The American Society of Cinematographers, the most prestigious awards body of its kind, announced its nominees for the 38th ASC Awards:
Edward Lachman – “El Conde”
Matthew Libatique – “Maestro”
Rodrigo Prieto – “Killers of the Flower Moon”
Robbie Ryan – “Poor Things”
Hoyte van Hoytema –“Oppenheimer”
Not a bad one in the bunch and a big boost for Lachman, as he’s otherwise been forgotten this awards season — maybe an Oscar nomination can happen for him now. Lachman is one of the greats, having already been Oscar-nominated twice — for 2002’s “Far From Heaven” and 2015’s “Carol.”
The biggest omission from today’s nominees list seems to be Rodrigo Prieto (“Barbie”), but he’s there for “Killers of the Flower Moon” — rarely does the ASC nominate the same person twice in the same year. Some of the other notable snubs include Linus Sandgren (“Saltburn”), Łukasz Żal (The Zone of Interest), Robert D. Yeoman (Asteroid City), and Phillipe Le Sourd (Priscilla).
Needless to say, this is truly the age of the cinematographer. Never before in film history have film fans bought a movie ticket solely for the DP attached to a film. It’s happening more and more these days.
The best cinematographers are able to not only assist in a director’s artistic vision, but also incorporate their own unique style in the composition of the finished frame. A talented cinematographer can bring emotion, style mood and tone; contextualizing, with their technical knowledge, an artful statement.
So, I ask our readers, what was the best cinematography of 2023?