The Best Cinematography of the 21st Century
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The technology of cinematography has undergone some of the most seismic shifts in film history this century, with what began in the 2000s as an almost entirely photochemical process transforming into the digitally captured, manipulated, and projected images of today. The art of cinematography, however — using light, color, and texture to express ideas and elicit emotional reactions from the audience — remains intact.
In 2017, IndieWire made a list of the best shot feature films of the century thus far; the list was updated in 2020, and what follows is the third and most extensive version of the list. It’s also the first to be spearheaded by the IndieWire Craft team, which has grown considerably since this list was first published. Ranking cinematography is, in some ways, a fool’s errand given the broad variety of genres, resources, and intentions encompassed by the films below, but these are 60 titles that IndieWire believes will stand the test of time.
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3 new
Fa yeung nin wah
2000 — a.k.a. In the Mood for Love, in 30 top lists Check -
8 new
The Immigrant
2013, in 3 top lists Check -
15 new
Ah-ga-ssi
2016 — a.k.a. The Handmaiden, in 13 top lists Check -
16 new
Carol
2015, in 8 top lists Check -
32 new
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
2004, in 28 top lists Check -
50 new
Le fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain
2001 — a.k.a. Amélie, in 27 top lists Check -
65 new
Birth
2004, in 3 top lists Check -
67 new
Bright Star
2009, in 4 top lists Check -
75 new
The Fountain
2006, in 4 top lists Check -
79 new
Her
2013, in 10 top lists Check -
87 new
Se, jie
2007 — a.k.a. Lust, Caution, in 5 top lists Check
Last updated on Aug 20, 2023; source