Ranking Oscar Nominees/Personal Ranking: Best Cinematography 2016

From the nominees:

5. Greig Fraser, Lion

The simplest work out of this terrific set of nominees, but the excellent work behind Lion should not be neglected just because I rank it fifth out of these nominees. It really is fantastic work in almost every aspect, in capturing the gritty but strangely beautiful feel of India in the opening sequences, and the newfound, captivating qualities of Australia in the second half of the film. It's mostly a series of establishing shots and stylized scenery which Fraser plays around with, less flashy than his other strong body of work in Rogue One this year, but I'd argue it stands out within the scheme of the film even more, as so many of the scenes' emotional power hinges upon the way they are lit, and how we view the distant past from a certain distance, but also a certain emotional proximity that Fraser's work brings to life. 

 4. James Laxton, Moonlight

http://www.vogue.com/projects/13514953/moonlight-cinematographer-james-laxton/ features Laxton talking about his excellent work in Moonlight. You wouldn't be able to tell this was filmed on a relatively meagre 5 M USD budget from the camerawork alone. It's such a hauntingly lit film where every scene in the low-ends and ghettos brims with a very unique brand of serenity, but also grittiness. The camera movement and staging of characters in sequences like Kevin's beating of Chiron, Chiron being screamed at by his mother, Chiron and Kevin driving in the car, the beach consumnation scene, and above all that monumental swimming scene. Through just the unique blend of neon colours, naturalism and surrealism in its visual presentation of characters, and an awareness of when to pan out and when to zoom in, Laxton manages to make a very small, intimate story feel very grand in its own unique way. 

3. Bradford Young, Arrival

Young's cinematography in Arrival makes you not miss Roger Deakins, in fact I'd say the cinematography here is just about on par with Sicario's brilliant work last year. There's not a single wasted frame or shot to Young's craftsmanship here, as his stunning camerawork and particularly his use of lighting helps to amp up the sense of intrigue, and a certain magical quality to the 'arrival' of the aliens. In particular, that first scene when the team enter the spaceship is a masterclass in using darkness and light so simply, yet so memorably, to create a lasting impression on the viewer. The excellence of Young's work extends to the exterior and more expansive shots, and the *spoilers* scenes which are crucial to the unraveling of the plot. His more intimate work in those regards merge with the big, bold setpieces to create a rather beautiful sci-fi masterpiece. 

Runner-up: Linus Sandgren, La La Land

Need I say more about the oft-praised cinematography of La La Land? Hype backlash against this particular aspect of the film, I find to be particularly odd, since I would argue that it's objectively flawless. The use of colours, from the melancholic blue and green, to the vast array of colours in the party scenes, the concert scenes, the way the camera swoops, treks, and moves with such reckless abandon and energy through each musical setpiece, and above all that amazing Planetarium scene, and oh, even better, the ending dream montage. It's dynamic work that also feels suitably subdued whenever the film requires it, and sparkles when the film requires a bit of added pizzaz. Sandgren will probably win for his work here, and I couldn't be happier; he'd be a terrific winner in an incredibly strong lineup. 

WINNER: Rodrigo Prieto, Silence

As sad I am that Silence only got one lone nomination, at least they recognized one of this masterpiece's best aspects. Japan is presented as both a deeply unnerving, but also beautiful and enrapturing, environment we step into, and Prieto's cinematography brings out the beauty of the surroundings, but also manages to convey the extreme claustraphobic state of fear and tension that envelops the scenery. The use of mist and fog in particular, and natural light and fire, creates some memorable sequences like Kichijiro's first betrayal of his faith via fumie, the apostasy scene, Garrupe's breakdown, and of course that very final scene that lingers on in your mind because of the subtle composition of lightness and darkness in that scene. Prieto delivers beautiful homages to the likes of Ugetsu with his boat scenes, enshrouding the characters in cloudy darkness, and projected shadows of trees and foilage recall Kurosawa films like Rashomon in the best possible way.

Personal choices:

5. Moonlight

4. Simon Duggan, Hacksaw Ridge

Fantastic work overall, not just in the war scenes, which I'll get onto in a bit, but also the more relatively simplistic earlier scenes. The way these scenes are lit and filmed are in a very old-fashioned Hollywood sort of way that works incredibly well, and I particularly dug those wonderful daytime romantic scenes that felt so peaceful and heartfelt. Then of course, comes the magnificent war setpieces which differentiate themselves through a mixture of saturated colours, black and white, and intense red and yellow for the flames, to create quite the remarkable contrast on the battlefields of Okinawa. In addition the movement of the camera through each action sequence and rescue sequence is seamlessly immersive, and is so essntial to the final product of the film achieving the sort of visual resonance it has by pulling you so thoroughly into the hellish nature of war, and earns the moments where Duggan's work gloriously revels with holy lighting and bright dazzling colours the heroism of Desmond Doss.

3. Arrival

Runner-up: La La Land

WINNER: Silence

Honorable Mentions: The Neon Demon,  Hell or High Water, Jackie, American Honey, Green Room, Rogue One.

Full ranking of cinematography work, 2016:

1. Silence
2. La La Land 
3. Arrival
4. Hacksaw Ridge 
5. Moonlight
6. Hell or High Water
7. Lion 
8. Green Room
9. The Neon Demon 
10. Rogue One