I am a self-professed shutterbug. As much as I love movies, I list photography as another one of my main interests and hobbies. It is on that basis that I decided to create this list. My other inspiration for this post was my recent viewing of the slightly disturbing thriller Peeping Tom where our “antihero” is photography hobbyist; throughout the film his primary work is in the production of tawdry movies. Anyway, a discussion of that film is an entirely different post for another day.
Here I would like to focus on films featuring photographers that have caught my attention over the years.
- Blow – Up (1966) Not sure if this is really a favorite of mine; saw it in film class and it sticks in my find as still a very disturbing film. I do not know if I love or loathe what I saw on screen.
- The Bridges of Madison County (1995) Lovely story in which the career of photographer is so romantic I wanted to go out to Madison County (or somewhere similar) and start photographing covered bridges.
- Rear Window (1954) Another awesome thriller that is about voyeurism; the irony of course being that LB Jeffries’ profession of looking through a lens and observing others is juxtaposed with his looking outside his window
- Funny Face (1957) Film in which I officially fell in love with Paris and made it a life’s mission to visist “The City of Lights”/”The City of Love”
- The Truth About Cats & Dogs (1996) A cute film where the male protagonist is a photographer – that is why this makes the list. There was nothing exceptional about his photography except one can say it was integral to the plot’s development.
What are your favorite films that feature shutterbugs? Did I miss something?
ruth says
Hi Luv, interesting topic for a post… I forgot about ‘Cats & Dogs’ that the guy was a photographer. I quite enjoyed this movie though it’s pretty predictable.
I’d add Sabrina (the remake) as Julia Ormond was an avid photographer and she & Harrison Ford bonded when she was taking pictures of his house at Martha’s Vineyard. It made me want to start taking up photography as a hobby!
iluvcinema says
Thanks Ruth. I think I may have seen Sabrina ’95 a total of 1 time. I was still in my Audrey Hepburn stage at the time and I thought any remake of a Hepburn film was a crime against humanity 🙂
Don’t get me started on “The Audrey Hepburn Story” featuring Jennifer Love Hewitt 🙂
Jack Deth says
Hi, iluv and company:
‘Peeping Tom’ has held top honors for sinister mood and overall creepiness since catching it at a Midnight Show at Maryland U decades ago. Very surprised that it doesn’t show up more often on cable or satellite networks.
“Blow Up’ and ‘Rear Window’ hold comfortable second place slots.
Where ‘Blow Up’ is wide and expansive and reflects the mod scene in London with gusto and elan. ‘Rear Window’ is claustrophobic. Has more questions than answers to heighten suspense that Hitchcock plays like a virtuoso.
Pleasantly surprised you left out Brian De Palma’s godawful ‘Blow Out’ and
the only slightly better, NYC based ‘The Eyes Of Laura Mars’.
iluvcinema says
HI Jack,
I am of a definite mind when it comes to De Palma …
Anna says
I think it’s funny how some quite succesful film directors are actually photographers, visual artists rather than filmmakers (TERRENCE MALIK). Not that it’s a bad thing per se, and the two give so much to each other, but a great photographer does not a great filmmaker make.
iluvcinema says
That is very true …Anton Corbijn is building a good filmography as well. I liked his movie Control.