Rewatching *Days Of Heaven *for the first time in many years, I wondered amongst other things if it may be the most beautiful movie ever made. That gloaming light may have been a bitch in terms of getting so little done each day for the shoot but it pays off in spades for that beautiful glow. And those spectacular shots of that weird house in the middle of nowhere. Wow. I’d happily hang just about any frame from that film on my walls.
The only other contender I could think of that gives it a damn good run for its money would be Barry Lyndon. In fact I’d be hard pushed to say which I think is more gorgeous.
What do you think is the most beuatiful film ever made?
Baraka was my first instinct and I can’t imagine many films that could beat it. Or were you refering to more traditional films with plots, characters, etc.?
There is plenty of exquisite cinematography in ‘Barry Lyndon’, directed by Stanley Kubrick. It features some scenes that were lit only by candlelight, and SK needed to get hold of special equipment to be able to capture these scenes.
Speaking of SK, I think the ‘Strauss’ sequences from ‘2001’ are amazingly beautiful in their own way, not to mention stunningly imaginative. Matching the space scenes to Strauss seems an obvious, great idea now, but that’s only because we’ve all seen it. Kubrick tried lots of other music, and even had Lalo Schifrin score those scenes, before throwing all the alternatives out and going with the Strauss waltz.
‘What Dreams May Come’ tried hard to create overwhelmingly beautiful scenes depicting a sort of fantastically idyllic afterlife, but I don’t think it quite worked and it was just showreel stuff for the special effects company.
I haven’t seen either of the movies in the OP, but I’d vote for Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Beautiful, haunting, or claustrophobic and dark, but always keyed to the emotions of the scene, I thought the cinematography was breathtaking.
A River Runs Through It had some beautiful settings and cinematography. The Last of the Mohicans was also beautiful in a similar manner, perhaps moreso.
I never saw the whole movie, but the scenes from What Dreams May Come that I saw in trailers looked worthy of mention.
I haven’t seen this but it definitely looks interesting I was originally thinking in terms of trad narratives but only because other forms didn’t occur to me. Thank you for mentioning it.
I am not able to view the youtube link but I’m guessing it includes that beautiful shot of Lawrence blowing out the match and then it cutting to the horizon of the desert? It’s one of my favourite shots in all of cinema.
These are truly beautiful, lissener. For some reason stills is for me my preferred means of experiencing Sunrise. I’ve got the time to study the compositions and enjoy the amazing use of light. I just can never quite get into the movie which makes me sad as I always feel I’m missing out. Then again, I remember finding Days Of Heaven beautiful but dull on first viewing so I’m hopeful I will one day find it clicks for me.
I have a soft spot for *The Red Shoes. * My father told me of seeing that when he came back from the war and being fascinated by the color. You can just eat it with a spoon. I’d love to see it on a big screen sometime.
If you liked Barry Lyndon, then you must see Ridley Scott’s first movie “The Duellists” which was directly inspired by B.L. and tries to out-beautify it. It looks absolutely stunning. Good role for Harvey Keitel, too.
Barry Lyndon, yes. Several scenes in Nightmare Before Christmas and Edward Scissorhands are striking (though not the whole movies). Last of the Mohicans (though they’re scrambling over rocks in a state park, looks like it might have looked in the 1700’s, and that final shot looking out over the mountains!). I do love the Harry Potter movies, too, even though it’s mostly special effects. And the movie Far From Heaven with Julianne Moore is pretty to look at, as is Peyton Place, for the New England fall foilage.
Oh, and Black Narcissus, nuns laboring in a convent in the Himalayas!
I was originally thinking in terms of trad narratives but only because other forms didn’t occur to me. Thank you for mentioning it.