Gordon Willis is one of cinema’s great cinematographers – with many masterpieces under his name including ‘The Godfather’ films and All the Presidents Men. He also worked on some masterpieces for Woody Allen – amongst them Annie Hall to The Purple Rose Of Cairo.
Willis really helped to change Allen’s career, turning him away from his ‘gag’ films. Of his best works – say Manhattan or Stardust Memories – that cinematography plays a vital role. Just think of the glorious images in ‘Manhattan‘ alone.
But he retired almost twenty years ago now, so it’s great to see him being interviewed anew. This video comes from Craft Truck, as part of their Through A Lens series.
Split over two parts and with an hour of conversation all up, we explore the shots and the scenes that made Willis great. And there’s plenty of discussion on Allen’s work, in particular ‘Annie Hall‘, ‘Manhattan‘, ‘Stardust Memories‘ and Interiors.
It is a joy to see Willis’s work discussed for it’s own sake. It’s a great interview overall, with lots of anecdotes, laughs and minor revelations about the films you know and love. It’s very cool and well worth a watch.
