Oscar Nominees’ Best Shots: 2023 Academy Award Contenders Stun

“The Fabelmans” Film Projector

Director: Steven Spielberg

Cinematographer: Janusz Kaminski

While “The Fabelmans” ended up being much more bleak and nuanced than the “love letter to The Movies” that many expected it to be, it still leans into the beauty of cinema at several key moments. Spielberg masterfully recreates the way he was moved by his early experiences with films — so moved that he chose to subject himself to the life of a tortured artist, as the film seems to imply. This show of a young Sammy Fabelman projecting movies onto his hands in a closet captures the way the character saw filmmaking as a way to look for control in a chaotic world. 

“Avatar: The Way of Water” Dives

Director: James Cameron

Cinematographer: Russell Carpenter

James Cameron spent much of the 13 years between his first two “Avatar” movies developing technology that would allow him to shoot motion capture scenes under water. And once we saw the Na’vi jump into the oceans of Pandora for the first time, it immediately became clear that it was worth the wait. The lifelike nature of the underwater footage was only matched by the stunningly creative depiction of Pandora’s underwater flora and fauna, creating a visual experience that might as well be this century’s version of Dorothy entering Oz. 

“Avatar: The Way of Water” Tulkun Reveal

Director: James Cameron

Cinematographer: Russell Carpenter

Our first real encounter with the Tulkun, the giant whales from Pandora who take on sacred status in Na’vi mythology, demonstrates so many of the things that Cameron does so well in his “Avatar” sequel. The use of underwater motion capture gives Cameron and Carpenter a massive canvas to demonstrate their understanding of the way light refracts. And the Tulkun itself is yet another example of the film’s stellar creature design. Then, this being a Cameron film, the shot is framed in the widest way imaginable. Epic cinema at its finest.

“All Quiet on the Western Front” Battlefield

Director: Edward Berger

Cinematographer: James Friend

Updating a classic is never easy, but Edward Berger earned rave reviews for his unflinching remake of “All Quiet on the Western Front.” His take on the material emphasized the horrors of war, and the battle scenes are appropriately shot with a gray color palette that strips them of any glamour.

“All Quiet on the Western Front” Trenches

Director: Edward Berger

Cinematographer: James Friend

The infamous trench warfare of World War I gets a fitting cinematic portrayal in “All Quiet on the Western Front.” This shot demonstrates a remarkable understanding of depth and space while utiilizing a period accurate mise en scene and the same lack of color that made the rest of the film so visually striking.

“Babylon” Bacchanal

Director: Damien Chazelle

Cinematographer: Linus Sandgren

At this point, anyone who wants to talk about “Babylon” should do the world a favor and scrub the word “excess” from their vocabulary. Damien Chazelle made a smart, nuanced epic about the ways that each wave of technological advancements in the film industry inevitably leaves a generation of artists and cinephiles behind — but those points have largely been buried in meaningless discourse about how over-the-top the opening party scene is. 

That said, the sequence is truly a sight to behold from a cinematography standpoint. Virtually every shot has the composition of a Renaissance painting, and Chazelle and Sandgren shoot everything with amber hues that make it feel historical and deeply modern at the same time. The party scene doesn’t define the whole movie, but it’s a visual marvel. 

“Babylon” Golden Hour

Director: Damien Chazelle

Cinematographer: Linus Sandgren

One of the funniest sequences in “Babylon” is the desert scene, where studio directors are scrambling to complete multiple films on the same set. Just about everything that could go wrong does, leading to a mad dash to get their last shots in before they lose the light. It’s comedic genius, but this beautiful last frame is a reminder of why everyone is willing to suffer through such craziness in pursuit of the perfect shot.

“Babylon” Manny’s Big Break

Director: Damien Chazelle

Cinematographer: Linus Sandgren

Throughout the opening scene of “Babylon,” we see how badly Manny (Diego Calva) wants to break into Hollywood. He hasn’t experienced enough of the industry to understand why he thinks it’s so great, he’s just enthralled with the fantasy. That illusion is eventually broken over the next several decades, but his first trip to movie star Jack Conrad’s house gives him a glimpse of the enchanting kingdom that he desperately wants the keys to. The soft morning lighting and his outsider status almost makes it feel like he’s walking through his own dreams — and the audience just gets to tag along for the ride.

“Everything Everywhere All at Once” Laundry and Taxes

Director: Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert

Cinematographer: Larkin Seiple

Much of the brilliance of “Everything Everywhere All at Once” comes from the Daniels’ ability to create dramatically different looks for the many universes that Evelyn explores while maintaining a coherent aesthetic. In this scene, a discussion about the mundanities of marriage and small business ownership is set against the backdrop of a glamorous Hollywood premiere. The juxtaposition illustrates just how dramatically a subject can change when you see it from a different perspective.

“Everything Everywhere All at Once” Rocks

Director: Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert

Cinematographer: Larkin Seiple

How do you know you’ve made a great multiverse movie? If the scene where two rocks speak to each other manages to be one of the funniest and most emotional scenes in the film, you’re probably off to a good start. This brief excursion to one of the duller universes still manages to be riveting — thanks in no small part to the cinematography.

“Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” Glass Onion Reveal

Director: Rian Johnson

Cinematographer: Steve Yedlin

When you build an entire movie around a unique architectural structure, the reveal has to be pretty freaking cool. Fortunately, that wasn’t a problem for Rian Johnson and his longtime cinematographer Steve Yedlin. The first time Miles Bron takes Benoit Blanc into his glass onion is a master class in combining set design and lighting to make a truly incredible series of images.

“Empire of Light” Fireworks

Director: Sam Mendes

Cinematographer: Roger Deakins

Sam Mendes’ love letter to cinema may have received mixed reviews, but you know that a movie shot by Roger Deakins is never going to look bad. Gorgeous shots like this firework scene are a reminder of why Deakins is still considered the gold standard for cinematography.

“Top Gun: Maverick” Dogfights

Director: Joseph Kosinski

Cinematographer: Claudio Miranda

At this point, everyone knows that “Top Gun: Maverick” is awesome. But after a year of the movie dominating pop culture (and possibly saving Hollywood’s ass), it can be easy to forget what an astonishing technical achievement it was to shoot the flight scenes with actors flying in actual jets. For that, Joseph Kosinski and Claudio Miranda deserve a ton of credit.

“The Banshees of Inisherin” Lonely Stroll

Director: Martin McDonagh

Cinematographer: Ben Davis

Fans of “The Banshees of Inisherin” have understandably devoted most of their praise to Martin McDonagh’s endlessly clever script and the excellent performances from the ensemble cast. But the film’s relatively small scale shouldn’t take away from its visual prowess. The movie is filled with shots of the Irish countryside that perfectly juxtapose the lush setting with the utter loneliness that the characters feel.

“TÁR” Conducting

Director: Todd Field

Cinematographer: Florian Hoffmeister

To capture the unique aesthetic of “TÁR,” Todd Field and Florian Hoffmeister used custom lenses and a new film emulsion technique to find a look that’s visually impressive without glamorizing their complicated protagonist with typical film lighting.

“Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio” Rainstorm

Director: Guillermo del Toro

Cinematographer: Frank Passingham

“Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio” is the culmination of del Toro’s years-long quest to prove that animation is just as serious an art form as live action filmmaking. And after watching the visual masterpiece, it’s hard to imagine anyone disagreeing with him. Almost any shot would be worthy of this list, but the scene where Geppetto braves a rainstorm shows how del Toro and his DP Frank Passingham applied serious cinematography principles to the animated film.

“EO” Bridge

Director: Jerzy Skolimowski

Cinematographer: Michal Dymek

One of the most unexpectedly charming films of the year was “EO,” Jerzy Skolimowski’s loose update of Robert Bresson’s “Au Hasard Balthazar.” The film follows a donkey who goes on a journey through Europe after being freed from the circus, and features plenty of breathtaking shots of its meanderings through the countryside.

“Elvis” First Concert

Director: Baz Luhrmann

Cinematographer: Mandy Walker

Love it or hate it, there’s no denying that “Elvis” struck an excellent visual balance between period and modern aesthetics. Scenes like this one — where an early Elvis concert demonstrates the powerful effect that The King would come to have on teenage girls — are shot with the electricity of a contemporary concert film to bring Elvis into the 21st century.

“The Batman” Gotham Skyline

Director: Matt Reeves

Cinematographer: Greig Fraser

Greig Fraser followed his Oscar win for “Dune: Part I” by shooting “The Batman,” and he brought the same stunning style to the DC Comics adaptation. The moody take on Batman features a noir-tinged aesthetic lit in a series of reds and oranges that makes it feel like you’re watching a very mature graphic novel. This shot of Batman looking out at the Gotham skyline is a perfect summary of the film’s style.

“The Batman” Upside Down Running

Director: Matt Reeves

Cinematographer: Greig Fraser

“The Batman” afforded Greig Fraser plenty of opportunities to flex his cinematography muscles, like this clever shot that manages to be playful and dark at the same time.