Serving as the go-to guy for perhaps the most beloved cinematic storytellers of the past 40 years speaks volumes of the skilled hands of Janusz Kaminski. He has been Steven Spielberg’s cinematographer exclusively since he shot Schindler’s List for him in 1993. The two seem to make a pretty solid team, from the stylized black and white photographer of Schindler, to the hyperrealism of Saving Private Ryan, the future brought to life in Minority Report, the picturesque landscapes of War Horse, right up to the muted, muddy tones of Lincoln. The two would serve as possibly the best example of great cinematography working in the service of the storytelling.
Establishing a look that feels right for a film is so crucial, and so subtle, and seemingly so difficult. Sometimes it can mean the difference between a movie being taken seriously or being laughed at. And yet there are so many people doing great work—I think again of Michael Slovis on Breaking Bad or others doing great TV work, and also of one of the most visually stunning movies I’ve ever seen, the Turkish film Once Upon a Time in Anatolia, photographed by Gökhan Tiryaki. I’ll certainly be keeping an eye on his career in the years to come. Fortunately, thanks to the brilliant work of all the filmmakers listed here, that eye will be kept very happy in the meantime.
