Gordon Willis

Oscar-winning cinematographer -- via Deadline. One of the 10 greatest directors of photography of all time, he was known as "The Prince of Darkness" for his dense, high-contrast textures. A beautiful artist -- here are but a few of his triumphs:

The Godfather
The Godfather II
Annie Hall
Manhattan
All the President's Men
Klute
Little Murders
Stardust Memories
The Purple Rose of Cairo

I saw the first screening of "Manhattan," the day it came out, in Manhattan. The opening sequence captures perfectly my first memories of the city, and still encapsulates everything I love about the greatest city in the world. Thanks, Gordon.







It is absolutely ridiculous that he never won an Oscar straight-out for his work. He was given the Honorary Award by the Governors of the Academy for his lifetime body of work in 2009. He's still way ahead of his time.