You might not recognize the name of Laszlo Kovacs, the gifted cinematographer who passed away in his sleep on Saturday at the age of 74. But generations of movie geeks recognize his indelible images, such as his work on Paper Moon (that's Tatum O' Neal pictured), evocative of the Depression-era portraits by Dorothea Lange and Walker Evans.
From Easy Rider (1969) and Five Easy Pieces to Shampoo (1975) and New York, New York (1977) to Ghostbusters (1984) and Say Anything (1989), Kovacs was a painter of light responsible for an immodest number of classic movie moments. Neon, fluorescent and streetlamps were important figures in the comedies and dramas he shot. What you remember about a Kovacs image is not just its stunning beauty, but how it underlines the emotional exchange between characters.
The Hungarian-born lensman began his career as a guerrilla cinematographer on the streets of Budapest, chronicling the anti-Communist revolt of 1956 by hiding his camera in a paper bag and smuggling the footage into America with his buddy Vilmos Zsigmond.
Paper Moon and New York, New York show Kovacs at the top of his game.
Do you have a favorite Kovacs film? Do you even notice the cinematography? Is there a lensman/woman whose work you admire? For me, the guys every bit as great as the Hungarians of the '60s and '70s are the Mexicans: Rodrigo Prieto (Brokeback Mountain, Babel, Frida) and Emmanuel Lubezki (Children of Men, Y Tu Mama Tambien and Great Expectations).
Comments (5)
I can't claim to be that familiar with his work as a unit. Of recent cinematographers, only Janusz Kaminski comes to mind as someone who I really think of as a great.
Posted by Adam B. | July 23, 2007 5:14 PM
Posted on July 23, 2007 17:14
Carrie--
I love what Kovacs did with Altman's "That Cold Day in the Park," Ashby's "Shampoo" and, at the risk of being redundant here, Bogdanovich's "At Long Last Love." But, yes, "Paper Moon," another Bogdanovich work, really stands out. I met Laszlo Kovacs through Vilmos Zsigmond. I had interviewed Zsigmond when he was in town photographing "Blow Out," and the next day, he and a bunch of "Blow Out" people were renting a bus to head to New York for the first critics' screening of "Heavens Gate" (which Zsigmond photographed) at the Coronet. You were probably there. As I was also going, he asked if I wanted a ride there on the bus. How could I refuse? His friend Kovacs met him in New York and road on the bus with us back to Philly. Great conversations on that bus. Seems like just a wonderful dream now. I was going to ask if the era of the star cinematographer that started in the late '60s is over, but you're right about the Mexicans. They are the new cinematic stars. What Emmanuel Lubezki did with "Children of Men" is jaw-dropping. As for other cinematographers, I will also have a very soft spot for Gordon Willis, arguably the definitive New York Cinematographer of the 1970s.
Posted by Joe | July 23, 2007 5:48 PM
Posted on July 23, 2007 17:48
I've always loved Joseph Walker's black and white work with Frank Capra. Leon Shamroy's color photography in "Leave Her to Heaven" is unlike any other that I've seen - the blue in the water of Lake Tahoe is an indelible memory. And I second the mention of Gordon Willis, especially "Manhattan."
Posted by wwolfe | July 23, 2007 5:57 PM
Posted on July 23, 2007 17:57
When you ask about the lensman/-woman I admire, the first name to come to mind is John Alton -- notably for his work with director Anthony Mann. Something about those highly-charged images in "T-Men" and "Border Incident" and suchlike has always gotten to me. Ah, melodrama! And, of course, it's fascinating to see how Alton handles noir-in-color in the Dwan-directed "Slightly Scarlet."
I have fond memories of having seen "That Cold Day In The Park" in the theater -- but I must admit that I remember it more for performances than anything else, stray shots of unglamorous lesbian bars nothwithstanding.
Posted by chris sch | July 23, 2007 6:29 PM
Posted on July 23, 2007 18:29
"What's Up, Doc?", especially the "As Time Goes By" sequence with the piano at the top of the hotel in the unfinished space overlooking SF bay.
Posted by JDM | July 24, 2007 10:37 AM
Posted on July 24, 2007 10:37