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Emmanuel Lubezki

There are a handful of scenes in Children of Men, the classic Alfonso Cuaron film, that were shot in one take. You probably know this. Did you know that the man behind the camera for the scenes managed to not win an Oscar for his obviously excellent work in the film? Yes, Emmanuel Lubezki, the four-time Oscar nominee, has never won, despite his work on A Little Princess, Sleepy Hollow, The New World, Ali, The Cat in the Hat (yes, really), and Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events. Lubezki’s the kind of cinematographer who most people probably recognize in some way, meaning that his visual style is so noticeable and has been utilized in a variety of films that you’ve probably seen his style even if you don’t know his name.

Lubezki is the kind of cinematographer who makes people remember what the camera can do. Yes, his work in Children of Men is nothing if not showy (and how can it not be, when the handheld sequences almost command more attention than the acting they’re capturing?), but sometimes, showy is a good thing. When we consider how many movies and TV shows these days don’t use the camera as anything other than something for people to sit or stand in front of to talk, Lubezki’s something of a godsend. In the case of Children of Men, he’s collaborating very heavily with Alfonso Cuaron to create a visual aesthetic that is as noticeable as it is confrontational. As I mentioned earlier, the best directors know how to work with their cinematographers, and Cuaron definitely knows how to bring out the best in Lubezki.

Gregg Toland

Is it appropriate that we end at the beginning? Granted, Gregg Toland is not the first cinematographer, and he is certainly not the only great cinematographer of his time (one man left off the list is James Wong Howe). But it’s thanks to Toland that we have pretty much any kind of cinematic visual style. In 1941, he was the man who helped Orson Welles bring Citizen Kane to life, getting an Oscar nomination in the process; he lost, but did win an Oscar in 1939 for his work in Wuthering Heights. Toland, for all of his prowess with camera techniques, was primarily a black-and-white photographer. His only Technicolor film came in 1946, and is one that most of us probably haven’t ever seen, and may not, depending on how stringent the Walt Disney Company continues to be. Yes, film buffs, he was the cinematographer for the controversial Song of the South.

Of course, if you know about Song of the South, you probably know about its racially charged storyline, not about Toland’s work. Still, the man was immensely talented, bringing the idea of deep focus to the silver screen. Citizen Kane wasn’t his only masterwork. Let’s not forget about The Grapes of Wrath and The Best Years of Our Lives. But it’s Kane that everyone remembers, and justly so. I realize that there are some people out there who would only agree that Citizen Kane is an important film (and it is), but it is also great, not only for what it brought to Hollywood but for its memorable visuals. Fans may have their own favorites, but the best shot in the film remains Kane, sitting in an opera house, fiercely getting up to applaud his wife, a mediocre singer, standing alone. Toland didn’t stand alone, but we shouldn’t forget him for all he’s given us.

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