When I think of films that manage to be visually sumptuous yet narratively potent, Brian De Palma’s The Untouchables (1987) is usually the first one that comes to mind. Siskel and Ebert famously called it “a great looking movie,” noting the… Read More »The Untouchables (1987) – Cinematography Analysis
Apocalypto (2006) is the latter a cinematic gut punch. It’s a raw, primal epic that manages to feel ancient and immediate all at once. Mel Gibson’s vision was ambitious: plunge a modern audience into a pre-Columbian Mayan world via a relentless… Read More »Apocalypto (2006) – Cinematography Analysis
How to Train Your Dragon 2 (2014) is that film. When I first saw it, I wasn’t just watching a “cartoon” I was witnessing a masterclass in digital cinematography. I saw a review that said, “Oh my god the summer is… Read More »How to Train Your Dragon 2 (2014) – Cinematography Analysis & Stills
Few films hold my attention quite like Tim Burton’s Edward Scissorhands. Looking at this 1990 masterpiece today isn’t just a nostalgia trip; it’s a masterclass in how visual language can do the heavy lifting for a story. It’s a collaboration where… Read More »Edward Scissorhands (1990) – Cinematography Analysis
When most people talk about Hot Fuzz (2007) they focus on the jokes. Edgar Wright didn’t just make a parody; he made a legitimate high-octane action film that happens to be set in a sleepy British village. It’s a “Valentine to… Read More »Hot Fuzz (2007) – Cinematography Analysis
Directed by Doug Liman and shot by the late Oliver Wood The Bourne Identity (2002), it wasn’t just another spy flick. It was a visual manifesto. It dared to be ugly where other films wanted to be pretty, offering a… Read More »The Bourne Identity (2002) – Cinematography Analysis
Released in 1989, just as Tim Burton’s Batman was redefining the “blockbuster” aesthetic, Part II was an incredibly bold swing. It wasn’t just a sequel; it was a high-wire act of world-building that revisited a cherished past while inventing a future that, at the… Read More »Back to the Future Part II (1989) – Cinematography Analysis