THE PARALLAX VIEW | Dir. Alan J. Pakula | 1974 | 102 min

Investigative reporter Joe Frady (Warren Beatty) discovers that the assassination of a US senator wasn’t an isolated incident. His investigation leads him to suspect the Parallax Corporation was involved and soon, Frady finds himself in a larger than life conspiracy.

The Parallax View is the second “Willis” film that forms our Spotlight Series on American cinematographers Gordon Willis and Haskell Wexler. To learn more about this series, read our Whitepaper written by Cinematheque Board Member and Programmer Felicia Glatz:

EXCERPT: “Gordon Willis carefully dissects the screen, relegating action to miniscule but sterilely lit portions of his frame. These highly dichotomous compositions lead us to the most literal and significant interpretations, something he has mastered and recurrently exercises for maximal impact. Joseph Frady (Warren Beatty) a journalist on the run divulges classified and dangerous information to his editor Bill Rintels (Hume Cronyn) in his tiny glass office, a vivarium floating in a dark newspaper room. Frady, who has penetrated an elite assassin’s recruitment facility, follows them into the shadows where they carry out their orders robotically. Their world is opaque and all consuming; likewise, Willis’s darkness gradually strangles the light into submission. The second of three collaborations between himself and Alan J Pakula, The Parallax View (1974) synthesizes the most politically subversive themes with finely tuned formal delivery. A collective suspicion stemming from the highly investigated and even more so theorized JFK assassination, humors Pakula’s critique of a lone patsy narrative.”

To read the full Whitepaper click HERE.

Awards
Avoriaz Fantastic Film Festival 1975 - Won (Critics Award | Alan J. Pakula)
Edgar Allan Poe Awards 1975 - Nominated (Edgar, Best Motion Picture | David Giler, Lorenzo Semple Jr.)
National Society of Film Critics Awards, USA 1975 - Won (NSFC Award, Best Cinematography | Gordon Willis).
Writers Guild of America, USA 1975 - Nominated (WGA Award (Screen), Best Drama Adapted from Another Medium | David Giler, Lorenzo Semple Jr. )

The Parallax View is the fifth selection in our SPOTLIGHT: WILLIS AND WEXLER series.

KLUTE | Dir. Alan J. Pakula | 1971 | 104 min

New York call girl Bree Daniels (Jane Fonda) unwittingly becomes enmeshed in the investigation of a business executive’s disappearance. Detective John Klute (Donald Sutherland), who has been hired to look into the disappearance, follows Bree, eventually becoming romantically involved with her. When he discovers that Bree is the next target, they must figure out who is after her before it is too late.

Klute is the first “Willis” film in our Spotlight Series on American cinematographers Gordon Willis and Haskell Wexler. To learn more about this intriguing series, read our Whitepaper written by Cinematheque Board Member and Programmer Felicia Glatz:

EXCERPT: “Gordon Willis’ 1971 crime thriller Klute centers on Bree (Jane Fonda) a New York call girl. The subject of John Klute’s (Donald Sutherland) missing person’s investigation, she occupies the majority of our attention on and off screen, a feature of Fonda’s magnetism in general. The two maintain a restrained chemistry, coming together in an awkward symbiosis in order to find answers and protection. Steeped in era specific regalia, Alan J Pakula points demandingly toward the glaring discourses of women’s liberation, prostitution, and anti-Vietnam war sentiment. Enhancing these themes of course is Willis’ meditative lens, patiently surveilling our main characters as they negotiate control and comfort. It is also an example of Willis’ strict but effective geometry, tight interiors and likewise slowly constrictive shots personify the danger stalking forever just outside of frame.”

To read the full Whitepaper click HERE.

Awards
Academy Awards, USA 1972 - Won (Oscar, Best Actress in a Leading Role | Jane Fonda), Nominated (Oscar, Best Writing, Story and Screenplay Based on Factual Material or Material Not Previously Published or Produced | Andy Lewis, David E. Lewis)
Golden Globes, USA 1972 - Won (Golden Globe, Best Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama | Jane Fonda), Nominated (Golden Globe, Best Screenplay - Motion Picture | Andy Lewis, David P. Lewis) 
BAFTA Awards 1972 - Nominated (BAFTA Film Award, Best Actress | Jane Fonda)
Edgar Allan Poe Awards 1972 - Nominated (Edgar, Best Motion Picture | Andy Lewis, David P. Lewis)
Fotogramas de Plata 1973 - Won (Fotogramas de Plata, Best Foreign Movie Performer (Mejor intérprete de cine extranjero) | Jane Fonda)
Gotham Awards 1999 - Won (Classic Film Tribute Award)
Image Awards 1971 - Won (Image Award, Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture | Donald Sutherland, Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture | Jane Fonda)
Kansas City Film Critics Circle Awards 1971 - Won (KCFCC Award, Best Actress | Jane Fonda) 
National Society of Film Critics Awards, USA 1971 - Won (NSFC Award, Best Actress | Jane Fonda) 
New York Film Critics Circle Awards 1971 - Won (NYFCC Award, Best Actress | Jane Fonda)
Writers Guild of America, USA 1972 - Nominated (WGA Award (Screen), Best Drama Written Directly for the Screen | Andy Lewis, David P. Lewis)

Klute is the fourth selection in our SPOTLIGHT: WILLIS AND WEXLER series.

MEDIUM COOL | Dir. Haskell Wexler | 1969 | 111 min

Haskell Wexler’s feature debut, Medium Cool immerses the viewer into one of the most tumultuous times in 1960s Chicago. Starring Robert Forster, Verna Bloom, and Peter Bonerz, the film follows TV news cameraman, John Cassellis (Forster) as he captures daring footage of the social unrest in Chicago surrounding the 1968 Democratic National Convention. His ability to maintain professional detachment is challenged when he discovers that the TV network has been quietly cooperating with the FBI; igniting in Cassellis the need to join the fight against the establishment. 

Medium Cool is the third “Wexler” film that forms our Spotlight Series on American cinematographers Gordon Willis and Haskell Wexler. To learn more about our Spotlight Series, read our Whitepaper written by Cinematheque Board Member and Programmer Felicia Glatz:

EXCERPT: “Medium Cool, Wexler’s ultimate film appeared in 1969. He financed, directed, loosely wrote, and shot it during the 1968 Democratic convention mummifying the riotous demonstrations that enveloped Chicago’s Michigan Avenue. The footage he collected became the explosive climax for his spontaneous and largely improvised depiction of a TV cameraman John Cassellis (Robert Foster) capturing and meditating upon the imagery of his time. Wexler’s cameraman ushers us through the chaotic and authentically uncontrolled public demonstrations. Working off of a cobbled script at best, Medium Cool is less about narrative than it is a barometer of the political climate, this is perhaps the key to understanding it as a key cultural text. As Roger Ebert insists, ‘To understand it is to understand Wexler's structure and purpose. To understand the way Medium Cool is put together is to understand something about the way real events get transferred onto film. That's Medium Cool's message on the level of story.’”

- To read the whole White Paper click HERE.

Awards
Directors Guild of America, USA 1970 - Nominated (DGA Award, Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures | Haskell Wexler)
Mannheim-Heidelberg International Filmfestival 1969 - Won (Grand Prize, Haskell Wexler) Tied with 322 (1969).
National Film Preservation Board, USA 2003 - Won (National Film Registry)
National Society of Film Critics Awards, USA 1970 - Nominated (NSFC Award, Best Actress | Verna Bloom, Best Supporting Actress | Verna Bloom, Best Cinematography | Haskell Wexler)

Medium Cool is the third selection in our SPOTLIGHT: WILLIS AND WEXLER series.

IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT | Dir. Norman Jewison | 1967 | 109 min

After being falsely accused of murder by Police Chief Bill Gillespie (Rod Steiger), African-American police detective Virgil Tibbs (Sidney Poitier) eventually joins forces with Gillespie to track down the real killer. Their investigation takes them through every social level of the racially charged town of Sparta, Mississippi, with Tibbs making enemies as well as unlikely friends as he hunts for the truth.

In the Heat of the NIght is the second “Wexler” film that forms our Spotlight Series on American cinematographers Gordon Willis and Haskell Wexler. To learn more about this scintillating series, read our Whitepaper written by Cinematheque Board Member and Programmer Felicia Glatz:

EXCERPT: “The same year that Wexler collected his academy award, he filmed Norman Jewison’s In the Heat of the Night. In an interview with Trevor Hogg, Wexler recalled some of “daring” technical innovations that he brought with him to the project. Lighting was of course a crucial feature in the film and Wexler pulled out all the stops to increase and convey the intensity of each scene through light design. In conversation with Trevor Hogg, he recalled “I put airplane landing lights into cars so that the intensity of lights were adequate to deal with colour.” Many scenes benefited greatly from Wexler’s soft bounced light, achieved through the use of umbrellas and diffusers or sometimes reflected right off of the ceiling. Littered with moments of shaky hand-held shots to uncomfortably intrusive close-ups, this portrayal of a painfully insular town brings racial tension to a boil. Pitting Virgil Tibbs (Sydney Poitier) and Sheriff Gillespie (Rob Steiger) toe to toe in the most claustrophobic interiors, exaggerating the vast nothingness bordering the bigoted town. Tibbs treads carefully among the backwoods crowd of suspects intent on maintaining his own integrity and that of the law.”

- To READ the whole White Paper click here.

Awards
Academy Awards, USA 1968 - Won (Oscar, Best Picture | Walter Mirisch, Best Actor in a Leading Role | Rod Steiger, Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium | Stirling Silliphant, Best Sound, Best Film Editing | Hal Ashby), Nominated (Oscar, Best Director | Norman Jewison, Best Effects, Sound Effects | James Richard)
Golden Globes, USA 1968 - Won (Golden Globe, Best Motion Picture - Drama, Best Actor - Drama | Rod Steiger, Best Screenplay | Stirling Silliphant), Nominated (Golden Globe, Best Director | Norman Jewison, Best Actor - Drama | Sidney Poitier, Best Supporting Actress | Lee Grant, Best Supporting Actress | Quentin Dean)
BAFTA Awards 1968 - Won (BAFTA Film Award, Best Foreign Actor | Rod Steiger), Won
(UN Award | Norman Jewison), Nominated (BAFTA Film Award, Best Film from any Source | Norman Jewison, Best Foreign Actor | Sidney Poitier)
American Cinema Editors, USA 1968 - Nominated (Eddie, Best Edited Feature Film | Hal Ashby)
Directors Guild of America, USA 1968 - Nominated (DGA Award, Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures | Norman Jewison)
Edgar Allan Poe Awards 1968 - Won (Edgar, Best Motion Picture | Stirling Silliphant)
Grammy Awards 1968 - Nominated (Grammy, Best Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or Television Show | Quincy Jones)
Kansas City Film Critics Circle Awards 1967 - Won (KCFCC Award, Best Actor | Rod Steiger) Tied with Paul Scofield for A Man for All Seasons (1966).
Laurel Awards 1968 - Won (Golden Laurel | Drama, Male Dramatic Performance | Rod Steiger), Nominated (Golden Laurel, Male Dramatic Performance | Sidney Poitier)
National Film Preservation Board, USA 2002 - Won (National Film Registry)
National Society of Film Critics Awards, USA 1968 - Won (NSFC Award, Best Actor
Rod Steiger. Best Cinematography | Haskell Wexler)
New York Film Critics Circle Awards 1967 - Won (NYFCC Award | Best Film, Best Actor | Rod Steiger), Nominated (NYFCC Award, Best Director | Norman Jewison). Tied with Arthur Penn for Bonnie and Clyde (1967).
Online Film & Television Association 2016 - Won (OFTA Film Hall of Fame, Motion Picture)
Sant Jordi Awards 1969 - Won (Sant Jordi, Best Foreign Film (Mejor Película Extranjera) | Norman Jewison, Best Performance in a Foreign Film (Mejor Interpretación en Película Extranjera) | Rod Steiger, For The Loved One and No Way to Treat a Lady)
Writers Guild of America, USA 1968 - Nominated (WGA Award (Screen), Best Written American Drama | Stirling Silliphant)

In the Heat of the Night is the second title in our SPOTLIGHT: WILLIS AND WEXLER series.

WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF? | Dir. Mike Nichols | 1966 | 131 min

Wexler was brought on to work on Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? rather late in the project, Harry Straddling had laid the ground work for the Photography but ultimately refused to film the picture in Black and White. Armed with his old hand-held camera, Wexler illuminated this adaptation of Edward Albee’s 1963 play. Using a mobile camera, carefully curated lighting, and his signature stacked lenses, he hurls is audience straight into the line of fire between Martha (Elizabeth Taylor) and George (Richard Burton), a married couple determined to gut one another while luring a young couple into their zero-sum game.

Rife with controversy, from the provocative content to the deeply political subtext, Albee’s play was a challenging and bold piece of work. Revolutionary for its time, Mike Nichol’s film adaptation overcame many obstacles and censorship barriers eventually winning 5 awards including best Cinematography at the 1967 Academy Award. Wexler’s acceptance speech was so essential and still so telling of his character, he said “I hope we can use our art for love and peace,” a sentiment that shines through every film he contributed to. READ MORE

Awards
ACADEMY AWARDS, USA 1967 - Won (Oscar, Best Actress in a Leading Role | Elizabeth Taylor, Best Actress in a Supporting Role | Sandy Dennis, Best Cinematography, Black-and-White | Haskell Wexler, Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Black-and-White | Richard Sylbert, George James Hopkins, Best Costume Design, Black-and-White | Irene Sharaff), Nominated - (Oscar, Best Picture | Ernest Lehman, Best Actor in a Leading Role | Richard Burton, Best Actor in a Supporting Role | George Segal, Best Director | Mike Nichols, Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium | Ernest Lehman, Best Sound | George Groves (Warner Bros. SSD), Best Film Editing | Sam O'Steen, Best Music, Original Music Score | Alex North)
GOLDEN GLOBES, USA 1967 - Nominated (Golden Globe, Best Motion Picture - Drama, Best Director | Mike Nichols, Best Actress - Drama | Elizabeth Taylor, Best Actor - Drama | Richard Burton, Best Supporting Actress | Sandy Dennis, Best Supporting Actor | George Segal, Best Screenplay | Ernest Lehman)
BAFTA AWARDS 1967 - Won (BAFTA Film Award, Best British Actress | Elizabeth Taylor, Best Film from any Source | Mike Nichols, Best British Actor | Richard Burton, For The Spy Who Came in from the Cold)
AMERICAN CINEMA EDITORS, USA 1967 - Nominated (Eddie, Best Edited Feature Film | Sam O'Steen)
BAMBI AWARDS 1968 - Won (Bambi, Best Actress - International | Elizabeth Taylor, Best Actor - International | Richard Burton)
DIRECTORS GUILD OF AMERICA, USA 1967 - Nominated (DGA Award, Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures | Mike Nichols)
GRAMMY AWARDS 1967 - Nominated (Grammy, Best Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or Television Show | Alex North)
KANSAS CITY FILM CRITICS CIRCLE AWARDS 1966 - Won (KCFCC Award, Best Film
Best Actress | Elizabeth Taylor)
LAUREL AWARDS 1967 - Won (Golden Laurel, Drama, Male Dramatic Performance | Richard Burton, Female Dramatic Performance | Elizabeth Taylor, Female Supporting Performance | Sandy Dennis), Nominated (Golden Laurel, Male Supporting Performance | George Segal)
NATIONAL BOARD OF REVIEW, USA 1967 - Won (NBR Award, Best Actress | Elizabeth Taylor), Top Ten Films
NATIONAL FILM PRESERVATION BOARD, USA 2013 - Won (National Film Registry)
National Society of Film Critics Awards, USA 1967 - Nominated (NSFC Award, Best Actor | Richard Burton. Tied with Max von Sydow for Hawaii (1966) in 2nd place, Best Film)
NEW YORK FILM CRITICS CIRCLE AWARDS 1966 - Won (NYFCC Award, Best Actress | Elizabeth Taylor, Tied with Lynn Redgrave for Georgy Girl (1966).), Nominated (NYFCC Award, Best Actor | Richard Burton, Best Film)
ONLINE FILM & TELEVISION ASSOCIATION AWARDS 2013 - Won (OFTA Film Hall of Fame, Motion Picture)
WRITERS GUILD OF AMERICA, USA 1967 - Won (WGA Award (Screen) , Best Written American Drama | Ernest Lehman)

Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? is the first selection in our SPOTLIGHT: WILLIS AND WEXLER series.