The great cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond died last week at 85. He was known as a champion of natural light in filmmaking, a major contribution that he and fellow Hungarian László Kovács brought to Hollywood in the late 1960s. Zsigmond shot The Deer Hunter, Deliverance and Close Encounters of the Third Kind. He was nominated for four Oscars, and won for Close Encounters.
Zsigmond shot The Sugarland Express, Steven Spielberg’s first theatrical feature (Duel was a TV movie) and worked with directors Robert Altman, Woody Allen, Brian De Palma and even Jack Nicholson (The Two Jakes). Yet he may best known among cinephiles for his groundbreaking and artistically risky work in McCabe & Mrs. Miller and Heaven’s Gate (two movies that I otherwise don’t care for). He was even on the all-star camera crew for the prototype concert movie The Last Waltz.
To celebrate Zsigmond, this week I am recommending two DVDs – one of his overlooked masterpieces and a film ABOUT his art. First, there’s the 1971 Western directed by Peter Fonda, The Hired Hand. This is a moody, captivating and underrated film – and it looks great, thanks to Zsigmond. The Hired Hand is available on DVD from Netflix.
Second, Zsgimond is one of the artists discussing the art of cinematography in the excellent 1992 documentary Visions of Light; it’s a Must Watch for movie fans. Visions of Light is also available on Netflix DVD. Zsigmond also appears in the fine documentary on 1970s auteur-driven cinema Easy Riders, Raging Bulls: How the Sex, Drugs and Rock ‘N’ Roll Generation Saved Hollywood.
I recommend this fine piece from Sheila O’Malley on Zsigmond, along with the excellent links contained therein.
Scroll down this page for some samples of Vilmos Zsigmond’s imagery.
