Klute about a month ago as well. The shadows, man. The shadows.
DeleteBrilliant tribute, Alex! He truly was a master of darkness and shadows. The beauty of his work, I feel, is that you can always find something new each time you watch one of the films that he worked on. And in my opinion, Manhattan is one of the ten best shot movies of all time. I mean, that opening scene? One for the ages!!
ReplyDeleteThanks Aditya! You are SO RIGHT about finding something new everytime you watch one of his films. That was the true beauty of his photography. Manhattan is my favorite-looking film he shot, no question. The look of that movie really changed things. Remarkable.
DeleteWonderful tribute, Alex! These are some great shots.
ReplyDeleteThanks Brittani! Glad you like the stills. They're all so damn beautiful.
DeleteOne of the best. Manhattan is his crowning achievement. The man was a master in the art of cinematography. Right now, I bet he's talking to Nestor Almendros and Harris Savides about lighting schemes.
ReplyDeleteAhh, what a great thought: Willis and Almendros preaching about film, and Savides praising the fluidity of digital. That's great shit.
DeleteI totally knew that you were going to make a post like this and it really is wonderful. Being a fan of Allen's work, it was really sad to hear of Willis' passing. Manhattan, Interiors, Purple Rose and Stardust Memories really blew me away.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you like the post - I couldn't not write it, you know? Interiors is probably his most criminally underrated achievement. That shot I chose here from Interiors is one of my favorite shots in any films. The best.
DeleteWillis filmed such beautiful films; it's sad that he has passed. I especially love his work in Manhattan, which the cinematography was the best part of the film.
ReplyDeleteA very sad passing indeed. And I agree, the look of Manhattan is definitely one of the best aspects about it. So gorgeous.
DeleteHaving to be quiet and listen to the voices because it was nearly impossible to see who was speaking....that is how I will remember his work. The garage scene from "All the President's Men" always stands out in my mind, though I don't know if I could narrow it down to a favorite. Beautiful choice to do a visual tribute, Alex. We've already been missing him for a long time now, but how sad that his great presence is no longer with us.
ReplyDeleteSo well said Dawn. And yes, those garage scene just floor me. Rewatched the film last night, and those scenes are so hauntingly done - they really help make the film unbearable tense. Love it.
DeleteWow, tremendous work, buddy. Willis was quite simply one of the best cinematographers of all time. Manhattan is my favorite work of him. The scene in planetarium is just... God, he was awesome. Enough said.
ReplyDeleteThanks man. I adore what he did for Manhattan. It still utterly floors me. He certainly is one of the best DPs film has ever had.
DeleteI don't get how Willis was only nominated for an Oscar twice during his career. That part baffles me.
ReplyDeleteI know this is a cliche, but I honestly think he was too ahead of his time. Doesn't excuse it, but I think it's hard for people to accept change while it is being made.
DeleteWe lost one of the greats, and these shots do more than back that up. Wonderful post man!
ReplyDeleteThanks! A great one gone. Not too many people we can say actually change the way films look. Willis was one.
DeleteHis work with Woody Allen was just awe-inspiring. Manhattan, that's all I gotta say.
ReplyDeleteAnd that's really all that needs to be said. It's that good. Thanks for stopping by and commenting!
DeleteWhat a lovely post. Such wonderful cinematography!
ReplyDeleteThanks! He was one of the all-time greats.
DeleteI first discovered him in The Godfather trilogy long time ago, but the film in which he awed me was Zelig; it's probably on my top 5 cinematography ever!
ReplyDeleteManhattan, Klute, The Godfather all came behind to Zelig to me :)
The feats he pulled off in Zelig are extraordinary. He should definitely have more than two Oscar nominations, but I'm glad one was for Zelig. Great pick! And thanks so much for stopping by and commenting!
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