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Gordon Willis

Cinematographer

Gordon Willis

Born May 28, 1931 in Astoria, New York, USADied May 18, 201437 films

Gordon Hugh Willis, Jr., ASC (May 28, 1931 – May 18, 2014) was an American cinematographer. He is best known for his work on Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather series as well as Woody Allen's Annie Hall and Manhattan. Fellow cinematographer William Fraker called Willis's work a "milestone in visual storytelling", while one critic suggested that Willis "defined the cinematic look of the 1970s: sophisticated compositions in which bolts of light and black put the decade's moral ambiguities into stark relief".

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When the International Cinematographers Guild conducted a survey in 2003, they placed Willis among the ten most influential cinematographers in history.

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The best way into Gordon Willis's work
The Godfather posterFirst watchThe Godfather19728.7Spanning the years 1945 to 1955, a chronicle of the fictional Italian-American Corleone crime family. When organized crime family patriarch, Vito Corleone barely survives an attempt on his…View film

Essential films

Ranked by acclaim and reach

Filmography

37 films
  1. 1997The Devil's OwnDirector of Photography
  2. 1993MaliceDirector of Photography
  3. 1992The Godfather Trilogy: 1901-1980Director of Photography
  4. 1990The Godfather Part IIIDirector of Photography
  5. 1990Presumed InnocentDirector of Photography
  6. 1988Bright Lights, Big CityDirector of Photography
  7. 1987The Pick-up ArtistDirector of Photography
  8. 1986The Money PitDirector of Photography
  9. 1985PerfectDirector of Photography
  10. 1985The Purple Rose of CairoDirector of Photography
  11. 1984Broadway Danny RoseDirector of Photography
  12. 1984The Lost Honor of Kathryn BeckDirector of Photography
  13. 1983ZeligDirector of Photography
  14. 1982A Midsummer Night's Sex ComedyDirector of Photography
  15. 1981Pennies from HeavenDirector of Photography
  16. 1980Stardust MemoriesDirector of Photography
  17. 1980WindowsDirector of Photography
  18. 1979ManhattanDirector of Photography
  19. 1978Comes a HorsemanDirector of Photography
  20. 1978InteriorsDirector of Photography
  21. 1977September 30, 1955Director of Photography
  22. 1977The Beatles at Shea StadiumCamera Operator
  23. 1977Annie HallDirector of Photography
  24. 1976All the President's MenDirector of Photography
  25. 1975The Drowning PoolDirector of Photography
  26. 1974The Godfather Part IIDirector of Photography
  27. 1974The Parallax ViewDirector of Photography
  28. 1973The Paper ChaseDirector of Photography
  29. 1972Up the SandboxDirector of Photography
  30. 1972Bad CompanyDirector of Photography
  31. 1972The GodfatherDirector of Photography
  32. 1971KluteDirector of Photography
  33. 1971Little MurdersDirector of Photography
  34. 1970The People Next DoorDirector of Photography
  35. 1970The LandlordDirector of Photography
  36. 1970LovingDirector of Photography
  37. 1970End of the RoadDirector of Photography