Recent Obituaries, Classic Films Only

[Auggie]

106. Michael Ballhaus, cinematographer (Goodfellas)

Michael Ballhaus, a cinematographer who brought lyricism and light to films by Martin Scorsese, Rainer Werner Fassbinder and a string of other eminent directors, died on Tuesday at his home in Berlin. He was 81.

His manager, Angela Carbonetti, confirmed the death, after a short illness.

Mr. Ballhaus, who began his career as a television camera operator in his native Germany, became one of the most sought-after cinematographers in the world. Nominated for three Academy Awards, he masterminded the look of pictures as visually diverse as latter-day noir, sanguinary gangster films and music videos.

With a filmography of more than 100 pictures, he worked alongside Mike Nichols, Francis Ford Coppola, Paul Newman, Robert Redford and Barry Levinson, among other directors.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/14/arts/michael-ballhaus-cinematographer-dead.html?_r=0

His famous one-take Copacabana Shot from Goodfellas, below. As someone posted on Facebook, "the bravado of that sequence represents the bravado of that character" -- smart way to sum it up.

Hats off to Ballhaus, Martin Scorcese, all the gaffers, assorted crew, actors, etc for pulling off that flawless endeavor.