In this film, Wong Kar Wai cooperated with the two, probably best, contemporary cinematographers in Asian cinema, Christopher Doyle, and Mark Lee Pong Bing, resulting in a true visual masterpiece.
The three of them used the camera in a way that gives the audience the sense that they are picking in on the action while focusing on the protagonists every move and look, through the extensive use of slow motion. These two tactics are exemplified in the scene where Su Li-zhen and Chow Mo-wan are sitting together, waiting for the rain to stop and the one in the end, where Chow is whispering in a hole in the wall of Angkor Wat.
17. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (Ang Lee, 2000, Taiwan)
The film …show more content…
Through the eyes of 12-year-old Osama, whose harsh family circumstances become even worse upon the arrival of Taliban, Siddiq Barmak presents pictures of painful reality, and particularly of the life of women, in the filthy streets and alleys of occupied Kabul. In that fashion he managed to convey as visual emotion as possible, from as close to his subject as possible.
21. Memories of Murder (Bong Joon-ho, 2003, S. Korea)
One of the masterpieces of contemporary S. Korean cinema, "Memories of Murder" features great script, direction and acting, and cinematography.
Kim Hyung-ku did a spectacular job in this aspect, presenting images of rare beauty from the everyday life in the rural Korea of the 80’s. The film holds the record for the most shooting locations in the country, in an effort to portray the circumstances of the era as realistically as possible.
Furthermore, he managed to give the rural town the film takes place in a dark and ominous sense, which exemplifies the fact that danger is everywhere, in taverns, in the woods, in tunnels, even at the police …show more content…
Liang mostly selected static and lengthy shots that seem to perfectly fit the decaying and realistic atmosphere he wants to portray. In fact, every scene in this film except one is a single take, while he frequently alters between long-shots and close ups.
29. The Eternal Zero (Takashi Yamazaki, 2013, Japan)
One of the best Japanese films of latest years, "The Eternal Zero" may have spawned much controversy due to the presentation of its subject, but the fact remains that, visually, it is stunning.
Kozo Shibasaki, the cinematographer and Takashi Yamazaki wonderfully implemented Toho's large budget in order to present impressive images of the skies and seas, where dogfights and naval battles occur. The sequences of Pearl Harbor, Battle of Midway and the Bombing of Rabaul are evidents of this prowess, as the kinetic aerial cinematography works faultlessly.
30. The Assassin (Hou Hsiao Hsen, 2015, Taiwan)
Hou Hsiao Hsen took a chance in Wuxia, in a film that spawned much controversy, particularly among fans of the genre, but was undeniably gorgeous, with Hou and Mark Lee Ping Bin proving their prowess, once