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What is the best film shot by Gordon Willis?

by YPB Team

The Prince of Darkness lit gangster epics, neurotic New York comedies and paranoid thrillers with the same fearless command of shadow. From sepia-soaked sagas to stark black-and-white, which frame wins? Cast your vote!

  1. The Godfather — ranked #11
    The Godfather
    Francis Ford Coppola's 1972 crime epic, famed for Willis's shadowy, amber-toned 'prince of darkness' lighting.
    1000pts
  2. The Godfather Part II — ranked #22
    The Godfather Part II
    Coppola's 1974 sequel, where Willis's sepia period scenes and chiaroscuro deepened the saga's visual language.
    724pts
  3. The Parallax View — ranked #33
    The Parallax View
    Pakula's 1974 paranoia thriller, noted for Willis's bold compositions and ominous use of negative space.
    611pts
  4. Zelig — ranked #44
    Zelig
    Allen's 1983 mockumentary, where Willis painstakingly recreated vintage newsreel and photographic styles.
    597pts
  5. Interiors — ranked #55
    Interiors
    Allen's austere 1978 drama, lit by Willis in cool, muted tones echoing Ingmar Bergman.
    596pts
  6. The Godfather Part III — ranked #66
    The Godfather Part III
    The 1990 conclusion to the trilogy, with Willis returning to complete the family's operatic saga.
    517pts
  7. Pennies from Heaven — ranked #77
    Pennies from Heaven
    The 1981 musical drama whose lavish, painterly imagery earned Willis an Oscar nomination.
    423pts
  8. Klute — ranked #88
    Klute
    Alan J. Pakula's 1971 neo-noir thriller, an early showcase of Willis's daring use of darkness and shadow.
    423pts
  9. All the President's Men — ranked #99
    All the President's Men
    The 1976 Watergate thriller, where Willis used deep focus and stark fluorescent light to evoke newsroom realism.
    423pts
  10. Presumed Innocent — ranked #1010
    Presumed Innocent
    Pakula's 1990 legal thriller starring Harrison Ford, given a tense, shadowed look by Willis.
    423pts
  11. Broadway Danny Rose — ranked #1111
    Broadway Danny Rose
    Allen's 1984 comedy shot in grainy black-and-white, a warm character study lensed by Willis.
    423pts
  12. Manhattan — ranked #1212
    Manhattan
    Allen's 1979 black-and-white love letter to New York, among Willis's most celebrated cinematography.
    310pts
  13. Annie Hall — ranked #1313
    Annie Hall
    Woody Allen's 1977 romantic comedy, lit by Willis with naturalistic intimacy that won Best Picture.
    0pts
  14. The Purple Rose of Cairo — ranked #1414
    The Purple Rose of Cairo
    Allen's 1985 fantasy about a film character stepping off the screen, glowingly photographed by Willis.
    0pts

#movies654#classics486#cinematography6#gordon willis1

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