Comparison of Cinematography; Chapman's Raging Bull and Storaro's Apocalypse Now

This was a difficult decision. Which is better the cinematography from Raging Bull or the camera work from Apocalypse Now. They are both great. The fighting scenes from Raging Bull are unrivaled. I've seen Rocky, all of them, and the recent Southpaw, and neither of them lives up to the shots from Raging Bull. The fight scenes are incredible. The blood goes everywhere, the punches hit hard and you feel every impact. It's too bad Chapman had to go up against Storaro and what he did in Apocalypse Now. I made a presentation about Storaro's cinematography in Now, Reds, and Emperor. All of which are excellent. In fact I was kind of an acolyte of Storaro. I thought he was the best. But Chapman is not to be outdone. I wonder what the vote count was like leading up to the awarding of the Cinematography Oscar that year. It must have close. At least I think it should have been.

I don't which is better Brando's head in the shadows or De Niro's vicious hooks to his opponents heads. The camera in Apocalypse is steadier. It stays in place and capture every movement in the silohette of Brando and Sheen. The camera in Bull is fluid; it moves around the ring, back and forth, punch after punch. I was thoroughly taken with the last shot in the ring. A boxing ring rope with blood slowly dripping onto the ground as the results of the fight of read out loud. You know La Motta lost, and you see the blood spilled in the ring. But he never went down.

I think Storaro's style was more classical. And Chapman's had a lot of contemporary influences. In documentaries I have watched about filmmaking Chapman talks about how he was influenced by the New Wave and directors like Godard with their handheld camera, on the go shooting style, and the use of real settings. So I guess I think Chapman should have won the Oscar instead of Storaro that year. Yet they were both great. I don't think anyone has rivaled either one. Both use human faces, human bodies as their subjects. They show humanity in a light that reveals emotion and adds to the plot.

Still even though I may side with Chapman, Storaro uses light and shadow in Apocalypse better than any other film I've seen. I return again and again to the shots of Brando's shaved head, dripping water over it, and moving from dark to light.

Maybe they should have given the award to both of them and declared it a tie.