Wednesday, May 30, 2007

owen roizman, cinematographer

owen roizman (1936-)

one of the most respected new york cinematographers (born in brooklyn) and son of a newsreel cameraman. known for his street realism, and low-light photography on such films as the french connection, the taking of pelham one two three, the exorcist, three days of the condor and straight time. certainly one of the finest contributors to seventies cinema.

the french connection 1971 (d. william friedkin):





the taking of pelham one two three 1974 (d. joseph sargent):
(see my train blog for more images)





wonderful reflections (director/dp?), like an atget photograph





reminds me of ernie gehr's still, 1969-71

bank robbery from straight time 1978 (d. ulu grosbard) with harry dean stanton:






"then stop looking at me motherfucker i'll blow your goddamn face off"



straight time with m emmet walsh in hotel room:



"if your clean you don't got nothing to worry about"

some films:
-the french connection 1971 (d. william friedkin)
-play it again, sam 1972 (d. herbert ross)
-the exorcist 1973 (d. william friedkin)
-the taking of pelham one two three 1974 (d. joseph sargent)
-three days of the condor 1975 (d. sydney pollack)
-network 1976 (d. sidney lumet)
-straight time 1978 (d. ulu grosbard)
-absence of malice 1981 (d. sydney pollack)

books:
-masters of light, univ. of california press. i highly recommend this book, the interview with roizman being one of the betters.

4 comments:

woolgathersome said...

The Taking of Pelham One Two Three and Straight Time - two of my favorites!!!! Well, you know, I am really obssessed with 70s cinema....

Have you seen California Split, Last of the Red Hot Lovers, Little Murders, Rafferty and the Gold Dust Twins, Diary of a Mad Housewife, Rancho Deluxe, Cockfighter, Lovestreams or Junior Bonner... Some of my favorite 70s... If you've not seen Junior Bonner, go and get it right now... really brilliantly 70s, in the best sense... quiet, gritty...

I've never seen Pocket Money or Deadhead Miles - both written by Terrence Malick and made in 1972, but I bet they're amazing...

woolgathersome said...

Oh, oh, another amazing 70s film with Robert Duvall is Tomorrow... Quiet and melancholy for you...

the art of memory said...

haven't seen all of them (thanks though, i will see the missing ones), i love junior bonner and tomorrow, great films.
california split, cockfighter, 2 of my favourites for sure and lovestreams, my god,
you know the 40s and 70s are surely the 2 best decades for film.
what would the world be without structural film, westerns and the seventies?
are people obssessed with the decade they are born into?

woolgathersome said...

I think I'd love 70s cinema even if I wasn't born in the 70s... It just has this wonderful quiet atmosphere that I adore...