Language of the Image: Vittorio Storaro

Renowned cinematographer Vittorio Storaro turns seventy-eight today, but don’t let his age fool you: His iconic work remains as timeless as ever. Because his father was a projectionist, young Storaro spent much of his time watching movies from a projection booth, in silence. Consequently, he came to believe that a film’s images should tell stories by themselves. Drawing heavily on classic painters for inspiration, Storaro’s use of light and color to create meaningful imagery is unparalleled. He has worked with countless directors, from Francis Ford Coppola to Bernardo Bertolucci, and has cultivated a rich and distinct visual style. In our latest installment of Language of the Image, we dive in and celebrate an artist whose work is sure to influence generations of cinematographers to come.
If you’re not familiar with the work of Vittorio Storaro, you should be. Check out two films he shot, The Bird with the Crystal Plumage and Flamenco, Flamenco, streaming now on Fandor. While you’re here, you can also see our previous installments of Language of the Image, in which we look at the visual work of Bradford Young and Rachel Morrison. And if you still can’t get enough cinematography, check out our list of essential women cinematographers and our profile of the inimitable Roger Deakins.

[@danieldiasdossantos]

Um grande diretor de fotografia! Muito marcante!

[@maru7518]

I love the sound of the narrator's voice so much!! So soulful and soothing! Love it!

[@senoj.rednaxela]

Kind of bummed you didn't talk about Storaro's work on Dick Tracy. He uses some fabulous colors in that movie

[@Marco_Venieri]

will you make a video about fellini?

[@benwatford3068]

What’s the deal with the poor audio quality

[@jeanvuvu6900]

One of "Barry Lyndon" music

[@arcp_]

The curious thing about Caravaggio is that his theatrical and dramatically lit paintings were propaganda-driven. The Chatolic Church needed a clear, direct way of communicating after the Council of Trento (Martin Luther shook Europe pretty hard) and those amazing bodies contrasting the dark backgrounds were the answer. God bless the the thirst of power!

[@greytoeimp]

You know who liked Storaro and wanted to make films? Gia Carangi

[@Sincy202]

you guys have to up the volume on the voiceover its always so difficult to hear, but big ups on inclusivity.

[@mox.kartal]

terrible narration

[@PyroNexus22]

What's the point of having smb narrate your video, when they have such strong accent and poor audio quality?