VILMOS ZSIGMOND

(16 June 1930 - 1 January 2016)

The Hungarian cinematographer spent five years as Director of Photography in a Budapest film studio and with his friend László Kovács they filmed the 1956 Hungarian Revolution, taking the footage to the US to sell to CBS. They then both stayed in America and subsequently worked together on The Summer Children (1965), a low-budget drama whose only saving grace was the cinematography. Zsigmond’s first US film was The Sadist (1963), one of several independent films he shot in his early days. The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Mixed-Up Zombies (1964) was another, allegedly the first monster musical. Its title was the most interesting thing about it. Future projects, however, got better and in 1971 Zsigmond shot Robert Altman’s McCabe and Mrs Miller, which was followed in quick succession by The Hired Hand, Deliverance, The Long Goodbye and Scarecrow. Spielberg used him on The Sugarland Express and Close Encounters of the Third Kind (for which Zsigmond won an Oscar), Michael Cimino hired him for The Deer Hunter (Bafta Award) and Heaven’s Gate, while Brian De Palma secured his services for Obsession, Blow Out, The Bonfire of the Vanities and The Black Dahlia. Other films include Stalin for television (Emmy Award), Sliver, Maverick, Jersey Girl, The Rose, The Witches of Eastwick, plus for Woody Allen Melinda and Melinda, Cassandra’s Dream and You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger. Zsigmond was very particular in his working methods, often using special filters and slightly exposing the film negative to give a muted effect. Not everybody agreed with his style and he was nearly shown the door on Close Encounters and was replaced on Funny Lady, because his results were considered too dark for a musical film. Despite that, Zsigmond was given recognition by the American Society of Cinematographers with a Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2008 James Chressanthis’ documentary film No Subtitles Necessary paid tribute to the work of both Zsigmond and his friend and colleague László Kovács (1933-2007) who also photographed many major US features such as Targets, Easy Rider, Five Easy Pieces, What’s Up, Doc?, Paper Moon, Shampoo, New York, New York, Ghostbusters etc.

MICHAEL DARVELL