Cinematographer Gordon Willis, who worked on the Godfather series as well as several of Woody Allen’s films, died on Sunday evening. He was 82.
American Society of Cinematographers president Richard Crudo was effusive in his praise for Willis in an interview with Deadline, saying:
“This is a momentous loss. [Willis] was one of the giants who absolutely changed the way movies looked. Up until the time of The Godfather 1 and 2, nothing previously shot looked that way. He changed the way films looked and the way people looked at films.”
Here’s a video from the same Deadline report of Willis elaborating on his stylistic choices in The Godfather, a film that won three Oscars and is widely considered as one of the greatest movies of all-time:
Willis won Honorary Oscar in 2009 for his lifetime of work. RIP.
[via EW]
