OVP: Best Cinematography (2020)
The Nominees Were...
Sean Bobbitt, Judas and the Black Messiah
Erik Messerschmidt, Mank
Dariusz Wolski, News of the World
Joshua James Richards, Nomadland
Phedon Papamichael, The Trial of the Chicago 7
My Thoughts: As we mentioned a few weeks ago when we did Visual Effects, one of the bigger issues with the 2020 Oscar contenders was around the limited scope of some of the nominees. While this wasn't on-the-surface an issue for categories like acting & writing (which can come on any budget), modern expectations about visual effects made a year where we were bereft of major blockbusters significantly harder to come up with a lineup of nominees that didn't make it look like we were clearly in a pandemic. Another category where this happened was Best Cinematography, where at least a few of these nominations wouldn't have been anywhere near Oscar's purview were it not for a quarantine-slate that didn't have as many epics in its midst.
Phedon Papamichel was the only previous nominee in this category, and was likely the fifth nominee upon reflection to make it with Oscar (the last time a previous nominee in this category wasn't competing was the early 1930's, so Papamichel kept up a tradition nearly as old as the Oscars themselves). At the very least, this is the nomination that felt the least interesting of these five (and if Dune had been released in 2020 as planned, wouldn't have touched this category with a ten-foot pole). That's because there's really nothing interesting about Chicago 7's cinematography. Just because there are a lot of actors to focus on doesn't make the camerawork suddenly artsy, and the movie is run-of-the-mill, not much different than you'd see on a TV movie. It's not awful, but you put it in a category that includes things like Lawrence of Arabia and Titanic, and honestly it looks like a bad joke it feels so mediocre by comparison.
Judas and the Black Messiah also would've struggled in a normal year, though it at least has some artistry in certain scenes. The crowd scenes, in particular, are shot in a way that feels like you can realize the scale of this film's message, and the way that it expands & captures a disgruntled voice in American politics. But, again, this is rather conventional for a Cinematography nomination. There is little intrigue in the way that they shoot conversation scenes, especially during the day, and outside of the wide angles I wasn't particularly impressed. I get where they were going with this nomination (unlike Chicago 7-there's no forgiving that one), but it feels like a "weak year" nomination if I've ever seen one.
At least one of the advantages of a weak year is that longtime-neglected cinematographers got their due. Few working cinematographers feel more "overdue" in terms of the sheer body of their work than Dariusz Wolski, who has made films ranging from Crimson Tide to the Pirates of the Caribbean movies to many of the modern Ridley Scott movies. News of the World has some beautiful evening & morning shots, using natural light well to highlight the beauty of the journey, and I love the fire-lit sequences when Tom Hanks is out professing the news. I will say, similar to Judas (and honestly a lot of cinematography in recent years) there are scenes in the movie that feel asymmetric as if Wolski is only paying attention when we have a sunset or a giant expanse of nature in-screen and is phoning in the rest, but these are fewer than Judas, and the scenes that have the most care are more impressive.
Our final two nominees are ones that would've gotten in even in a normal year, both because they're more traditional & because, well, they're the best of the bunch. The Academy so frequently goes to the black-and-white well these days that you'd be forgiven for assuming that was why Mank defaulted, but it wasn't. Messerschmidt's cinematography is moody, glossy, glamorous, & the perfect fit for David Fincher's ode to both Old Hollywood & the film noirs that came out of Citizen Kane. We see subtle homages to Welles' masterwork in the way the camera moves, but it never feels like it's simply copying those shots (save for the obligatory "Rosebud" nod), and instead is creating something else-a merging of the old & new. I loved it, and I suspect this film would've been more universally beloved had most viewers gotten to see this on the big-screen.
The final nominee is Nomadland, and while Messerschmidt is trying to find 1940's film noir in his work, Richards uses Nomadland as the best use of Terrence Malick that doesn't have Malick's name right on the credits. Awash with light (in a cinematic world where we too often get ugly, darkened scenes in theaters, this is a treat), we get a naturalism that makes sure we understand what Fern sees in the world. We get to see the beauty of not just a running river, but also a giant parking lot, the interiors of a homey van...every scene, even those in closeup or in conversation, has an amount of care that feeds back to the larger film's vision. It's an extraordinary feat.
Other Precursor Contenders: The American Society of Cinematographers went with Mank as their winner, and copied the Oscar lineup with the exception of Judas, instead choosing the Tom Holland film Cherry (which I've never seen-is it any good?). BAFTA went with Nomadland for its winner, and again the Oscar lineup was the same save for one, in this case Chicago 7 getting bested for The Mauritanian (an artier, if not necessarily better, choice). I don't think either of those films are in sixth place-if I had to guess one it'd probably be Minari, which is a more traditional nominee & a Best Picture nominee (and I think would've made it had they had a bigger name cinematographer), though Cinematography isn't averse to effects-driven work so I wouldn't be stunned if Tenet or The Midnight Sky were near-the-surface.
Films I Would Have Nominated: Honestly, it's somewhat hard to tell if A Rainy Day in New York, long-delayed & not advertised at all, would be eligible, but I think the letter of the rules in 2020 probably qualified it, and in which case I'd nominate it. Vittorio Storaro's late career work with Woody Allen has been consistently excellent, and this gives us some of the best interior shots in a movie in 2020.
Oscar's Choice: It was a clear footrace between Nomadland and Mank, and the latter pulled off something of an upset to ensure that Mank didn't go home with only one prize (despite being the nominations leader).
Oscar's Choice: It was a clear footrace between Nomadland and Mank, and the latter pulled off something of an upset to ensure that Mank didn't go home with only one prize (despite being the nominations leader).
My Choice: I am also (barely) going to go with Mank, as I think the ingenuity in how it incorporates Welles' work is so ingenious & crucial to the plot. Right behind is Nomadland (which would've made a worthy winner), followed by News of the World, Judas, and Chicago 7.
Those are my thoughts-how about yours? Are you joining Oscar & I in picking the black-and-white hauntings of Mank, or do you prefer another nominee? If 2020 wasn't going to break the "not all first-timers" rule, is there ever going to be a year that does so? And with the precursors no help, whom do you think was in sixth place? Share your thoughts below!
Also in 2020: Costume Design, Film Editing, Visual Effects, Makeup & Hairstyling, Previously in 2020
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