Sven Nykvist has died. I’m more stunned about this than I thought I’d be. Nykvist was one of my favorite cinematographers of all time, up there with John Alton and Gregg Toland and Stanley Cortez, producing gorgeous shadows and lush browns and…
Man, I’m really going to have to think about this when I have my head on straight.
I’ll see if I can turn up a tribute to the man later. But for the moment, do yourself a favor and check out Persona or Cries and Whispers or Crimes and Misdemeanors or The Unbearable Lightness of Being. The man was good. And it will be years before we see anyone along the likes of Nykvist again.
Links:
- Images and complete filmography.
- Nykvist receiving ASC Lifetime Achievement Award
- Harvard Film Archive retrospective (2000)
- Flickr group devoted to “Sven Nykvist-ish photography.”
- A conversation with Sven Nykvist.
- Metroactive review of Light Keeps Me Company.
- David Hudson on Nykvist (with more links).
- Bright Lights Film Journal.
- Kodak’s Sven Nykvist Schoalrship.
© 2006, Edward Champion. All rights reserved.
Sven threw down, always. If only he’d directed all the pix Ernest Dickerson ended up helming.