There are plenty of beautiful movies which don’t get the attention they deserve. This is sometimes because their visuals are so experimental and confronting that they don’t appeal to large audiences. In other cases, they’re low-budget movies that were never intended for everyone, but this gives them more license to get creative.
Movies can differentiate themselves from the pack with striking visuals, and more creative and unexpected approaches are always beneficial. Experimentation often creates some visually stunning movies, and these are well worth watching even if they may have flown under the radar in the past.
George Miller is most famous for directing theMad Maxfranchise, buthe has a few other gems in his filmography which don’t get enough attention.Three Thousand Years of Longingis certainly one of these, coming out in the years betweenFury RoadandFuriosato a much quieter fanfare.
The djinn’s stories take the audience on a kaleidoscopic whirlwind tour through space and time.
Three Thousand Years of Longingis a fantasy romance movie starring Tilda Swinton as a bookish loner who accidentally summons a powerful djinn, played by Idris Elba. The djinn’s stories take the audience on a kaleidoscopic whirlwind tour through space and time, with a touch of magic to add even more jaw-dropping beauty.
As the title suggests,Gretel and Hanseltakes a subversive approach to the classic Brothers Grimm fairy tale. This manifests in the story, which conceals a few surprises, but it can also be seen in the cinematography, which presents a thoughtful blend of modern horror movie imagery and old illustrations.
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As the story unravels,Gretel and Hansel’s imagery ventures further into the abstract and the perverse. This is where Oz Perkins is at his most creative, conjuring a series of hauntingly beautiful images that feed into the occult symbolism that pushes the narrative forward. The cold, sparse woodland is a great setting for magic and myth.
Gaspar Noé has always been a provocative director, both in terms of storytelling and visuals. WhileEnter the Voidisn’t quite as disturbing asIrréversible,for example, the kaleidoscopic imagery is turned up a few notches. The result is a dizzying trip that’s quite unlike any other movie, in all the best ways.
Enter the Voidhas a few neon-soaked abstract interludes, and Noé draws parallels between the tangle of neurons inside a human brain and the brightly-lit streets that criss-cross a busy city. There are some scenes inEnter the Voidwhich seem as though they were written into the story purely to capitalize on the potential of their psychedelic, in-your-face aesthetics.
Black-and-white movies don’t always have the same eye-popping impact as full-color movies, but there are a few exceptions. Movies likeCitizen KaneandPsychoare as visually striking as anything in color, which explains why modern filmmakers often use black-and-white compositions to draw more attention to their use of light and composition.The Night of the Hunteris another monochrome masterpiece, even if it isn’t quite as famous.
Charles Laughton was more famous as an actor, andThe Night of the Hunteris the only movie he got the chance to direct. This is a real shame, because he shows a natural flair for chiaroscuro compositions and striking visual contrasts.The Night of the Hunteris also one of thebest serial killer movies ever, and its story is as revolutionary as its aesthetic.
For anyone who bemoans the homogenized nature of mainstream animation,Ruben Brandt, Collectoris the perfect antidote. It’s one of a few independent movies which have come out in recent years without conforming to the industry standard of 3-D computer-animated visuals.It’s a generous patchwork of different artistic styles,inspired by cubism and fauvism in particular.
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Ruben Brandt, Collectoris all about the power of art to torment and to soothe the soul, so it’s appropriate that the visuals are endlessly creative. Pablo Picasso seems to be a huge influence, but there are also nods to the other artists involved, like Edward Hopper, Andy Warhol and Édouard Manet. It’s a sumptuous feast for art-lovers, as well as being abrilliant heist movie.
The Doubleproves that Richard Ayoade needs to direct more movies. After making his directorial debut with the deadpan coming-of-age comedySubmarine,he decided to adapt a lesser-known Dostoyevsky novella, andThe Double’s tone is much darker and stranger.The cinematography is designed to match this pervasive feeling of unease.
News broke in 2023 that Richard Ayoade was resurrecting his directorial career with an adaptation of George Saunders’The Semplica Girl Diaries,but subsequent news has been hard to come by.
The Doublestars Jesse Eisenberg in a dual role as a milquetoast office drone and the self-confident doppelgänger who slowly takes over his life. Ayoade creates plenty of jarring images to illustrate the surreal dissonance between the two characters, and his vision of an industrial dystopia is strangely beautiful, even though he works mostly with a palette of grays and blacks.
Akira Kurosawa’s moviesare some of the most aesthetically striking ever made, and his filmography contains a few hidden gems. While the painterly control ofRanand the startling black-and-white composition ofSeven Samuraihave plenty of fans,Dreamscan often fly under the radar, but it’s no less beautiful.
Dreamsis a series of vignettes based on images from Kurosawa’s own subconscious. Made late in his career,Dreamsshows a masterful director breaking down all barriers between himself and his audience. Many of the stunning images he presents don’t appear to make much narrative or metaphorical sense, but they certainly leave an impression.
It’s become clichéd to suggest that a beautiful movie looks as if every frame could be a painting, but this high praise is entirely appropriate forPortrait of a Lady on Fire,a film about the intersection between art and love. The gorgeous landscapes and tender portraits are also the perfect ingredients for a soaring romance.
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Céline Sciamma accentuates the inherent beauty of the sets, costumes and natural surroundings of the movie. Much like Stanley Kubrick’sBarry Lyndon,she crafts a period piece inspired by the art of the time, but she also has the ability to make the story feel relevant and vibrant in a way that leaps out of the screen.Portrait of a Lady on Fire’s endingis a shot through the heart, delivered with as much precise beauty as anything else.
How to Steal a Milliontypifies theheist movies of the 1960s, as the genre moved towards stylish comedies rather than violent gangster flicks and murky film noir tales. Audrey Hepburn is perfect for the role of a socialite who faces the unfamiliar prospect of a museum heist to save her father’s skin. She’s as stylishly-dressed as she is inBreakfast at Tiffany’s and as effortlessly charming as she is inRoman Holiday.
How to Steal a Million is remarkably vibrant, with a technicolor palette that adds a pop of color to the lighthearted story. The colors highlight the luxurious scenery and the inimitable style of the 1960s. This creates a gorgeous movie that isn’t ever overwhelming or too showy with its visuals.The focus remains on the romance between the two amateur thieves, but the stunning artistry is a definite bonus.
Fire of Loveis a documentary about two French volcanologists who fell in love and traveled the world together while studying their shared passion. Although the movie consists almost entirely of archival footage, it’s as beautiful as almost anything rigorously crafted by professional filmmakers. Many directors would kill to access the raw power ofFire of Love’s visuals.
Many directors would kill to access the raw power ofFire of Love’s visuals.
The slightly grainy quality of some of the footage only enhances the visceral effect of seeing towering plumes of lava crashing down around the lovers.The visual metaphors come thick and fast inFire of Love,but they’re so gorgeous that it never feels like too much, and the contrast between bright red and charcoal black is consistently stunning.
