Share a bit of cinematography that you like.

[itosan]

Russian Ark

 

It's been just over 5 years since i saw this, It's one continuous Steady Cam shot! Technically it's breathtaking.

 

Tagline

2,000 Actors. 300 Years of Russian History. 33 Rooms at the Hermitage Museum. 3 Live Orchestras. 1 Single Continuous Shot.

 

A well known critic wrote

 

"Apart from anything else, this is one of the best-sustained ideas I have ever seen on the screen....The effect of the unbroken flow of images (experimented with in the past by directors like Hitchcock and Max Ophuls) is uncanny. If cinema is sometimes dreamlike, then every edit is an awakening. Russian Ark spins a daydream made of centuries."

[EdnaKrabappe]

Mean Streets' scene with Keitel drunk off his face - fixed camera focussed on his face throughout

is a use of camera technique that I always enjoy. Emulated well in the 'lost at cards' moments of Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels

(and also to comic effect on Mitchell & Webb for the Digby Chicken Caesar drunk moments http://youtube.com/watch?v=QACSo5xk3dE)

 

I'm also a fan of the use of the Dolly Zoom (or Vertigo Zoom), the technique popularised by Spielberg in Jaws whereby the scene around the actor/actors pulls back to a different perspective, but with the key focus remaining the same. A compilation of examples can be found http://youtube.com/watch?v=Y48R6-iIYHs

 

Yeah Dolly zoom always looks really good. There is a really good example of that in Cape Fear (the remake) onto Jessica Lange if i remember rightly... and in Thriller just Michael joins in the zombie dance. (8:27)

God I remember paying £1.50 to get that out of the video shop! On several occasions!

[samesame monkey]

I'm a big fan of the apartment shoot-out from 'Leon'. Beautifully shot with an ever increasing sense of malice, interspersed with moments of tragicomedy. I fully agree with Joe P as well, soundtrack plays such a part in creating memorable scenes.

 

Also the scene in 'Alien' where Brett (Harry Dean Stanton) is looking for the cat is a favourite.

[Smithster]

I can't find a clip anywhere on t'internet, but the opening sequence of 28 Days Later showing Cillian Murphy wandering the deserted streets of london is a very haunting piece of cinema.

 

I wondered how on earth they managed to film it at first, but found out that it was filmed at about 4.30am in mid-summer and they got permission to close off certain roads to do it. I can't remember what the soundtrack that goes with it is, but it is altogether a very powerful piece of cinematography.

[Tallyman]

If you'll forgive me bringing the tone down a bit, I have always had a soft spot for the opening titles of 'Working Girl': helicopter shot circling the Statue of Liberty, slowly pulling out and then flying away and down to catch the Staten Island Ferry, dropping down to match its speed and come alongside, passing the passenger deck, and then an almost invisible wipe to a speed-matched track along the deck, finally coming to rest at a bench occupied by the main characters. Very smooth piece of work, I thought IMHO!

[SarahD]

I'm always a big fan of lighting and use of colour in films. 2046 is amazing:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6WarMpaEig

 

I think someone added the song but you get the idea, the music is more like this:

 

 

Another favourite scene in a film is:

 

 

the lighting is stunning.

 

I love Buffalo 66 and Spellbound as has already been mentioned. Buffalo 66 is beautiful, every image fits perfectly into the film, even Christina Ricci's hair matches her outfit and is the perfect antithesis to Vincent Gallo. Eveything looks perfect.

[EdnaKrabappe]

If you'll forgive me bringing the tone down a bit, I have always had a soft spot for the opening titles of 'Working Girl': helicopter shot circling the Statue of Liberty, slowly pulling out and then flying away and down to catch the Staten Island Ferry, dropping down to match its speed and come alongside, passing the passenger deck, and then an almost invisible wipe to a speed-matched track along the deck, finally coming to rest at a bench occupied by the main characters. Very smooth piece of work, I thought IMHO!

 

Ooh that's another film i'd forgotten about and quite like!

[Beakerzoid]

Serenity - the 'introduction to the crew' shot which begins from outside the ship looking into the cockpit, then follows Mal through the craft as he feeds info to those onboard. One of the best ways to introduce the gang in a short time, and even those who knew nothing about the show (Firefly) can straight away identify the personalities of all the crew.

 

 

In fact......(skitters off to watch it before bedtime whilst pondering where the word skitters just came from...never used that one before)

[medusa]

In terms of cinematography I'm kind of predictable- the only 2 DVDs I have ever bought for myself were Koyaanisqatsi and Powaqqatsi (I have a number of DVDs, but the rest were bought for me).

 

For those who haven't seen Koyaanisqatsi, it's a scriptless film directed by Godfrey Reggio with a soundtrack by Philip Glass. Most of it is done in time-lapse photography and I find the imagery hypnotic and rich.

[Fivetide]

This remains one of my favourite ever scenes in the movies.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEUGF3NGbPg

 

It is such a simple scene with hardly any camera trickery (unlike the later installments), but it says everything about the movie you are watching; a familiar sight - a sunset made fantastical.

 

Haha, I'm glad I looked through first... I saw this topic, had a think about it and was on the verge of posting the exact same thing.