I’m a bit of a film lover and it’s always irked me that we don’t get more quality films about photography. However, a recent post on DP Review’s forums, asking about the community’s favorite photography-themed TV shows and movies has reminded me that there are a lot more out there than you might think. Especially if you’re willing to delve a little deeper than the big hitters such as Rear Window and The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.
So, I thought I’d create a poll so you can vote for your favorite three camera-themed movies. I say camera themed, because I’ve chucked in a couple that center around filmmaking for good measure, such as The Fabelmans and Nightcrawler.
It’s also important to mention that I’ve not included any TV shows or documentaries, because the list would just be too big. I can always return to these in a separate article.
I’ll start by saying that my favorite camera-themed movie is Alfred Hitchcock’s 1954 mystery thriller, Rear Window. Photography fan or not, it’s a film everybody should see at least once. However, the camera in this film really is secondary, so it’s not what I chose as my top pick. Another honorable mention for me and a film that very much centers around photography is Minamata. This relatively recent film covers W. Eugene Smith’s Life Magazine assignment to Japan, where he documents the harrowing effects of mercury poisoning in the city of Minamata. It’s a difficult watch at times, but it sheds further light on a tragedy that is still being contested in the courts.
While not strictly a camera-themed film, I couldn’t help but include everyone’s favorite friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man. The Sam Raimi Spider-Man trilogy actually features Peter Parker’s job as a photographer for the Daily Bugle quite prominently. You can have fun spotting his cameras’ logos, which are sometimes covered up and sometimes not. And if you’re wondering why I went for Spider-Man 2, well, that’s because it’s easily the best Spider-Man film ever made.
But my top pick for my favorite camera-themed movie is Alex Garland’s Civil War. This film follows a pair of photo journalists as they document a fictional civil war in the United States. Sadly, I’m of the opinion that this film wasn’t marketed very well. The trailers and posters led me to believe that it was an action movie, when it’s actually a very well-considered commentary on the volatility of modern politics.
Finally, I’d like to mention the Lee Miller biopic, Lee. This Kate Winslet-led depiction of one of the most inspirational photographers of all time has all the hallmarks of a photography classic, but I haven’t seen it yet! Unfortunately, I missed it in the cinema and it’s not available via a Netflix or Prime subscription in the UK. Maybe I’ll just have to buy it on Blu-Ray!
If you want to learn more about some of the films in the poll, here are 30 top films about fictional photographers and our guide to the best 29 films about real photographers
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Want more movie-related content? Has color grading gone too far? This YouTube video hits on a subject I’ve pondered for years. And finally, if you're interested in picking up a camera from your favorite film, check out the best film cameras and the best mirrorless cameras.
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