The Ten Best Cinematic Shots of 2009
One of the best online features each year
One of the better features around the blogosphere each year is Kris Tapley's "Top 10 Shots" piece, and not because he comes up with ten shots I always agree with — which doesn't matter in the first place — but that he so excellently gives his reasons for each choice as well as includes a brief commentary from the director of photography that captured the image.
This year I wasn't at all on the same page with his numbers 6-10, although I do agree with his inclusion of Up in the Air, just not the particular frame. However, his top five is excellent. The shot he chose from Public Enemies is damn near a no-brainer as it is not only emotionally striking, but it also goes to the theme of the entire film. The shot from The Hurt Locker is one that stops your heart the first time you see it, whether it was in a trailer or inside the film. The shot from The Cove is an excellent choice and one I didn't necessarily even consider until he mentioned it and the shot from Paranormal Activity proves Tapley is truly thinking about this list rather than just hammering out a list made up of gorgeous lighting… composition must be considered. The shot's overall effect on the film is more important than how pretty it is, which is why I was so excited to see his choice from Precious.
A seemingly innocent shot of boiling pig's feet, described as a "cauldron of bubbling mess" by cinematographer Andrew Dunn is so much more. The scene surrounding this one shot set a dramatic tone for the rest of the film. In my review I said there were times the film "made my stomach turn" and this would be one of those times. It was visual storytelling at its finest and I'm happy to see Tapley didn't let it go unnoticed.
Of the ten films Tapley lists, only Barry Ackroyd's work on The Hurt Locker was nominated for an Oscar, although he does give Oscar-nominated Robert Richardson a nod in his honorable mention for Inglourious Basterds.
So be sure to check out both parts one and two of Tapley's 2009 list and you can click here for his 2008 list (I love the comment by Deakins on Revolutionary Road) and here for his 2007 list (the shot from Atonement makes me surprised he didn't include A Single Man this year although he does give it an honorable nod).
I have actually been working on a weekly feature along these lines for over a year now and was hoping I would have already started featuring it on the site, but things got in the way and it will just have to wait a little while longer.
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thanks for having respect for fellow journalists, seems to be getting rare these days, yes i love this piece, and id love to see what youd think the top 10 shots of the year was to, gotta love cinematography
Kris always does such a good job with this list. 2009 was no exception.
Brad, are there any notable shots you'd like to mention that would have perhaps made your top ten? My list would have look pretty similar to Tapley's in terms of the films, but I probably would have gone with different shots from each film.
For example, in Up in the Air, I would have picked the zoom out shot of Clooney drinking alone in his hotel room, looking out the window.
As many problems as The Lovely Bones had, it's tough to pick against the shot from that film that Kris included. If you ask me, the first thirty minutes of that film was quite impressive, and the shots in the cornfield were a big reason why. I think it's one Susie was killed that the film fell apart.
great article, thanks for pointing it out
There were a few shots that were not listed that maybe should have been:
1) Inglourious Basterds – The shot looking up at Lt. Aldo and The Bear Jew after they just carved the Nazi.
2) Avatar – The shot of Jake looking up at the Floating Mountains from his helicopter.
3) District 9 – The shot of the massive floating space ship.
4) Inglourious Basterds – The shot of Shoshana's face projected on the smoke in the burning theatre.
5) Precious – The opening shot of the red ribbon tied to the street light.
SPOILERS
In my opinion, the best shot of 2009 is easily Shosanna and Fredrick Zoller lying on the floor, dead and bloody, looking like tragic lovers from above. Combined with Morricone's music, it was simply incredible.
Where the Wild Things Are, Avatar, D9, Watchmen (how could he have forgotten it?) also had lots of great shots.
Some good and very memorable shots are displayed; however, I was a little shocked that Transformers 2 ended up getting mentioned over Avatar. There is a couple of shots worth mentioning from James Cameron's epic.
1. When Sully climbs to the top of "home-tree" for the first time with Ney-tiri and he looks over the edge – breaktaking.
2. The shot of the Navi ducking as the wind from the helicopter's blades beats down on them; just great stuff.
This one was pretty good too: link