# The most beautiful looking film **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 1, 2009, 8:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-beautiful-looking-film/508460 "2009-09-01T08:30:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Promethea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Promethea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Promethea)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2009, 8:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-beautiful-looking-film/508460/1 "2009-09-01T08:30:21Z")
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? ---
**Author:** ![footballisplayedwithyourfeet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9f8e36/32.png) [@footballisplayedwithyourfeet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/footballisplayedwithyourfeet)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2009, 8:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-beautiful-looking-film/508460/2 "2009-09-01T08:51:24Z")
I really like the use of light in _Girl with a pearl earring_, very similar to Vermeer’s paitings. ---
**Author:** ![Abby\_Emma\_Sasha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e68b1a/32.png) [@Abby\_Emma\_Sasha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Abby_Emma_Sasha)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2009, 9:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-beautiful-looking-film/508460/3 "2009-09-01T09:21:50Z")
I think _Dances With Wolves_ is quite boring but it does have some beautiful cinematography. That’s the best I can say about it. ---
**Author:** ![Steampunk\_Willie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f6c823/32.png) [@Steampunk\_Willie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steampunk_Willie)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2009, 9:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-beautiful-looking-film/508460/4 "2009-09-01T09:23:30Z")
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.? ---
**Author:** ![Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cc9497/32.png) [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt.Ridley_s_Shooting_Party)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2009, 9:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-beautiful-looking-film/508460/5 "2009-09-01T09:28:35Z")
The wide [landscape](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZxBFRfYiDNE) shots from Lawrence of Arabia are always good to look at. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2009, 9:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-beautiful-looking-film/508460/6 "2009-09-01T09:47:15Z")
I think the cinematography in both _Brokeback Mountain_ and _Legends of the Fall_ is amazing, but with backdrops like that you can’t really go wrong. Also, I found the semi-stylised representation of squalor in _Slumdog Millionaire_ very effective, though perhaps not “beautiful”. ---
**Author:** ![ianzin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ed655f/32.png) [@ianzin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ianzin)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2009, 9:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-beautiful-looking-film/508460/7 "2009-09-01T09:59:26Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2009, 11:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-beautiful-looking-film/508460/8 "2009-09-01T11:05:50Z")
_Sunrise_ ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2009, 11:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-beautiful-looking-film/508460/9 "2009-09-01T11:12:25Z")
> [@lissener](#): > > _Sunrise_ [http://daily.greencine.com/archives/murnau-sunrise.jpg](http://daily.greencine.com/archives/murnau-sunrise.jpg) [![](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_lj0cVJ5xcfQ/SKL7ZmVQyHI/AAAAAAAAAjA/GffPltHQF0U/s400/sunrise1.jpg) ](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_lj0cVJ5xcfQ/SKL7ZmVQyHI/AAAAAAAAAjA/GffPltHQF0U/s400/sunrise1.jpg) [http://www.liskerrett.co.uk/filmsociety/sunrise.jpg](http://www.liskerrett.co.uk/filmsociety/sunrise.jpg) [http://docfilms.uchicago.edu/docfilms/06\_media/2008-03\_images/06Week/murnau\_sunrise\_1.jpeg](http://docfilms.uchicago.edu/docfilms/06_media/2008-03_images/06Week/murnau_sunrise_1.jpeg) [http://blogs.suntimes.com/scanners/os11.jpg](http://blogs.suntimes.com/scanners/os11.jpg) [![](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_BJ4HxBGz2IM/SLoXCdstRwI/AAAAAAAAAaE/YEMovccG7Dg/s400/Night+of+the+Hunter+23) ](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_BJ4HxBGz2IM/SLoXCdstRwI/AAAAAAAAAaE/YEMovccG7Dg/s400/Night+of+the+Hunter+23) [![](https://billsmovieemporium.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/sunrise2.jpg) ](https://billsmovieemporium.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/sunrise2.jpg) [http://movieimage6.tripod.com/misc/sunrise1.jpg](http://movieimage6.tripod.com/misc/sunrise1.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2009, 11:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-beautiful-looking-film/508460/10 "2009-09-01T11:27:32Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/face_intentionally_left_blank/32/288_2.png) [@Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Face_Intentionally_Left_Blank)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2009, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-beautiful-looking-film/508460/11 "2009-09-01T12:07:53Z")
_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. ---
**Author:** ![Promethea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Promethea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Promethea)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2009, 12:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-beautiful-looking-film/508460/12 "2009-09-01T12:08:34Z")
> [@Steampunk\_Willie](#): > > 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.? 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. > [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](#): > > The wide [landscape](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZxBFRfYiDNE) shots from Lawrence of Arabia are always good to look at. 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. > [@lissener](#): > > [http://daily.greencine.com/archives/murnau-sunrise.jpg](http://daily.greencine.com/archives/murnau-sunrise.jpg) > [http://3.bp.blogspot.com/\_lj0cVJ5xcfQ/SKL7ZmVQyHI/AAAAAAAAAjA/GffPltHQF0U/s400/sunrise1.jpg](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_lj0cVJ5xcfQ/SKL7ZmVQyHI/AAAAAAAAAjA/GffPltHQF0U/s400/sunrise1.jpg) > [http://www.liskerrett.co.uk/filmsociety/sunrise.jpg](http://www.liskerrett.co.uk/filmsociety/sunrise.jpg) > [http://docfilms.uchicago.edu/docfilms/06\_media/2008-03\_images/06Week/murnau\_sunrise\_1.jpeg](http://docfilms.uchicago.edu/docfilms/06_media/2008-03_images/06Week/murnau_sunrise_1.jpeg) > [http://blogs.suntimes.com/scanners/os11.jpg](http://blogs.suntimes.com/scanners/os11.jpg) > [http://3.bp.blogspot.com/\_BJ4HxBGz2IM/SLoXCdstRwI/AAAAAAAAAaE/YEMovccG7Dg/s400/Night+of+the+Hunter+23](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_BJ4HxBGz2IM/SLoXCdstRwI/AAAAAAAAAaE/YEMovccG7Dg/s400/Night+of+the+Hunter+23) > [http://billsmovieemporium.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/sunrise2.jpg](http://billsmovieemporium.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/sunrise2.jpg) > [http://movieimage6.tripod.com/misc/sunrise1.jpg](http://movieimage6.tripod.com/misc/sunrise1.jpg) 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. ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2009, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-beautiful-looking-film/508460/13 "2009-09-01T12:24:37Z")
I have a soft spot for \*[The Red Shoes](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0040725/). \* 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. ---
**Author:** ![LC\_Strawhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e19adc/32.png) [@LC\_Strawhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LC_Strawhouse)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2009, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-beautiful-looking-film/508460/14 "2009-09-01T13:21:19Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![ivan\_astikov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@ivan\_astikov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivan_astikov)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2009, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-beautiful-looking-film/508460/15 "2009-09-01T13:27:47Z")
[The Fall](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0460791/) would be in my top 100 - wonderful imagery and settings, and not a bad tale either. From imdb - > [@](#): > > Of course, as expected with Tarsem Singh as a director the film is visually stunning, featuring Baraka-like eye candy, which in itself deserves rave reviews and as a subsidiary to the story creates something quite spectacular. ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2009, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-beautiful-looking-film/508460/16 "2009-09-01T13:35:01Z")
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! ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2009, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-beautiful-looking-film/508460/17 "2009-09-01T13:36:25Z")
I was glad I saw _Great Expectations_ (the one with Ethan Hawke) in the theater. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2009, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-beautiful-looking-film/508460/18 "2009-09-01T13:48:55Z")
I quite like the movies _Hero_ and _Curse of the Golden Flower_, visually. ---
**Author:** ![Ronald\_C.Semone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/cc9497/32.png) [@Ronald\_C.Semone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ronald_C.Semone)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2009, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-beautiful-looking-film/508460/19 "2009-09-01T13:56:00Z")
_The Umbrellas of Cherbourg_ with _Elvira Madigan_ being a close second. ---
**Author:** ![mack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mack)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2009, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-beautiful-looking-film/508460/20 "2009-09-01T13:57:52Z")
Bertolucci’s **The Last Emperor** , if only for the scenes filmed in the Forbidden City. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-beautiful-looking-film/508460.md?page=2)