Vittorio Storaro

The son of a film projectionist, Storaro began his career as a director of photography around 1961, working on short films such as "Estruscologia." His first feature film work came with "Giovinezza, Giovinezza/Youthful, Youthful" (1969) for director Franco Rossi. "La Strategia del Ragno/The Spider's Stratagem" (1969), his first collaboration with Bertolucci was originally made for TV, but was considered too visually appealing to be shown on a small screen. While he and the director continued working together, Storaro was also the cinematographer of choice for other filmmakers, notably for his signature ability to convey the sensuous world around the characters (and often objects) in a film. Storaro's world is rich and textured because of or despite the characters and storyline. After working on Bertolucci's epic "1900" (1976), the director of photography began working internationally more frequently. He was the cinematographer on "Agatha" and Bertolucci's "La Luna" in 1979. In the latter, the sexual tension bursts from the screen and at times Jill Clayburgh seems to be sexually teasing the air around her. But Storaro is best known for, and received his first Academy Award for, "Apocalypse Now," his initial effort with Francis Ford Coppola, one in which evil becomes seductive and shadows rule. Warren Beatty then lured Storaro to work on "Reds" (1981), for which Storaro won his second Oscar. His work combined the needs of a period piece with the needs of political and sexual passion.In 1985, Storaro proved his ability to make leading ladies exquisite Hollywood-style, with his lighting of Michelle Pfeiffer in "Ladyhawke" (1985), one of her first major roles. Although "Ishtar" (1987), was one of the biggest disappointments in Hollywood history, no one faulted its look and with Coppola's "Tucker: The Man and His Dream," the energy of the lead character, his desires, and the overall yellowish hues become the seductress. Storaro was again nominated for an Oscar for Beatty's "Dick Tracy" (1990), which brought the comic strip to life with a full palette of whimsy and used primary colors. Also beautiful was Bertolucci's "The Sheltering Sky" (1990), which many critics panned for its content, but admitted was a visual elixir, the sand of the Sahara and the lure of adventure contrasting to harsh realities which are, themselves, perversely beautiful to behold. The audience is as reflective, and, at the same time, as relaxed as Debra Winger at the end of the film. All are bathed in afterglow. Some of Storaro's more recent films, such as Bertolucci's "Little Buddha" (1994) and Carlos Saura's "Taxi" (1996) and "Flamenco" (1997), have received less attention. Saura's "Tango" (1998), however, earned an Oscar-nomination for Best Foreign Language Film and benefited greatly from the cinematographer's input.Storaro has worked on TV projects occasionally. He was the director of photography for the 1986 Emmy-winning NBC miniseries "Peter the Great" and also for ABC's 1988 attempt to revive "Omnibus." Storaro also photographed the 1993 special "Tosca From Rome" seen in the USA on PBS' "Great Performances." Additionally, he was the lighting and photographic consultant for the "Captain 3-Eo" 3-D film shown at Disney World and Disneyland. Storaro can be seen as one of the interview subjects in the documentary "Visions of Light" (1992) and was seen working and discussing his efforts in "Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse," the 1991 documentary on the making of "Apocalypse Now."