15 replies to this topic

[Mr. Blofeld]

In honour of tim partridge, I've decided to create a thread to ascertain your opinions on:

Who is the Best '70s Bond Cinematographer?

Your choices:

Ted Moore (Diamonds Are Forever, Live and Let Die, and The Man with the Golden Gun)
Oswald Morris (The Man with the Golden Gun)
Claude Renoir (The Spy Who Loved Me)
Jean Tournier (Moonraker)
I've decided to stay impartial in this survey; let the sport commence!

[PrinceKamalKhan]

Definitely Jean Tournier (Moonraker). Critics can say what they want about Lewis Gilbert's Bond films, but all 3 of them were among the best photographed and most cinematically beautiful films in the series.

[Cruiserweight]

Ted Moore

[O.H.M.S.S.]

As much as I like the photography for TSWLM and MR, I'll give my vote to Oswald Morris. Morris gave TMWTGG a warm and colourful atmosphere, which for me, contributes to a very good Bond film.

[Double-Oh Agent]

I went with Ted Moore for the '60s; but for the '70s, I'll pick Claude Renoir. The Spy Who Loved Me looks great.

[Mr. Somerset]

I'll go with Ted Moore on this one. Ted is great both flat and wide.

[sthgilyadgnivileht]

The distinctive look of TSWLM was a key facet of its success IMO. Ill give it to Renoir.

[Mr_Wint]

Claude Renoir

[Colossus]

Renoir

[glidrose]

I vote for Jean Tournier. Shame he never shot another Bond film.

 

Ted Moore: his work on DAF is (very?) good if not great. It's polished looking and that counts for a lot. LALD is badly shot. Grimy, grainy with cheap colors. This is the only Bond film Guy Hamilton directed that doesn't even have his usual customary visual flair. Ted Moore only shot the exteriors for TMWTGG. Wot a grimy looking film, but the framing of shots is crisp and lighting is good.

 

Oswald Morris (The Man with the Golden Gun): Morris shot the interiors. Not a fan of his work here. Ugly colors, too contrasty lighting. But the framing of shots is excellent and there are some outstanding group shots - on board the sunken ship in particular - that I don't recall seeing anywhere else in the series.

 

Claude Renoir (The Spy Who Loved Me): solid framing of shots but too often ugly muted muddy colors, needlessly grainy film stock. Bernard Lee too harshly lit in the pyramid briefing scene. Ugh, that sailor in the PTS with the spots. Though the sequence shot inside the Leparus is outstanding on all counts, tho' methinks we have to give Stanley Kubrick the thanks for that. I'll also add that this film more than any others suffers if seen in pan-and-scan. The framing of shots frequently emphasizes the widescreen aspect ratio.

 

Jean Tournier (Moonraker): the best of the 70's cinematographers. My only complaint is that the space station sequence suffers by comparison: the colors are bland and those hideous yellow space suits detract. I can't say enough how stunning the rest of the film is. There's no way anybody in their right mind can say this is a terrible movie. The visuals alone give MR a passing grade. Shame earlier versions of the DVD bungled the transfer giving everything a faded yellow look. Do what I did and set your tv temperature to "cool" and you'll see the film as it was meant to be seen.

[Grard Bond]

This is a very difficult one:

Tournier and Renoir are so good in what they did, they both used the full scope of the panavision camera's at it's best!

I can't realy choose, but ok, I choose Tournier for his magnificent work for Moonraker.

[The Krynoid man]

Jean Tournier.

[Satorious]

Jean Tournier all the way. Despite what you may or may not think of MR as a Bond film - you can not deny it on a visual eye candy level!

[jmarks4life]

Jean Tournier, no doubt.

[rubixcub]

Between Renoir and Tournier for me.  Both of them IMO developed / cemented the visual look of the series for the 70s, giving it new definition for a new time period (also with the help of the returning Ken Adam).  I'll give the edge to Tournier because MR is my favorite Bond film visually.

 

Dave

[tdalton]

I'd have to go with Renoir.  The Spy Who Loved Me is far from my favorite Bond film, but I've always thought that it looked quite good.