15 films that changed cinematography

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Pictures that have become a breakthrough in the construction of the plot, the quality of filming and special effects.

1. Battleship "Potemkin"

• USSR, 1925.
• Drama, historical.
• Duration: 75 minutes.
• IMDb: 8, 0.

The epic film by Sergei Eisenstein tells about a real event - the uprising on the battleship "Prince Potemkin" in 1905. Outraged by the poor quality food, the sailors seized the ship. Later, the rebellious mood spread to the inhabitants of Odessa. The story ended with the shooting of civilians.

Eisenstein has earned the reputation of an experimenter in cinema. And in the film "Battleship Potemkin" "there are amazing visual effects for that time, for example, the stone lions come to life.

But the director's main achievement in this film is masterly work with angles and editing. The atmosphere is created using close-ups and showing the same event from different angles. These techniques completely immerse the viewer in what is happening.

It is the finds from "Battleship Potemkin" that have been used for many years by directors, cameramen and editors almost all over the world.

2. Jazz singer

• USA, 1927.
• Musical, drama, comedy.
• Duration: 88 minutes.
• IMDb: 6, 5.

Jackie Rabinovich dreams of performing jazz. But he comes from a Jewish church singer's family, and his family is against his musical career. A comedy star in love with him helps the hero break through.

This picture opened the era of sound films. Previously, films used only inserts with musical numbers or background sounds. In "The Jazz Singer", scenes with the actors' speech appeared for the first time. In total, they are about two minutes long, not counting a few songs. However, from that moment on, silent films are gradually becoming a thing of the past.

It is ironic that the first line spoken in this tape was the phrase: "Wait, you haven't heard anything yet."

3. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

• USA, 1937.
• Fairy tale, musical.
• Duration: 83 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 6.

The adaptation of the famous fairy tale from the Walt Disney studio tells about the princess Snow White, whom her evil stepmother wanted to kill. The girl had to flee to the forest, where she was sheltered by seven dwarfs who worked in a diamond mine.

Sometimes this cartoon is called the first full-length animated film. In fact, back in 1917, the Argentinean animator Quirino Cristiani created the satirical film Apostle, which lasted about 70 minutes. Nevertheless, this does not detract from the merits of "Snow White" at all. After all, she showed that children are able to sit out in the cinema for almost an hour and a half.

In addition, the cartoon was a technical breakthrough: Disney studio used innovative technologies to make the drawn characters look as much like real people as possible. Before that, each movement of the hero consisted of ten intermediate frames. In Snow White, the number was doubled and the picture became smoother. In addition, for the sake of realism, sighs, swings and other small gestures were added.

The huge investments (about one and a half million dollars) paid off with interest. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs not only helped to strengthen the company's financial position, but also opened the way for other full-length cartoons, which later became famous for Disney.

4. Citizen Kane

• United States, 1941.
• Drama.
• Duration: 119 minutes.
• IMDb: 8, 3.

Newspaper tycoon Charles Foster Kane dies in his home while uttering the word rosebud. The death of such a famous person causes a violent reaction from the public, and the journalist Thompson is tasked with sorting out his past.

Director Orson Welles is another experimenter in the world of cinema. His Citizen Kane ushered in an era of independent films, filmed according to the director's vision, without the influence of studio producers on the creative process.

Equally important, Wells moved away from the traditional linear form of storytelling in this film. Citizen Kane is filled with flashbacks that gradually reveal the protagonist's past. Without this film, there would certainly not have been the work of Quentin Tarantino, Martin Scorsese and many other famous directors.

5. Seven samurai

• Japan, 1954.
• Drama, adventure.
• Duration: 207 minutes.
• IMDb: 8, 6.

Japan of the 16th century. To protect the village from the constant raids of a gang of marauders, the residents hire an experienced samurai. He gathers a team of seven and helps everyone rally against a common enemy.

Akira Kurosawa's classic film has become the prototype for many action films. Echoes are evident in the explicit remake of The Magnificent Seven and other westerns, as well as in Star Wars. The thing is that Kurosawa touched on topics that are relevant at all times.

In addition, the director created a reference scheme for plotting and revealing characters, which is still used today. In "Seven Samurai" important characters are gradually introduced, then their conflicts and attempts to find a common language are shown. Heroes communicate with representatives of another class, prepare for the main battle and, finally, come into confrontation with the villains.

References to this sequence of events can be found in dozens of films, from the Soviet film Only Old Men Go to Battle to Marvel's The Avengers.

6. Psycho

• USA, 1960.
• Thriller, detective.
• Duration: 109 minutes.
• IMDb: 8, 5.

Marion Crane spontaneously steals money at work and leaves town. On the way, she stops at a motel. It is run by Norman Bates, a pleasant young man who has a very strange relationship with his mother.

Alfred Hitchcock is called the master of suspense for a reason. "Psycho" paved the way for a whole direction of horror and thrillers, where a dark atmosphere is pumped up with close-ups, shadows and slowing down the pace. The influence of the film is felt in both Stanley Kubrick's The Shining and Ari Astaire's Solstice.

In addition, "Psycho" is considered one of the progenitors of cinematic plots with a sharp twist in the finale, as well as the predecessor of slashers - a subgenre of horror films in which a maniac kills teenagers.

7. Eight and a half

• Italy, France, 1963.
• Drama.
• Duration: 138 minutes.
• IMDb: 8, 0.

Director Guido Anselmi is planning to shoot a new film. Everything is ready to start working, but the author realizes that he is disappointed in life and is in a creative dead end. Guido cannot think of a future picture in any way and often plunges into fantasies.

The cult film by Federico Fellini is a real ode to imagination, destroying the edges of reality. The director was one of the first to move away from a logical, coherent story, allowing the viewer to decide what actually happens on the screen.

This structure gives the author more scope for self-expression. Thanks to this film, many films by David Lynch, Darren Aronofsky and other independent directors who love surrealism and the "logic of sleep" were released.

8.2001: A Space Odyssey

• USA, UK, 1968.
• Science fiction, thriller.
• Duration: 162 minutes.
• IMDb: 8, 3.

In prehistoric times, the black monolith turns Australopithecus into humans. Millions of years later, mankind finds a similar stone on the Moon, sending a powerful signal somewhere in the region of Jupiter. The research ship Discovery is sent there. However, the HAL 9000 on-board computer has its own instructions.

Stanley Kubrick's film was a breakthrough in terms of visual effects. The director very scrupulously worked out every detail, even used models of ships of different sizes in the shooting. In the final scene, when the hero is experiencing a psychedelic experience during the flight, a new technique was used for the first time: the frames were shot through a narrow slit in the lens cover, and then glued together, creating a deformed image.

In addition, Stanley Kubrick has released a film that is completely atypical for science fiction. This is a philosophical film with an ambiguous plot that viewers can interpret in their own way. Quotes from "A Space Odyssey" can be seen in movies to this day. For example, in Interstellar or the 2019 painting To the Stars.

9. Jaws

• USA, 1975.
• Horror, thriller.
• Duration: 124 minutes.
• IMDb: 8, 0.

The sheriff of the local police discovers the remains of a girl on the shore, who was torn to pieces by a huge white shark. Every day the number of victims is growing, but the city administration does not dare to notify residents of the danger. Then the sheriff teams up with a shark hunter and oceanographer. Together they want to catch the monster.

Steven Spielberg was not the first to make a movie about creepy animals. And cool special effects were created before him. Yet it was this tape that became the first real blockbuster. With a budget of only 7 million at the US box office, she earned more than 200. After the release of Jaws, blockbusters were singled out as an independent genre: these films, by design, should cause a stir and collect a huge box office.

However, Spielberg's merit is not only this. The trailer was the real revolution. Thanks to the short version of the picture, potential viewers were able to feel what awaits them in the cinema.

10. Star Wars: Episode 4 - A New Hope

• USA, 1977.
• Science fiction, action, adventure.
• Duration: 121 minutes.
• IMDb: 8, 6.

A distant galaxy is suffering under the oppression of the cruel emperor and his companion Darth Vader. The resistance is almost broken, but the rebels have a new hope - a young Jedi named Luke Skywalker.

Aspiring director George Lucas has collected many traditional subjects in the film. There are echoes of Kurosawa's films, westerns, comics and even the hero's way. At the same time, the film is presented in the form of a spectacular blockbuster.

Lucas invented new techniques for shooting, for example, motion control - repeating the movement of the camera along the same trajectory. This allowed us to make scenes with computer effects more dynamic. The result was spectacular spaceship battles, lightsaber fights, and a host of bizarre robots.

Another merit of Star Wars is that they made science fiction easier and more understandable for children and adolescents.

11. Ghostbusters

• USA, 1984.
• Comedy, fantasy.
• Duration: 105 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 8.

New Yorkers are increasingly encountering ghosts. Therefore, enthusiastic scientists begin to fight the supernatural threat.

Ghostbusters are a perfect mix of comedy, fantasy and even horror, and the action develops very quickly. This brought success and allowed the audience to lure into the cinemas that were empty in the summer.

So 10 years after "Jaws" the first "summer blockbuster" appeared, that is, a light and positive film with vivid characters, a dynamic plot and a sea of humor.

12. Pulp Fiction

• USA, 1994.
• Crime, comedy.
• Duration: 154 minutes.
• IMDb: 8, 9.

Vincent Vega and Jules Winfield discuss personal affairs, cultural differences and divine intervention. And at the same time they carry out the orders of their boss Marcellus Wallace. At the same time, boxer Butch confronts the head of the mafia himself, trying to escape from the agreed match.

Quentin Tarantino's second directorial work is a perfect example of postmodern cinema. A fairly simple plot is presented non-linearly, and criminal themes are mixed with numerous jokes. But most importantly, the film is literally packed with quotes and references to classic cinema.

The fact is that in his youth, Tarantino worked in video distribution. Having decided to take up directing, he simply transferred to the screens everything that he himself loved. After him, this technique became very popular, remember at least the series "Stranger Things".

13. Toy story

• USA, 1995.
• Comedy, adventure.
• Duration: 81 minutes.
• IMDb: 8, 3.

Andy Davis' toys come to life as he leaves. The boy's favorite has always been the mechanical cowboy Woody. But now the fashionable astronaut Buzz Lightyear has appeared in the room, and Woody has something to worry about.

The release of Toy Story in 1995 revolutionized animation. The Pixar movie was the first 3D cartoon entirely created on a computer.

Plus, Pixar has changed its approach to content. Completely atypical characters have proven that you can do without the usual Disney princesses and songs in full-length films. The plot of "Toy Stories" is interesting for both adults and children. It was this picture that became the harbinger of "Shrek", "Ice Age" and "Zootopia".

14. Matrix

• USA, Australia, 1999.
• Science fiction, thriller.
• Duration: 136 minutes.
• IMDb: 8, 7.

Thomas Anderson leads a double life. During the day he works in the most ordinary office, and at night he turns into a legendary hacker named Neo. But one day the hero finds out that the whole familiar world is just a computer simulation. It is Thomas who will become the chosen one, who will save people from the power of machines.

The Wachowski sisters' film contains classic cyberpunk plots: doubts about the reality of the world, the decline of society against the background of the development of technology, and much more. However, The Matrix managed to combine them with cool action and martial arts.

The main advantage of the picture was the shooting. The Wachowskis improved and popularized the bullet time technology, which allowed the camera to seem to fly around the actors who were frozen during a fight. After the release of the film, such scenes were often used in blockbusters.

15. Avatar

• USA, 2009.
• Science fiction, action, adventure.
• Duration: 162 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 8.

Jake Sully is a former Marine who is confined to a wheelchair. Instead of his brother, he ends up on the planet Pandora, where earthlings extract a valuable mineral. Jake learns to transfer his consciousness into an avatar - an artificial creature that looks like the natives of the Na'vi. But people's actions are disastrous.

Until the release of The Avengers: Endgame, this particular film by James Cameron remained the highest-grossing blockbuster in history. And this is quite logical. First, Cameron developed 3D technology, and the audience seemed to be on a fictional planet.

And secondly, he was one of the first to create such realistic facial animation on a computer. During filming, the director saw in real time how the characters would look after programmed processing. This made it possible to combine vivid human emotions and the faces of aliens. Now this technology is often used in science fiction cinema.