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The 35 Most Beautiful Roger Deakins Shots

In celebration of his first Oscar win (on his 14th try), let’s celebrate by counting down the most beautiful shots in Roger Deakins’ prolific career.
Roger Deakins
By  · Published on March 6th, 2018

In 2018, Roger Deakins finally brought home Oscar gold. It was his 14th nomination and his first win, a crime unto itself in the world of film awards. But it’s finally happened and we (those of us who care deeply about such things) can breathe a sigh of relief.

For those who aren’t familiar with the fervor over Deakins’ work, we’d like to take a moment to provide something of a primer. The British cinematographer has been working in the film industry since his debut as the cinematographer of Ernest Abbeyquaye’s 1975 short film, Mothers Own. He primarily worked in short films through the late 70s and early 80s but found his first major break with Michael Radford’s adaptation of George Orwell’s 1984 in, well, 1984. His long and illustrious career is littered with collaborations with filmmakers such as The Coen Brothers, Sam Mendes, and more recently, Denis Villeneuve. He’s even served as a visual consultant on numerous popular animated projects such as Pixar’s Wall-E and DreamWorks’ How to Train Your Dragon.

If we were to describe his career in one word, it might be prolific. For over 30 years, Deakins has been a mainstay in the world of cinematography. On the Oscar trail, he’s been getting nominated since 1995, when he earned his first for The Shawshank Redemption. Still, as prolific as he may be, Roger Deakins has been a reliable purveyor of cinematic beauty throughout his career. As you’ll see in the list below, he’s a master of shadows and silhouettes. He’s also not afraid to toy with perspective or play in very low light situations. His style bold, but natural, often capturing the real world as it is struck with the perfect lighting. When it comes to cinematography, a mastery of light — the ability to bend it to your will — is something for which Deakins has few rivals.

To celebrate his finally winning an Oscar, we’re looking at the 25 most beautiful shots of Roger Deakins’ career, according to us: the folks who have been peddling his still frames for years on One Perfect Shot. In all of the subjects we confidently claim expertise, this might be one of our best.


35. The Big Lebowski

Big Lebowski


34. O Brother, Where Are Thou?

O Brother


33. Sid and Nancy

Sid And Nancy


32. Fargo

Fargo


31. A Serious Man

Serious Man


30. Blade Runner 2049

Blade Runner Joi


29. The Shawshank Redemption

Shawshank


28. Hail, Caesar!

Hail Caesar


27. Dead Man Walking

Dead Man Walking


26. The Hudsucker Proxy

Hudsucker Proxy


25. Kundun

Kundun


24. The Man Who Wasn’t There

Man Who Wasnt There


23. No Country for Old Men

No Country


22. Skyfall

Skyfall


21. No Country for Old Men

No Country


20. Revolutionary Road

Revolutionary Road


19. True Grit (2010)

True Grit


18. 1984


17. The Big Lebowski

Big Lebowski


16. The Big Lebowski

Big Lebowski


15. The Hudsucker Proxy

Hudsucker Proxy


14. Jarhead

Jarhead


13. Sid and Nancy

Sid And Nancy


12. Skyfall

Skyfall


11. No Country for Old Men

No Country


10. A Serious Man

A Serious Man


9. Sicario

Sicario


8. Prisoners

Prisoners


7. Barton Fink

Barton Fink


6. Fargo

Fargo


5. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford

Jesse Blocks Train


4. Blade Runner 2049

Blade Runner Vegas


3. Skyfall

Skyfall


2. The Man Who Wasn’t There

Man Who Wasnt There


1. The Shawshank Redemption

Shawshank

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