Best Cinematography: Can Chivo Do a Back-to-Back?
Saturday, February 14, 2015 at 4:23PM 
If Oscar were a beauty pageant (we know it feels like that sometimes but it's not) the previous winner in each category would have to hand over their tiara Oscar to the next winner. In that case let's hope the world's favorite DP is ambidextrous since he is probably passing the statue to... himself. After years of worthy nominations without winning, the genius DP Emmanuel "Chivo" Lubezki, who won last year for Gravity, could well win again for another virtuoso turn that's also an aesthetic triumph. But how common are back-to-back wins exactly in the cinematography categories? It used to happen on occasion when there were two cinematography categories (black & white, and color) and thus twice the number of winners but once the category was fused in 1967, it's only ever happened once: John Toll did it in the 1990s with Legends of the Fall and Braveheart.
Still it's hard to imagine Lubezki losing on the 22nd. Budapest surely won't sweep and it's the only other Best Picture nominee in the category. Mr Turner and Ida would make very worthy winners but they seem unlikely for reasons of size, popularity, mood, country of origin. As for Roger Deakins. His nominations each year are becoming Streep-esque. It's not that Unbroken isn't handsome looking but it's hardly one of his tiptop achievements. Deakins still trails the late George J Folsey (Meet Me In St Louis) for most nominations without a win in this category (13/0) but he'll tie him the very next time he's up to bat. If Unbroken had been better loved he could have made a run for it.
Birdman - Emmanuel Lubezki
Grand Budapest Hotel - Robert Yeoman
Ida - Ryszard Lenczewski & Lukasz Zal
Mr Turner - Dick Pope
Unbroken - Roger Deakins
Will Win: Birdman
Could Win: Grand Budapest Hotel
Should Win: Birdman or Mr Turner
Reader Comments (20)
I agree, I want a tie! Mr. Birdman for the win!
Both films, different as they are, exploit the cinematography to reveal the internal state of the main (title) character. Two works of genius.
I'm happy that we won't have a Cinematography winner that is also a visual effects winner!
I wonder how long it will take until those crazy Streep stans pounce on you and call you a Meryl "hater" yet again because of the Deakins comment :) Though maybe they won't even notice it since this post is about cinematography.
I feel Mr. Turner and GBH stand a better chance than you think. I found the "single shot" trick in Birdman distracting (and I like the film otherwise). I felt the trick became more important than helping to tell the story. And if there is any love for Mr. Turner, this is where it will show.
Grand Budapest Hotel for the sweep! But I would love it too if the voters threw "Mr. Turner" a bone. That was a terrific film that should have been recognized in more categories.
I'm so glad you caught up with Only Lovers Left Alive - aren't you? Yeah, GBH for the win here.
Jan -- yeah, i think they only read the Streep posts :)
Raul -- i think it's possible... or it would be if voters were required to see everything before voting.
Pedro -- sweet relief!
In my opinion, people should be bitching about Khondji not having an Oscar the same way they do in favor of Deakins, considering they're basically in the same league.
Chivo at this point should have 7 Oscars right now.
I'd like to see Dick Pope get it for Mr. Turner.
If I had a ballot I would vote for Yeoman. I love all his work with Wes Anderson plus Drugstore Cowboy. Wow.
Cal Roth -- You're not alone in your love for Khondji (and The Immigrant). I'm with you.
I think my ballot would read exactly the same as yours except I would swap out The Immigrant for Under the Skin, which had by far my favourite cinematography of the year.
I feel very alone in my dispassion towards Khondji's work in The Immigrant - it's strong work but aside from a couple of individual sequences (eg the closing one) I don't find it very original or evocative of the period. ie. I literally can't see what I'm missing.
Maybe when I watch it again.
Landin's work in Under the Skin on the other hand was so subtle yet spellbinding
I also loved what Jarmusch/Lesaux did with Detroit.
And Ida of course was stunning to look at - such imaginative, carefully thought out lighting and compositions
And all those [no other word for it but] painterly images in Mr. Turner, which was a gorgeous film on many levels.
I wonder if the "Dick Poop" debacle could nudge him to the win.
I want Mr. Turner to win just so the announcer can hopefully accidentally call him "Dick Poop"
*snickers because I'm immature*
I want Ida, Budapest or Turner to win. Birdman is a good choice, too, though. Fuck Unbroken. That movie had no business looking that beautiful.
My ballot:
‘71
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Ida
Jauja
Under the Skin
I wish Greig Fraser were nominated in this category for Foxcatcher. I'd go with Yeoman among the nominees. I have a bit of Lubezki fatigue; he's very good (too bad he hasn't won for his best work), but after his #2, can they start honoring some of the great cinematographers they haven't honored?
The thing is, UNBROKEN doesn't even look that good. It's a fairly uninspiring look that Deakins and Jolie gave it. It's golden because he was an Olympian!
I reckon it'll be Birdman (especially if it's going to win Best Picture in which case it needs to win a couple more, no?), but I'd love to see MR TURNER or IDA win, especially the former.
We are not men, We are Chivo.
We are not men, We are Chivo.