Not to denigrate the cinematography of "Saving Private Ryan," which is very good and innovative (though I'm not a fan of the style it spawned - the "shaky-cam" thing, the heavy grays and washed out colors in pretty much every subsequent war film, etc.), but the camerawork of "The Thin Red Line" does have a lot more going for it then "prettiness."
It may well be that SPR deserved the prize, and I only mention this because I've been seeing a lot of people suggest that the main "aesthetic value" of Malick's films is the "prettiness" of them - when, in reality, the camerawork and editing (and music choices and so on) of his films serve a far more complex purpose than just showing the "beauty" of nature or whatnot. The filmmakers' behind his films are able to harness the techniques of films to reveal emotional states and explore ideas that are beyond the capabilities of most other filmmakers. Which is to say, the value of the cinematography of "The Thin Red Line" is not that it points its camera at a lot of pretty sights, but rather that it's so integral in revealing the characters' states of mind and Malick's own philosophic views. Like the films of Tarkovsky and Murnau, it's a deeply "filmic" film, one where the images and the sounds, and the editing and connection between the images - more than the dialogue or even the acting - help to reveal the plot and mood and "point" of the film.
@baraka92 so you think the likes of godfather, one flew, apartment, annie hall aren't missed?
of course there are definitely some better films here than best picture. apocalypse now instead of kramer vs kramer
While I see why you would think Thin Red Line was a better film in terms of cinematography, I think Saving Private Ryan was the right choice. Kami?ski did a lot of revolutionary things like stripping away the protective coating on the film stock, running it through a bleach bypass and basically establishing the "shaky-cam" action style. I think aesthetically Thin Red Line is prettier but Saving Private Ryan created a visual style that had never really been done before.
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Timec
Not to denigrate the cinematography of "Saving Private Ryan," which is very good and innovative (though I'm not a fan of the style it spawned - the "shaky-cam" thing, the heavy grays and washed out colors in pretty much every subsequent war film, etc.), but the camerawork of "The Thin Red Line" does have a lot more going for it then "prettiness."It may well be that SPR deserved the prize, and I only mention this because I've been seeing a lot of people suggest that the main "aesthetic value" of Malick's films is the "prettiness" of them - when, in reality, the camerawork and editing (and music choices and so on) of his films serve a far more complex purpose than just showing the "beauty" of nature or whatnot. The filmmakers' behind his films are able to harness the techniques of films to reveal emotional states and explore ideas that are beyond the capabilities of most other filmmakers. Which is to say, the value of the cinematography of "The Thin Red Line" is not that it points its camera at a lot of pretty sights, but rather that it's so integral in revealing the characters' states of mind and Malick's own philosophic views. Like the films of Tarkovsky and Murnau, it's a deeply "filmic" film, one where the images and the sounds, and the editing and connection between the images - more than the dialogue or even the acting - help to reveal the plot and mood and "point" of the film.
samlowery
@Siladhiel -- From 1939 to 1967, the Academy awarded two cinematography prizes a year: one for color films, another for black & white.baraka92
I think this list is actually better than the best picture one.onuryz
one of the hard-to-complete lists for me. especially some classics!jacktrewin
good point about the revolutionary way in which the camera was used in saving private ryan, and certainly it is impressive in that respectDarkness_prevails
Looking strictly at cinematography, I thought The Thin Red Line was superior to Saving Private Ryan.Darkness_prevails
Looking strictly at cinematography, I thought The Thin Red Line was superior to Saving Private Ryan.jacktrewin
how the f- did the thin red line lose to saving private ryan?jacktrewin
@baraka92 so you think the likes of godfather, one flew, apartment, annie hall aren't missed?of course there are definitely some better films here than best picture. apocalypse now instead of kramer vs kramer
MovieDearest
... except for 1957, when there was just one Cinematography award.TheLazy1
Uhm, why are there 112 titles in this list? Academy isn't *that* old. Am I missing something?PS: still a very cool list. Thanks for adding it.
MovieDearest
The three "Special Awards for Color Cinematography" for 1936, 1937 and 1938 have been added.mi-16evil
While I see why you would think Thin Red Line was a better film in terms of cinematography, I think Saving Private Ryan was the right choice. Kami?ski did a lot of revolutionary things like stripping away the protective coating on the film stock, running it through a bleach bypass and basically establishing the "shaky-cam" action style. I think aesthetically Thin Red Line is prettier but Saving Private Ryan created a visual style that had never really been done before.ErikSchierboom
Furthermore, the spelling error has been corrected.AtomicSquid
Ditto.Showing items 1 – 15 of 19