Joel and Ethan Coen's multiple Oscar winning film is an adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's 2005 novel is set in 1980 in West Texas, where purloined drug money sets in motion the action of the film.
The Coen brothers share writing and directing credits that have Llewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin) stumbling on a suitcase containing $2 million dollars at the site of drug deal gone bad. Fleeing with the money and a guilty conscience, he is hunted down by hired gun Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem), a cold-blooded killer hell-bent on retrieving the cash.
As Moss scrambles to hang on to the money and his life, small-town sheriff Ed Tom Bell (Tommy Lee Jones) closes in on both men in a cat-and-mouse game that is unrelenting until final credits roll.
No Country for Old Men not only is chockablock full of incredible performances by Jones, Bardem and Brolin – but also behind-the-scenes as well.
Award winning cinematographer Roger Deakins was nominated for two Oscars for cinematography for the 80th Academy Awards, one for setting the mood for the Coen brother's art in perfect frames and light, and the other film he was up for was "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford."
Deakins, 58, has made his stamp as a master of his craft. He is probably best known as the longtime director of photography for the Coen brothers. He's shot all nine of their movies since 1991's "Barton Fink."
He grew up in the seaside south of England, and began as a still photographer before going to film school. Along with his extensive work with the Coen brothers, Deakins has lensed "A Beautiful Mind," "Sid and Nancy", "White Mischief", "House of Sand and Fog" and "Jarhead among many films," and he has received previous Oscar nominations for "O Brother, Where Art Thou?", "Fargo", "The Man Who Wasn't There," "The Shawshank Redemption" and "Kundun."
Monsters and Critics was fortunate to have a chat with Roger Deakins on Friday.
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Deakins:
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Deakins:
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Deakins:
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Deakins:
I used an Agfa emulsion for films like 'White Mischief' and 'Mountains of the Moon' but that was discontinued so I now use Kodak stock for the most part.
The big change in the way I work has been in the area of post. Since working with a digital grade on 'O Brother Where Art Thou' I have finished most of the films I have worked on with the use of a Digital Intermediary. The original negative is scanned and the images timed from the digital file before being outputted back to create a film negative.
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Deakins:
There was a night-time scene in 'Jarhead', set in the light of the oil fires of Kuwait, where the main character, Swofford, comes upon a horse drenched in oil. We shot the scene on stage at Universal with flickering lighting and a hand held camera. It was a fake situation but incredibly moving to shoot and a powerful scene in the film.
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Deakins:
A list of his accomplishments demonstrates the “Less is more!” style has served Deakins well:
AFI Awards, USA
2002 Won AFI Film Award AFI Cinematographer of the Year for: The Man Who Wasn't There (2001)Academy Awards, USA
2008 Nominated Oscar Best Achievement in Cinematography for: The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007)
Best Achievement in Cinematography for: No Country for Old Men (2007)
1997 Nominated Oscar Best Cinematography for: Fargo (1996)
1995 Nominated Oscar Best Cinematography for: The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
American Society of Cinematographers, USA
2008 Nominated ASC Award Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography in Theatrical Releases for: The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007)
Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography in Theatrical Releases for: No Country for Old Men (2007)
2001 Nominated ASC Award Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography in Theatrical Releases for: O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000)
1995 Won ASC Award Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography in Theatrical Releases for: The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
BAFTA Awards
2008 Won BAFTA Film Award Best Cinematography for: No Country for Old Men (2007)
2001 Nominated BAFTA Film Award Best Cinematography for: O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000)
1997 Nominated BAFTA Film Award Best Cinematography for: Fargo (1996)
Boston Society of Film Critics Awards
2001 Won BSFC Award Best Cinematography for: The Man Who Wasn't There (2001)British Society of Cinematographers
2001 Won Best Cinematography Award for: O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000)
1994 Nominated Best Cinematography Award for: The Hudsucker Proxy (1994)
Camerimage
2001 Won Special Award (shared with Joel Coen and Ethan Coen) To a team for outstanding achievements in the field of the art of cinematography.
Nominated Golden Frog for: The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
Ethan Coen, Joel Coen, Roger Deakins shooting O Brother, Where Art Thou?
Chicago Film Critics Association Awards 2007 Won CFCA Award Best Cinematography for: The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007)
Nominated CFCA Award Best Cinematography for: No Country for Old Men (2007)Chlotrudis Awards
2002 Nominated Chlotrudis Award Best Cinematography for: The Man Who Wasn't There (2001)
Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Awards
2007 Won DFWFCA Award Best Cinematography for: The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007)Evening Standard British Film Awards
2005 Won Evening Standard British Film Award - Best Technical/Artistic AchievementFlorida Film Critics Circle Awards
2007 Won FFCC Award Best Cinematography for: No Country for Old Men (2007)Hawaii International Film Festival
2000 - Excellence in Cinematography Award Independent Spirit Awards
1997 Won Independent Spirit Award - Best Cinematography for: Fargo (1996)
1992 Nominated Independent Spirit Award - Best Cinematography for: Homicide (1991)
Las Vegas Film Critics Society Awards
2000 Won Sierra Award Best Cinematography for: O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000)
London Critics Circle Film Awards
1995 Won ALFS Award British Technical Achievement of the Year for: The Hudsucker Proxy (1994)
Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards
2001 Won LAFCA Award Best Cinematography for: The Man Who Wasn't There (2001)National Board of Review, USA
2007 - Career Achievement Award for cinematography.National Society of Film Critics Awards, USA
1998 Won NSFC Award Best Cinematography for: Kundun (1997)
1992 Won NSFC Award Best Cinematography for: Barton Fink (1991)
Roger Deakins and M. Night Shyamalan shooting The Village
New York Film Critics Circle Awards
1997 Won NYFCC Award Best Cinematographer for: Kundun (1997)
1991 Won NYFCC Award Best Cinematographer for: Barton Fink (1991)
Online Film Critics Society Awards
2008 Won OFCS Award Best Cinematography for: No Country for Old Men (2007)
Nominated OFCS Award Best Cinematography for: The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007)
2002 Won OFCS Award Best Cinematography for: The Man Who Wasn't There (2001)
Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards
2002 Nominated PFCS Award Best Cinematography for: The Man Who Wasn't There (2001)San Diego Film Critics Society Awards
2007 Won SDFCS Award Best Cinematography for: No Country for Old Men (2007)Satellite Awards
2007 Nominated Satellite Award Best Cinematography for: The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007)
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