Oftentimes, cinematographers are the unsung heroes of their films. They work diligently and artfully to craft the light, framing, and atmosphere of a film’s shots, all the while ensuring that it’s in support of story and character. But one cinematographer’s name in particular is on the level of filmmakers like Martin Scorsese or David Fincher, and that’s Roger Deakins. Actors flat-out admit they sign on to films just to work with Deakins, and he’s one of the most in-demand cinematographers working today.
Deakins is a master cinematographer not just because the films he shoots are gorgeous (they are), but because the way in which he approaches a film is unique and, at times, unconventional. He uses light in an incredibly distinct way, and yet the feel of a Roger Deakins-shot film never detracts from the story at hand. Moreover, if the story is, say, subpar, Deakins’ work automatically elevates the material at hand.
For some insane reason Deakins won his first Oscar for 2018's Blade Runner 2049, and then a second for his astounding World War I film 1917. As a celebration of Deakins’ work, I decided to pick out Deakins’ 11 best-shot films. The truth is this list could be twice as long without getting into iffy quality—the guy is a bona fide master—but, for the purposes of this list, I’ve arbitrarily narrowed it down to 11.
So behold, the films that showcase Roger Deakins’ best work.
A Serious Man (2009)
Fair warning: You’re going to see a lot of Coen Brothers movies on this list. As the go-to cinematographer for Joel and Ethan Coen, Deakins has lent his talents to a wide range of classics, but as the Coens vacillate between comedy and drama, so does Deakins. A Serious Man is technically a comedy, but it does have some darker overtones, and Deakins does a tremendous job of showcasing the isolation and crushing anxiety of Michael Stuhlbarg’s Larry Gopnik here. Deakins also brings 1950s Suburbia to life in an alien, almost sterile way, and his use of color in key moments is tremendous. And then, of course, there’s that iconic final shot…
The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
One of the most beloved movies of all time, The Shawshank Redemption was far from a box office hit when it was released, but numerous Oscar nominations—including Best Picture and Cinematography—and countless TV airings later, it’s one of America’s favorite movies of all time. Deakins’ work here is subtle, and it’s far more about framing and camera movement than making pretty pictures. Indeed, there are a couple of overhead crane shots that are somewhat surprising to the viewer, but reinforce the emotions of the scenes. There’s a reason this movie is so memorable, and Deakins’ work is a key part of why The Shawshank Redemption endures.
Fargo (1996)
When you think of Roger Deakins you often think “gorgeous images”, but the guy is also incredibly versatile. Fargo, for example, is at times downright plain, but there’s a methodical quality to the cinematography that’s all in service of the outlandish story the Coen Brothers are telling—a story of a “nice” man in a nice town doing a very, very bad thing. By downplaying the “cinematic” quality of the film, the events that play out are all the more horrifying, and framing and staging becomes vital. Like Shawshank it’s another example of how great cinematography goes far beyond making pretty pictures.
The Village (2004)
Two things: Bad movies can have great cinematography, and The Village is not a bad movie. While M. Night Shyamalan’s thriller suffered from sky-high expectations, subsequent watches having already made the twist go down far smoother. This is an atmospheric thriller, not a straight-up horror film, and it showcases some of Deakins’ best work. Shyamalan’s penchant for static shots allows Deakins to really show off in terms of lighting and framing, and the imagery really hits on a haunting quality that permeates the entire film. If you haven’t seen this one in a while, give it another watch if only to really appreciate the specificity of Deakins’ work.
1917 (2019)
The level of difficulty on 1917 is insane. The entire movie is made to look like it's one continuous shot, and it plays out entirely in real-time. That in and of itself is a challenge, but the fact that it's a World War I film with action sequences and explosions and practical effects, and is shot almost entirely on location, makes this nearly impossible. So the fact that Deakins not only pulls it off but also makes it dynamic and beautiful is a further testament to the brilliance of his craft. The nighttime sequence alone—which is lit only by flares flying overhead—is an all-timer, and this single-camera film evokes a whole range of emotions throughout its runtime thanks to precise and motivated camerawork and shot composition. 1917 is a work of art.
No Country for Old Men (2007)
But pretty pictures do help. No Country for Old Men, which finally won the Coen Brothers that Oscar while Deakins lost out to Robert Elswit’s There Will Be Blood, is a stunning piece of work and one of the very best Deakins/Coens collaborations. It’s a Western, but not in the traditional sense, and Deakins’ cinematography doesn’t so much showcase the beauty of the Texas landscape as it uses the isolation of the locations to increase feelings of dread and fear in the viewer. And the way Deakins lights and shoots Javier Bardem’s Anton Chigurh, almost like an otherworldly figure, goes a long way towards reinforcing the pure evil of the character.
O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000)
O Brother, Where Art Thou? was a groundbreaking film in terms of the cinematic process in that it was one the first movies on which a digital intermediate was used, which gave Deakins and the Coen Brothers much more control over the specific color correction they wanted to drown out the look of the film. The result is a movie that feels storybook-like, and indeed Deakins’ sharp yet somewhat exaggerated aesthetic reinforces the fable quality of the film. It’s an incredibly alluring effort from Deakins, and yet the cinematography also has this dangerous, haunting quality to it that fits right in with the trials and tribulations that befall our three bumbling idiot heroes.
Skyfall (2012)
Whether you agree that Skyfall is one of the best James Bond movies or not, you can’t argue with Deakins’ absolutely incredible cinematography. This is one of the best-shot action movies of the 21st century as the camera frames Bond as an aging hero in a changing world, questioning his place. The set pieces are jaw-dropping in their richness, from the neon-lit skyscraper fight to the London Underground chase to the fire-soaked finale. It’s made all the more impressive by the fact that a lot of these sequences were captured on a stage, with Deakins creating these real-looking conditions with his lighting, but of course we also get some terrific location work in Scotland. The film solidifies Deakins as one of the best and most versatile cinematographers working today.
The Man Who Wasn't There (2001)
While black and white photography is used sparingly nowadays, of course Roger Deakins comes along and uses the format to masterful results in 2001’s The Man Who Wasn’t There. This Coen Brothers picture returned the brothers to neo-noir territory, and comparing how Deakins and the Coens paint 1950s America here and in A Serious Man is further proof of their dynamism. By removing colors from his toolbox, Deakins works absolute wonders with shadow and light, crafting one iconic image after another. It’s smoky and foreboding, yet somehow also picturesque. The juxtaposition of 50s Americana with murder and deceit is pitch perfect, and Deakins’ camerawork balances the two beautifully.
Blade Runner 2049 (2017)
Roger Deakins is still churning out some of the best work of his entire career. Teaming up with director Denis Villeneuve a third time results in Blade Runner 2049, the duo’s most immaculately crafted aesthetic yet. Villeneuve’s steady, deliberate pacing allows Deakins’ images to really soak in, and the cinematographer takes full advantage of the astonishing practical sci-fi sets by lighting them in surprising, hypnotizing ways. Indeed, Deakins’ use of light in Blade Runner 2049 is off the charts, and again it’s all in service of the tortured interiors of the main characters. He embraces the idea that the environment of Blade Runner 2049 is ravaged by climate change, using the elements to craft stunning landscapes that surrounded the various characters.
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007)
It’s possible that The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford is the best-looking movie ever made. Warner Bros. famously hated the movie that director Andrew Dominik turned in, and subsequently attempted to have different editors take a crack at the material to see if they could craft something more in line with the thriller or action angle they thought the title promised. But what Dominik made couldn’t be undone, and indeed The Assassination of Jesse James is no thriller, it’s a contemplative, dreamlike meditation on celebrity and loneliness, chronicled in painterly fashion by Roger Deakins. It’s a Western to be sure, and Deakins gives us some of the most stunning vistas we’ve ever seen onscreen, but in keeping with the dreamlike quality of the film the sky always feels a bit off. And then there’s the way Deakins frames James, as someone who’s both larger than life but also almost alien—a man torn between his public persona and his private yearning. This remains one of the most stunning movies ever made, and stands as Deakins’ best work to date. Even Deakins agrees it should be on Criterion. In fact, he told Collider:
“It should be [on Criterion]. I would really like to see the long version, the first cut that I saw, released on Criterion. That’s what I’d hope for… It was over three hours. I don’t think it ever will, because last time I talked to Andrew about it he was quite happy with the version that got released. But I still remember that first early cut that I saw that was like three and a quarter I think, and it was pretty stunning. There was a four-hour version. The first cut was like four hours, I seem to remember.”
The fact that it's not yet is a downright crime.
Honorable Mentions: Sicario, Jarhead, Barton Fink