Monday, December 8, 2014

Top 10 Conrad L. Hall Films

Conrad L. Hall was beyond simple classification. He’d shoot with piercing light in one film, then natural light the next. His films could have an ice cold palette (the way A Civil Action does), or be bathed in a warm glow (like The Day of the Locust). Hall was nominated 10 times for an Academy Award, winning three for his unparalleled work. He’s also one of those rare artists who delivered some of his finest efforts at the very end of his career. Here’s a look at the work of one of film’s finest cinematographers.

10. Fat City (1972)
The boxing scenes in Fat City are pretty great, but seldom have dive bars looked as sad and dark and lonely as they do in Fat City. This is a movie that knows emotional isolation.

9. Morituri (1965) 
The WWII spy movie, Morituri, is just a decent film, but Hall’s work is undoubtedly the best part about it. His use of stark shadows make it one of the finest black and white films Hall ever shot.

8. In Cold Blood (1967)
It’s all about the night of Perry Smith’s hanging. With the rain pouring outside, Hall lit the shot so that it looks like the rain is actually slowly running down Robert Blake’s face, making it appear as if he’s crying. It’s such a telling shot, one that perfectly services what the character is going through at that exact moment.

7. Hell in the Pacific (1968)
If a movie only features two actors stuck on an island (who each speak a language the other does not understand), then you have to rely on other aspects of filmmaking to tell your story. The sound design of John Boorman’s Hell in the Pacific is flawless, but that’s cause for another post. Similarly, Hall’s photography is so encompassing, it actually feels like a character within the film.

6. The Day of the Locust (1975) 
The Day of the Locust is drenched in lush yellow light, emulating the 1930s Los Angeles depicted within the film. This is one of my favorite looking L.A. films; a movie that somehow manages to turn warm visuals into a cynical nightmare.  

5. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
The vast landscapes are the most obvious thing to praise about Hall’s Oscar-winning work on Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. But look at the cold, minimal lighting of that night shot. It’s such a startling juxtaposition: the freedom of open beauty in the day, matched with the enclosed, dark fear of the night.

4. Marathon Man (1976)
Notice how Hall used architecture to influence the visual design of Marathon Man. The organic slope of the hallway, the curve of the chain-link fence, the mirrored distance of the bank vault – they all give the frame marvelous depth perception.

3. Cool Hand Luke (1967)
Hall’s photography helped make Cool Hand Luke one of best movies of the 1960s. Rarely has Technicolor popped as vividly as it does in this film. This movie just feels hot.

2. Road to Perdition (2002)
Hall won Oscars for his final two films, and that is for damn good reason. Both Road to Perdition and American Beauty have a “classic cinema” visual design that is immensely compelling. Road to Perdition, uses harsh light to cut through scenes (look how the light pours into that newspaper reading area), and is conscious about capturing much of the film from the low-angle perspective of a young child. Additionally, The silent, rain-soaked assassination of John Rooney’s crew is arguably the single finest scene Conrad L. Hall ever captured. What a sight to behold.

1. American Beauty (1999)
What I meant by “classic cinema” visual design is that American Beauty’s patient, centered photography makes the film feel as though it is (at least) 25 years older than it is. The plot is, of course, modern for when the film was made, but it looks classic. The lighting in the film is also immaculate. Look how the light appears to bend around the wall in Angela Hayes’s bedroom, trapping her in. Or the way that single light above the front read door looks as welcoming as it does haunting. Or that perfectly soft light on Annette Bening’s face as she wallows in self-doubt. Like American Beauty or not, there’s no denying its visual appeal. Masterful. That’s what this film looks like. Masterful.

Other Notable Work
The Professionals (1966)
Electra Glide in Blue (1973)
Black Widow (1987)
Tequila Sunrise (1988) 
Jennifer Eight (1992)
Searching for Bobby Fischer (1993) 
Love Affair (1994) 
A Civil Action (1998) 

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20 comments:

  1. Another great introduction for me to a cinematographer who has already done work that I love. I might have The Road to Perdition tops as I thought every visual in that movie was amazing, but it's hard to argue against American Beauty...or Cool Hand Luke, for that matter. Haven't seen Marathon Man, but I love each of the shots you posted from it. Great post, Alex!

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    1. Thanks man! Those top 2 are nearly interchangeable, because they both look so damn good. Really happy to hear you're a fan of Hall's work. Definitely check out Marathon Man when you can. My favorite Hoffman performance, and one of my favorite films of the '70s.

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  2. That is a great list. I've only seen the three films on your top 3 as those are visual feast. I also love his work in Searching for Bobby Fischer. Jennifer Eight had a great look but it's definitely Bruce Robinson's weakest film of his work that I've seen so far.

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    1. I think Hall's contribution to Bobby Fischer and especially Jennifer Eight is perhaps the best part of those films. The acting in Bobby Fischer is really solid though.

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  3. Great list! I've seen your top 5 and In Cold Blood only, but they are all visual marvels. My personal favourite is American Beauty. I really love what you said about the lighting in the film, it's absolutely true. I think that my favourite scene from the film, and maybe even of Hall's career, is the scene in which Lester first sees Angela. It's just a masterclass in directing, acting, score, editing, and of course, cinematography.

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    1. Thanks! That scene in American Beauty is perfect. The shot of him alone on the rafters is incredible. A pure cinema moment, no doubt. So glad you're a fan of Hall's work!

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  4. Great post. Hall also did a lot of great work on the 60s Outer Limits TV show

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    1. Thanks. I love that he got his start on that show.

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  5. I love the way American Beauty was shot. That's the only film on this list that I've seen entirely. (But I've seen quite a bit of Cool Hand Luke)

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    1. Such a great looking film. Cool Hand Luke and Marathon Man are absolute classics.

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  6. Great stuff. I still need to check out a few of these, but I love that you included In Cold Blood and Marathon Man. And who can argue with your top 2? I might flip the order, but Hall did fantastic work on those films.

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    1. Thanks man. I did consider flipping the order of that final two, but still, they are both incredible flicks.

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  7. Great selections. I'd say The Professionals, Electra Glide in Blue and Tequila Sunrise are my favourite Conrad Hall films, I'm no expert though and to quote the man himself "filmmaking is about finding things out, it’s about examining, it’s about discovering. You should approach your work the same way that a child discovers new aspects of the world."
    There’s not much more anyone can say about Conrad L. Hall. His words and his work speak eloquently for themselves.

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    1. The Professionals, Electra Glide in Blue and Tequila Sunrise all look fantastic. Great picks there. I love that quote from Hall. Many of his films look so different, so that notion of discover really rings true for me.

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  8. I missed some of his earlier stuff but Road to Perdition is perhaps the most beautiful and evocative films ever. I love the film and Hall's cinematography adds so much to it and that shoot-out in the rain is just incredible! Great list Alex!

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    1. Thanks Ruth! Road to Perdition is sensational, isn't it? And considering it was his last film... I mean, wow.

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  9. Great post. Agreed on how Cool Hand Luke feels hot. I now am wondering if Ernest Dickerson drew inspiration from that film for Do the Right Thing.

    The scene in In Cold Blood should be proof enough that Hall is one of the greats.

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    1. Thanks Luke. I wouldn't be surprised in Dickerson drew inspiration from Cool Hand Luke for DtRT. That's one damn hot-looking film as well.

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  10. How come he wasn't nominated for Cool Hand Luke? I was somewhat shocked to learned that wasn't one of his 10 Oscar nominations.

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    1. Great question. Only reason I can think is that he was also nominated that year for In Cold Blood. Guess the Academy wanted to spread the wealth a little...?

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