Why We Should Know Who John Toll Is

When watching Braveheart or Almost Famous, have you ever paused the movie, looked at your screen and thought 'if this were a painting, it would be gorgeous'? Maybe not, but I highly recommend trying it next time. The other night I watched Legends of the Fall  and thought "My god, this movie is beautiful." It seemed like every shot was a work of art. I feel like if I were to watch this film on mute (or maybe only accompanied by the equally beautiful score provided by James Horner), I would enjoy it to the same effect. Even when I watched Tropical Thunder for the fourth time and thought "This was funnier the third time," I can't help but follow that statement with "But man, this just looks incredible."

So what do these movies have in common? Why do they all look so stunning, regardless of content? The answer: John Toll. The cinematographer. When making a movie, everyone has their job. The screenwriter creates the story, the actors portray the characters in that story, the director organizes everyone so it all makes sense eventually, and the producer makes sure he'll get his money back. So who controls how the actual image looks? For the movies previously mentioned, this is John Toll's job. Color, lighting, framing; these are all things the director or producer or screenwriter recommends, but the cinematographer ultimately delivers.

I'll spare this from being a glamorous article filled with magnificent descriptions that only convey some artistic appreciation. I would much rather just point out that when you're watching a movie, and you think "Dude, this looks awesome," and your friends ask how the movie was, you can safely say "Dude, the cinematography was kickass." And give some credit where credit's due.

from The Thin Red Line (1998)

And if you do find yourself saying, or even just thinking that more often than not, I highly recommend a film where the cinematography was done by John Toll. He won an Academy Award in 1994 for Legends of the Fall and again in 1995 for Braveheart, and nominated for The Thin Red Line in 1998. He combines well-constructed shots (meaning the actors are placed somewhere in the shot that makes sense and looks proportionate) and beautiful color palates so that each scene looks like a work of art. If you enjoy that kind of thing, take this article as a recommendation and a dare. Next time you watch a film done by John Toll, I dare you to pause the film, imagine you're looking at  that still frame on a wall in a museum, and try not to be impressed.

For more on John Toll, check out John Toll's IMDB

For more  Movies To Love, check out MoviesToLove by James Knapp

Just to Name a Few
If you like John Toll, you should check out these cinematographers: Gregg Toland (Citizen Kane, 1941), Nester Almendros (Days of Heaven, 1978), Roman Osin (Pride and Prejudice, 2005)

What's Interesting About 'The Shining'?

Almost everyone is familiar with Stanley Kubrick's horror classic The Shining. Jack Nicholson and axes and "Here's Johnny." All great stuff. But there's more to this film then Nicholson creeping the hell out of everyone. The next time you watch it, keep your eyes centered in the middle of the screen. You'll notice throughout almost the entire film everything is framed in the middle of the shot. From Scatman Crothers to the wave of blood getting off at the 2nd floor, everything is centered. Look at the two little girls above. Right in the middle.

This, of course, is no accident. Kubrick purposely framed the film like this. Here's why: It's weird. Traditional editing and framing techniques are designed to make cuts between shots seamless. We are not meant to notice when one shot cuts to another. In The Shining, however, the cuts are obvious. Our eyes never have to leave the center of the screen. Using a traditional cut (i.e. following the eye line of the character and repositioning the image) is relatively unnoticeable, making the viewer more comfortable while watching the film. Doing the opposite is awkward, and makes the viewer particularly uncomfortable. It just isn't smooth. And Kubrick uses this technique to make the viewer as uncomfortable as possible. Awesome.

Also, a shot of a character placed in the center of the frame, then cut to another character placed in the center of the frame is going to result in the two characters staring directly at the audience. Their eyelines are looking center frame to center frame. I personally don't want any of the characters in The Shining looking directly at me. What if a scene in a movie was of one Mona Lisa talking to another Mona Lisa? Creepy, right? That's the affect Kubrick achieved.

These elements bother the audience subconsciously, making an already disturbing image (maybe of two little girls bloodied and hacked to pieces in a hallway?) into a scene that leaves the viewer unsettled in every way possible. Well done, Mr. Kubrick. Well Done.

For more on The Shining, check it out on IMDB http://bit.ly/tKLqY

For more Movies to Love, check out www.jamesknapp.blogspot.com