Oscars 2015 Category Breakdown: Best Cinematography
Every year before the Oscars I break down each of the 24 categories. I do this to familiarize everyone with the category, how it works, what its history is, how it usually turns out, and also as a precursor to my picks article, allowing me to get most of the heavy lifting out of the way beforehand.
How these work is — I go over each category’s history, give you all the previous winners and nominees, then list the current year’s nominees. And then I’ll go over how each of the guilds (if there is a corresponding guild) have went, and how that corresponds to the Oscars (some guilds mean a lot to how a category will play out. Others mean nothing). It’s basically everything you need to know in order to make an informed decision when you make your picks on Oscar night. And then I also rank the nominees at the end in terms of where I see them in terms of their likelihood to win.
Today is Best Cinematography. Roger Deakins has never won this category.
Year | Best Cinematography Winners | Other Nominees |
1927-1928 | Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans | The Devil Dancer
The Magic Flame Sadie Thompson |
1928-1929 | White Shadows in the South Seas | The Divine Lady
4 Devils In Old Arizona Our Dancing Daughters Street Angel |
1929-1930 | With Byrd at the South Pole | All Quiet on the Western Front
Anna Christie Hell’s Angels The Love Parade |
1930-1931 | Tabu: A Story of the South Seas | Cimarron
Morocco The Right to Love Svengali |
1931-1932 | Shanghai Express | Arrowsmith
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde |
1932-1933 | A Farewell to Arms | Reunion in Vienna
The Sign of the Cross |
1934 | Cleopatra | The Affairs of Cellini
Operator 13 |
1935 | A Midsummer Night’s Dream | Barbary Coast
The Crusades Les Misérables |
1936 | Anthony Adverse | The General Died at Dawn
The Gorgeous Hussy |
1937 | The Good Earth | Dead End
Wings Over Honolulu |
1938 | The Great Waltz | Algiers
Army Girl The Buccaneer Jezebel Mad About Music Suez Vivacious Lady You Can’t Take It With You The Young in Heart |
1939 | Black and White: Wuthering Heights
Color: Gone With the Wind |
Black and White: First Love
The Great Victor Herbert Gunga Din Intermezzo: A Love Story Juraez Lady of the Tropics Only Angels Have Wings Stagecoach The Rains Came Color: Drums Along the Mohawk The Four Feathers The Mikado The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex The Wizard of Oz |
1940 | Black and White: Rebecca
Color: The Thief of Bagdad |
Black and White: Abe Lincoln in Illinois
All This, and Heaven Too Arise, My Love Boom Town Foreign Correspondent The Letter The Long Voyage Home Spring Parade Waterloo Bridge Color: Bitter Sweet The Blue Bird Down Argentine Way North West Mounted Police Northwest Passage |
1941 | Black and White: How Green Was My Valley
Color: Blood and Sand |
Black and White: The Chocolate Soldier
Citizen Kane Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Here Comes Mr. Jordan Hold Back the Dawn Sergeant York Sun Valley Serenade Sundown That Hamilton Woman Color: Aloma of the South Seas Billy the Kid Blossoms in the Dust Dive Bomber Louisiana Purchase |
1942 | Black and White: Mrs. Miniver
Color: The Black Swan |
Black and White: Kings Row
The Magnificent Ambersons Moontide The Pied Piper The Pride of the Yankees Take a Letter, Darling The Talk of the Town Ten Gentlemen from West Point This Above All Color: Arabian Nights Captains of the Clouds Jungle Book Reap the Wild Wind To the Shores of Tripoli |
1943 | Black and White: The Song of Bernadette
Color: Phantom of the Opera |
Black and White: Air Force
Casablanca Corvette K-225 Five Graves to Cairo The Human Comedy Madame Curie The North Star Sahara So Proudly We Hail! Color: For Whom the Bell Tolls Heaven Can Wait Hello, Frisco, Hello Lassie Come Home Thousands Cheer |
1944 | Black and White: Laura
Color: Wilson |
Black and White: Double Indemnity
Dragon Seed Gaslight Going My Way Lifeboat Since You Went Away Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo The Uninvited The White Cliffs of Dover Color: Cover Girl Home in Indiana Kismet Lady in the Dark Meet Me in St. Louis |
1945 | Black and White: The Picture of Dorian Gray
Color: Leave Her to Heaven |
Black and White: The Keys of the Kingdom
The Lost Weekend Mildred Pierce Spellbound Color: Anchors Aweigh National Velvet A Song to Remember The Spanish Main |
1946 | Black and White: Anna and the King of Siam
Color: The Yearling |
Black and White: The Green Years
Color: The Jolson Story |
1947 | Black and White: Great Expectations
Color: Black Narcissus |
Black and White: Green Dolphin Street
The Ghost and Mrs. Muir Color: Life with Father Mother Wore Tights |
1948 | Black and White: The Naked City
Color: Joan of Arc |
Black and White: A Foreign Affair
I Remember Mama Johnny Belinda Portrait of Jennie Color: Green Grass of Wyoming The Loves of Carmen The Three Musketeers |
1949 | Black and White: Battleground
Color: She Wore a Yellow Ribbon |
Black and White: Champion
Come to the Stable The Heiress Prince of Foxes Color: The Barkleys of Broadway Jolson Sings Again Little Women Sand |
1950 | Black and White: The Third Man
Color: King Solomon’s Mines |
Black and White: All About Eve
The Asphalt Jungle The Furies Sunset Boulevard Color: Annie Get Your Gun Broken Arrow The Flame and the Arrow Samson and Delilah |
1951 | Black and White: A Place in the Sun
Color: An American in Paris |
Black and White: Death of a Salesman
The Frogmen Strangers on a Train A Streetcar Named Desire Color: David and Bathsheba Quo Vadis Show Boat When Worlds Collide |
1952 | Black and White: The Bad and the Beautiful
Color: The Quiet Man |
Black and White: The Big Sky
My Cousin Rachel Navajo Sudden Fear Color: Hans Christian Anderson Ivanhoe Million Dollar Mermaid The Snows of Kilimanjaro |
1953 | Black and White: From Here to Eternity
Color: Shane |
Black and White: The Four Poster
Julius Caesar Martin Luther Roman Holiday Color: All the Brothers Were Valiant Beneath the 12 Mile Reef Lili The Robe |
1954 | Black and White: On the Waterfront
Color: Three Coins in the Fountain |
Black and White: The Country Girl
Executive Suite Rogue Cop Sabrina Color: The Egyptian Rear Window Seven Brides for Seven Brothers The Silver Chalice |
1955 | Black and White: The Rose Tattoo
Color: To Catch a Thief |
Black and White: Blackboard Jungle
I’ll Cry Tomorrow Marty Queen Bee Color: Guys and Dolls Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing A Man Called Peter Oklahoma! |
1956 | Black and White: Somebody Up There Likes Me
Color: Around the World in 80 Days |
Black and White: Baby Doll
The Bad Seed The Harder They Fall Stagecoach to Fury Color: The Eddy Duchin Story The King and I The Ten Commandments War and Peace |
1957 | The Bridge on the River Kwai | An Affair to Remember
Funny Face Peyton Place Sayonara |
1958 | Black and White: The Defiant Ones
Color: Gigi |
Black and White: Desire Under the Elms
I Want to Live! Separate Tables The Young Lions Color: Auntie Mame Cat on a Hot Tin Roof The Old Man and the Sea South Pacific |
1959 | Black and White: The Diary of Anne Frank
Color: Ben-Hur |
Black and White: Anatomy of a Murder
Career Some Like It Hot The Young Philadelphians Color: The Big Fisherman The Five Pennies A Nun’s Story Porgy and Bess |
1960 | Black and White: Sons and Lovers
Color: Spartacus |
Black and White: The Apartment
The Facts of Life Inherit the Wind Psycho Color: The Alamo BUtterfield 8 Exodus Pepe |
1961 | Black and White: The Hustler
Color: West Side Story |
Black and White: The Absent-Minded Professor
The Children’s Hour Judgment at Nuremberg One, Two, Three Color: Fanny Flower Drum Song A Majority of One One-Eyed Jacks |
1962 | Black and White: The Longest Day
Color: Lawrence of Arabia |
Black and White: Birdman of Alcatraz
To Kill a Mockingbird Two for the Seesaw What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? Color: Gypsy Hatari! Mutiny on the Bounty The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm |
1963 | Black and White: Hud
Color: Cleopatra |
Black and White: The Balcony
The Caretakers Lilies of the Field Love with the Proper Stranger Color: The Cardinal How the West Was Won Irma la Douce It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World |
1964 | Black and White: Zorba the Greek
Color: My Fair Lady |
Black and White: The Americanization of Emily
Fate is the Hunter Hush… Hush, Sweet Charlotte The Night of the Iguana Color: Becket Cheyenne Autumn Mary Poppins The Unsinkable Molly Brown |
1965 | Black and White: Ship of Fools
Color: Doctor Zhivago |
Black and White: In Harm’s Way
King Rat Morituri A Patch of Blue Color: The Agony and the Ecstasy The Great Race The Greatest Story Ever Told The Sound of Music |
1966 | Black and White: Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Color: A Man for All Seasons |
Black and White: The Fortune Cookie
Georgy Girl Is Paris Burning? Seconds Color: Fantastic Voyage Hawaii The Professionals The Sand Pebbles |
1967 | Bonnie and Clyde | Camelot
Doctor Dolittle The Graduate In Cold Blood |
1968 | Romeo and Juliet | Funny Girl
Ice Station Zebra Oliver! Star! |
1969 | Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid | Anne of the Thousand Days
Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice Hello, Dolly! Marooned |
1970 | Ryan’s Daughter | Patton
Airport Tora! Tora! Tora! Women in Love |
1971 | Fiddler on the Roof | The French Connection
The Last Picture Show Nicholas and Alexandra Summer of ‘42 |
1972 | Cabaret | 1776
Butterflies are Free The Poseidon Adventure Travels with my Aunt |
1973 | Cries and Whispers | The Exorcist
Jonathan Livingston Seagull The Sting The Way We Were |
1974 | The Towering Inferno | Chinatown
Earthquake Lenny Murder on the Orient Express |
1975 | Barry Lyndon | The Day of the Locust
Funny Lady The Hindenburg One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest |
1976 | Bound for Glory | King Kong
Logan’s Run Network A Star is Born |
1977 | Close Encounters of the Third Kind | Islands in the Stream
Julia Looking for Mr. Goodbar The Turning Point |
1978 | Days of Heaven | The Deer Hunter
Heaven Can Wait Same Time, Next Year The Wiz |
1979 | Apocalypse Now | 1941
All That Jazz The Black Hole Kramer vs. Kramer |
1980 | Tess | The Blue Lagoon
Coal Miner’s Daughter The Formula Raging Bull |
1981 | Reds | Excalibur
On Golden Pond Ragtime Raiders of the Lost Ark |
1982 | Gandhi | Das Boot
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial Sophie’s Choice Tootsie |
1983 | Fanny and Alexander | Flashdance
The Right Stuff WarGames Zelig |
1984 | The Killing Fields | Amadeus
The Natural A Passage to India The River |
1985 | Out of Africa | The Color Purple
Murphy’s Romance Ran Witness |
1986 | The Mission | Peggy Sue Got Married
Platoon A Room with a View Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home |
1987 | The Last Emperor | Broadcast News
Empire of the Sun Hope and Glory Matewan |
1988 | Mississippi Burning | Rain Man
Tequila Sunrise The Unbearable Lightness of Being Who Framed Roger Rabbit |
1989 | Glory | The Abyss
Blaze Born on the Fourth of July The Fabulous Baker Boys |
1990 | Dances with Wolves | Avalon
Dick Tracy The Godfather Part III Henry & June |
1991 | JFK | Bugsy
The Prince of Tides Terminator 2: Judgment Day Thelma & Louise |
1992 | A River Runs Through It | Hoffa
Howards End The Lover Unforgiven |
1993 | Schindler’s List | Farewell My Concubine
The Fugitive The Piano Searching for Bobby Fisher |
1994 | Legends of the Fall | Forrest Gump
The Shawshank Redemption Three Colors: Red Wyatt Earp |
1995 | Braveheart | Batman Forever
A Little Princess Sense and Sensibility Shanghai Triad |
1996 | The English Patient | Evita
Fargo Fly Away Home Michael Collins |
1997 | Titanic | Amistad
Kundun L.A. Confidential The Wings of the Dove |
1998 | Saving Private Ryan | A Civil Action
Elizabeth Shakespeare in Love The Thin Red Line |
1999 | American Beauty | The End of the Affair
The Insider Sleepy Hollow Snow Falling on Cedars |
2000 | Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon | Gladiator
Malèna O Brother Where Art Thou? The Patriot |
2001 | The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring | Amélie
Black Hawk Down The Man Who Wasn’t There Moulin Rouge! |
2002 | Road to Perdition | Chicago
Far from Heaven Gangs of New York The Pianist |
2003 | Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World | City of God
Cold Mountain Girl with a Pearl Earring Seabiscuit |
2004 | The Aviator | House of Flying Daggers
The Passion of the Christ The Phantom of the Opera A Very Long Engagement |
2005 | Memoirs of a Geisha | Batman Begins
Brokeback Mountain Good Night, and Good Luck The New World |
2006 | Pan’s Labyrinth | The Black Dahlia
Children of Men The Illusionist The Prestige |
2007 | There Will Be Blood | The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Atonement The Diving Bell and the Butterfly No Country for Old Men |
2008 | Slumdog Millionaire | Changeling
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button The Dark Knight The Reader |
2009 | Avatar | Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
The Hurt Locker Inglourious Basterds The White Ribbon |
2010 | Inception | Black Swan
The King’s Speech The Social Network True Grit |
2011 | Hugo | The Artist
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo The Tree of Life War Horse |
2012 | Life of Pi | Anna Karenina
Django Unchained Lincoln Skyfall |
2013 | Gravity | The Grandmaster
Inside Llewyn Davis Nebraska Prisoners |
2014 | Birdman | The Grand Budapest Hotel
Ida Mr. Turner Unbroken |
But anyway, let’s look at ASC and if they have any influence over the category. (I’ll tell you now… no they don’t. Because Deakins won that thing at least three times, and has zero Oscars to show for it).
The ASC Awards were given out starting in 1986. Let’s run them down:
- 1986, Peggy Sue Got Married (lost to The Mission, which it beat for ASC)
- 1987, Empire of the Sun (lost to The Last Emperor, which it beat for ASC)
- 1988, Tequila Sunrise (lost to Mississippi Burning, which it beat for ASC)
- 1989, Blaze (lost to Glory, which wasn’t nominated for ASC)
- 1990, Dances with Wolves (won both)
- 1991, Bugsy (lost to JFK, which it beat for ASC)
- 1992, Hoffa (lost to A River Runs Through It, which it beat for ASC)
- 1993, Searching for Bobby Fischer (lost to Schindler’s List, which it beat for ASC)
- 1994, The Shawshank Redemption (Deakins’ first win. Lost to Legends of the Fall, which it beat for ASC)
- 1995, Braveheart (won both)
- 1996, The English Patient (won both)
- 1997, Titanic (won both)
- 1998, The Thin Red Line (lost to Saving Private Ryan, which it beat for ASC)
- 1999, American Beauty (won both)
- 2000, The Patriot (lost to Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, which it beat for ASC)
- 2001, The Man Who Wasn’t There (Deakins #2. Lost to Fellowship, which it beat for ASC)
- 2002, Road to Perdition (won both)
- 2003, Seabiscuit (lost to Master and Commander, which it beat for ASC. That was a weird year)
- 2004, A Very Long Engagement (lost to The Aviator, which it beat for ASC)
- 2005, Memoirs of a Geisha (won both)
- 2006, Children of Men (fuck yeah! But it lost to Pan’s Labyrinth, which wasn’t even nominated for ASC. That’s a first. Maybe because Navarro wasn’t in the guild?)
- 2007, There Will Be Blood (won both)
- 2008, Slumdog Millionaire (won both)
- 2009, The White Ribbon (lost to Avatar, which it beat for ASC)
- 2010, Inception (won both)
- 2011, The Tree of Life (lost to Hugo, which it beat for ASC)
- 2012, Skyfall (Deakins #3. Lost to Life of Pi, which it beat for ASC)
- 2013, Gravity (won both)
- 2014, Birdman (won both)
So basically, historically, the cinematographers pick what they think is best, and then you alter your guess to go for the movie that’s vying for Best Picture. Or the Best Picture contender is nominated and it makes the decision easier.
This year, ASC matched the Oscars 4/5, as it tends to do. Bridge of Spies was nominated for ASC while the Academy went for The Hateful Eight. Doesn’t matter. They’re both the fifth nominee. The big four matched.
Best Cinematography
Carol
The Hateful Eight
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Revenant
Sicario
Rankings:
5. The Hateful Eight — Sorry, Robert Richardson. I guess you’ll have to be okay with your three wins in the category. No one’s gonna vote for this. Because he shot it in 70 and it takes place INSIDE. The film looks great, but it has no shot here. Three nominations, and its only chance is for Score.
4. Carol — They did a good thing, shooting in Super 16, but this has no chance at winning. This film is gonna go home empty handed. It’s all but forgotten about in this race.
3. Sicario — Deakins. Sad to say he is also an afterthought in this category. He’ll get a few votes because of who he is, but no way he can overtake either of the two contenders ranked ahead of him. So once again, Roger Deakins goes home Oscarless.
2. Mad Max: Fury Road — This would normally be a walk in the park winner in this category. And I might have even said it had a chance if it won any of the precursors. But…
1. The Revenant — Chivo, man. He swept all the precursors, and he’s gonna win three in a row. The film just looks gorgeous, and there’s really no way he’s gonna lose this. He’s your frontrunner, he’s your winner. There’s no arguing this one.
– – – – – – – – – –
Tomorrow is Best Editing. Which is dependent on Best Picture and can get tricky sometimes.
I think Macbeth should have been nom’ed too
February 16, 2016 at 3:08 pm