Roger Deakins, a legendary cinematographer, finally won an Oscar in 2018—after being nominated 14 times. Absurd. Blasphemous.
What makes Deakins so great? He’s less showy than, say, Emmanuel Lubezki, opting to go instead for balances between light and darkness. He can build tension using shadows and manipulated light. Deakins is a mood-setter, always opting for natural and practical lighting, and, best of all, innovative color palettes.
Deakins, 76, out promoting his new book, Reflections, has not worked on a film since 2022’s “Empire of Light,” but he has already built a formidable filmography that arguably cements his status as the greatest living cinematographer—or at the very least, places him among the very best.
Here are 10 shots that prove his genius.
“The Wallpapered Hallway” Barton Fink, 1991
Barton Fink, a hypnotic satire on Hollywood, marked Deakins’ first collaboration with the Coens. It builds a world of dread that resonates through every wallpapered hallway and cramped room. The shot above is just one of many hallway scenes that takes your breath away. Deakins devotes meticulous attention to these corridors, heightening every claustrophobic moment and drawing us into the psyche of John Turturro’s Hollywood scribe. Time will never erase the image of a hell-sent John Goodman unleashing fiery brimstone in the flame-drenched hallway.
“The Great Escape” O Brother Where Art Thou?, 2000
Another Coens collaboration—a visually striking film—was heavily edited and altered in post-production using digital technology. In fact, it’s one of the very first films to undergo that process. The movie achieves a beautiful, rustic style, developed after the footage was shot on film, transferred to digital, and then re-transferred back to film. The result is a riot of vibrant colors that leap off the screen, immersing us in the 21st century through the eyes of three outrageous escaped convicts in the 1930s Deep South.
“The Chalkboard Equation” A Serious Man, 2009
This underrated Coens masterpiece is their oddly affecting take on the story of Job. The entire film functions like an equation, charting a man’s misery and his struggle to understand why he has been cursed with such terrible luck and sorrow. The equation, of course, is too otherworldly to solve—if it even exists—as illustrated by this striking frame in which Larry, the guilt-ridden Minnesota professor, attempts to find the meaning of life through a seemingly endless formula. The point is that there is no point, and this image hits even harder once you realize that for yourself.
“The Interrogation” The Man Who Wasn’t There, 2001
When Deakins shoots in black and white, you know it’s going to be a total visual feast. “The Man Who Wasn’t There” is an underrated Coen beauty, encompassing every possible film noir trope—but twisted into a distinctly Coen-esque visionary nightmare. Deakins elevates the overtly stylish surroundings to sheer perfection, using every smoke-filled frame to evoke the golden age of Hollywood, when black-and-white cinematography was an art form in itself. Back then, cinematographers constantly tried to outdo one another with inventive uses of light and shadow—and Deakins proves he could have held his own in that era.
“Sunset” The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, 2007
This 2007 classic is one of the last features Deakins shot on film; ever since, he has fully transitioned to digital. It’s hard to pick just one image from Andrew Dominik’s masterpiece, as it ranks among the most beautifully photographed movies of the 21st century. The train station shadow-and-smoke scene is another iconic moment, but for my money, nothing beats this gorgeous frame in which Brad Pitt’s Jesse James looks over the sunset, contemplating his next move. It’s an eerie, evocative shot that once again demonstrates Deakins’ mastery of capturing the first light of day (cue “Sicario” for another stunning sunrise/sunset moment).
“Eve and WALL-E” WALL-E, 2008
Director Andrew Stanton and his “WALL•E” team repeatedly turned to Deakins for his vision on how the film’s first act could feel live-action. Consulting Deakins meant the animators were exploring new ways to manipulate light. His imprint on the dialogue-free first 20 minutes is unmistakable—the visual aesthetic is breathtaking, and the use of varied colors and lighting schemes demonstrates just how powerfully visual an animated film can be.
“The Japanese Jellyfish” Skyfall, 2012
“Skyfall” is by far the best-shot Bond film. Its images simmer, making the movie a truly cinematic and enticing treat to behold. It’s no wonder many consider “Skyfall” one of the best Bond films. Send Deakins to shoot a movie in Japan, and you’ll end up with one hell of a finished product. The imagery that stuck with me most is the Shanghai office interior, where James Bond intercepts Patrice, a hired assassin relentlessly pursuing 007. Their fight, shot in silhouette against distinctive neon-blue signage, features a prominent jellyfish floating in the background.
“Freedom” The Shawshank Redemption, 1994
Deakins earned his first Oscar nomination for “The Shawshank Redemption.” A film that began as a decently reviewed prison drama has since become a stone-cold classic. That famous shot of Andy escaping from the prison, arms outstretched as the rain pours down—yes, the moment so powerful it ended up on the poster—wasn’t originally part of the plan. Or at least, that’s what Deakins says.
“Ready for War” Sicario, 2015
It seems Deakins has developed a real affinity for Denis Villeneuve. They have collaborated on “Prisoners,” “Sicario,” and “Blade Runner 2049.” “Sicario” feels as much like Deakins’ film as it does Villeneuve’s. Following FBI agent Emily Blunt, the movie sees Deakins returning to a landscape reminiscent of “No Country for Old Men.” The clean, saturated colors might represent his best digital work to date. Shots of danger-filled Mexico City and empty, isolated deserts showcase Deakins’ extraordinary talent. Yet the finale lingers in the mind: Villeneuve and Deakins follow their soldiers into the field of battle, the sunset casting their silhouetted bodies in haunting light.
“Hello There,” Blade Runner 2049
Since I limited it to one shot per movie we’ll have to settle with this time-capsule worthy one from “Blade Runner 2049.” And what a shot it is. Taking place near the tail end of the film, this poetic shot of a hologram pointing its finger at Ryan Goslin’s Officer K is nothing short of stunning. The color palette being used by Deakins is strikingly trippy but there’s a certain kind of melancholic sadness to it all as K roams the streets of a Dystopian world that has lost a firm grip of itself amidst the stranglehold of government and the censorship of speech.
Hill, coming off the miserable reviews for this year's “Outcome,” now has yet another film destined for a long delay. This time, it's “Cut Off,” his third directorial effort, which was set to hit theaters this July