Robert Elswit

Robert Elswit

Birth : 1950-04-22, California, USA

History

Robert Christopher Elswit, ASC (born April 22, 1950) is an American cinematographer. He has had multiple Oscar, BAFTA and Independent Spirit nominations for several films, including winning for There Will Be Blood (2007). Elswit has frequently collaborated with Paul Thomas Anderson.

Profile

Robert Elswit
Robert Elswit

Movies

Bob Marley: One Love
Director of Photography
Jamaican singer-songwriter Bob Marley overcomes adversity to become the most famous reggae musician in the world.
King Richard
Director of Photography
The story of how Richard Williams served as a coach to his daughters Venus and Serena, who will soon become two of the most legendary tennis players in history.
The King of Staten Island
Director of Photography
Scott has been a case of arrested development ever since his firefighter father died when he was seven. He's now reached his mid-20s having achieved little, chasing a dream of becoming a tattoo artist that seems far out of reach. As his ambitious younger sister heads off to college, Scott is still living with his exhausted ER nurse mother and spends his days smoking weed, hanging with the guys — Oscar, Igor and Richie — and secretly hooking up with his childhood friend Kelsey. But when his mother starts dating a loudmouth firefighter named Ray, it sets off a chain of events that will force Scott to grapple with his grief and take his first tentative steps toward moving forward in life.
Snowbrawl
Director of Photography
A cinematic snowball fight, shot on iPhone 11 Pro.
Velvet Buzzsaw
Director of Photography
Big money artists and mega-collectors pay a high price when art collides with commerce. After a series of paintings by an unknown artist are discovered, a supernatural force enacts revenge on those who have allowed their greed to get in the way of art.
Skyscraper
Director of Photography
Framed and on the run, a former FBI agent must save his family from a blazing fire in the world's tallest building.
Write When You Get Work
Director of Photography
Ruth Duffy is getting by on an assistant's salary at a pricey school for girls in Manhattan, managing to move beyond the trouble and loss of her teenage years. Jonny Collins is working local jobs near the Throgs Neck Bridge in the Bronx. When they cross paths after years apart, Jonny is as consumed with Ruth as he was in their high school days, and he infiltrates her life for love and profit.
Roman J. Israel, Esq.
Director of Photography
Hard-nosed liberal lawyer Roman J. Israel has been fighting the good fight forever while others take the credit. When his partner – the firm's frontman – has a heart attack, Israel suddenly takes on that role. He soon discovers some unsettling truths about the firm – truths that conflict with his values of helping the poor and dispossessed – and finds himself in an existential crisis that leads to extreme actions.
Remembering Reno: Reflections on the Making of Desert Hearts
Filmed in Los Angeles in August 2017, director Donna Deitch, cinematographer Robert Elswit and production designer Jeannine Oppewall discuss their collaboration in creating the look of DESERT HEARTS.
Suburbicon
Director of Photography
In the quiet family town of Suburbicon during the 1950s, the best and worst of humanity is hilariously reflected through the deeds of seemingly ordinary people. When a home invasion turns deadly, a picture-perfect family turns to blackmail, revenge and murder.
Gold
Director of Photography
Kenny Wells, a modern-day prospector, hustler, and dreamer, is desperate for a lucky break. Left with few options, Wells teams up with an equally luckless geologist to execute a grandiose, last-ditch effort: to find gold deep in the uncharted jungle of Indonesia.
Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation
Director of Photography
Ethan and team take on their most impossible mission yet—eradicating 'The Syndicate', an International and highly-skilled rogue organization committed to destroying the IMF.
Inherent Vice
Director of Photography
In Los Angeles at the turn of the 1970s, drug-fueled detective Larry "Doc" Sportello investigates the disappearance of an ex-girlfriend.
Nightcrawler
Director of Photography
When Lou Bloom, desperate for work, muscles into the world of L.A. crime journalism, he blurs the line between observer and participant to become the star of his own story. Aiding him in his effort is Nina, a TV-news veteran.
The Bourne Legacy
Director of Photography
New CIA operative Aaron Cross experiences life-or-death stakes that have been triggered by the previous actions of Jason Bourne.
Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol
Director of Photography
Ethan Hunt and his team are racing against time to track down a dangerous terrorist named Hendricks, who has gained access to Russian nuclear launch codes and is planning a strike on the United States. An attempt to stop him ends in an explosion causing severe destruction to the Kremlin and the IMF to be implicated in the bombing, forcing the President to disavow them. No longer being aided by the government, Ethan and his team chase Hendricks around the globe, although they might still be too late to stop a disaster.
The Town
Director of Photography
Doug MacRay is a longtime thief, who, smarter than the rest of his crew, is looking for his chance to exit the game. When a bank job leads to the group kidnapping an attractive branch manager, he takes on the role of monitoring her – but their burgeoning relationship threatens to unveil the identities of Doug and his crew to the FBI Agent who is on their case.
Salt
Director of Photography
As a CIA officer, Evelyn Salt swore an oath to duty, honor and country. Her loyalty will be tested when a defector accuses her of being a Russian spy. Salt goes on the run, using all her skills and years of experience as a covert operative to elude capture. Salt's efforts to prove her innocence only serve to cast doubt on her motives, as the hunt to uncover the truth behind her identity continues and the question remains: "Who is Salt?"
The Men Who Stare at Goats
Director of Photography
A reporter in Iraq might just have the story of a lifetime when he meets Lyn Cassady, a guy who claims to be a former member of the U.S. Army's New Earth Army, a unit that employs paranormal powers in their missions.
Duplicity
Director of Photography
Two romantically-engaged corporate spies team up to manipulate a corporate race to corner the market on a medical innovation that will reap huge profits and enable them to lead an extravagant lifestyle together.
The Burning Plain
Director of Photography
A trailer is burning in the middle of a plain. The bodies of two adulterous lovers are found. Scenes from both families, before and after the dramatic events, suggest an unusual connection between them. But what is their secret?
Redbelt
Director of Photography
Is there room for principle in Los Angeles? Mike Terry teaches jujitsu and barely makes ends meet. His Brazilian wife, whose family promotes fights, wants to see Mike in the ring making money, but to him competition is degrading. A woman sideswipes Mike's car and then, after an odd sequence of events, shoots out the studio's window. Later that evening, Mike rescues an action movie star in a fistfight at a bar. In return, the actor befriends Mike, gives him a gift, offers him work on his newest film, and introduces Mike's wife to his own - the women initiate business dealings. Then, things go sour all at once, Mike's debts mount, and going into the ring may be his only option.
Shine a Light
Camera Operator
Martin Scorsese and the Rolling Stones unite in "Shine A Light," a look at The Rolling Stones." Scorsese filmed the Stones over a two-day period at the intimate Beacon Theater in New York City in fall 2006. Cinematographers capture the raw energy of the legendary band.
Shine a Light
Director of Photography
Martin Scorsese and the Rolling Stones unite in "Shine A Light," a look at The Rolling Stones." Scorsese filmed the Stones over a two-day period at the intimate Beacon Theater in New York City in fall 2006. Cinematographers capture the raw energy of the legendary band.
There Will Be Blood
Director of Photography
Ruthless silver miner, turned oil prospector, Daniel Plainview, moves to oil-rich California. Using his son to project a trustworthy, family-man image, Plainview cons local landowners into selling him their valuable properties for a pittance. However, local preacher Eli Sunday suspects Plainview's motives and intentions, starting a slow-burning feud that threatens both their lives.
Michael Clayton
Director of Photography
A law firm brings in its "fixer" to remedy the situation after a lawyer has a breakdown while representing a chemical company that he knows is guilty in a multi-billion dollar class action suit.
The Informer: Out of the Fog
Self
This is a special feature included on the DVD for "The Informer"--a film John Ford made for RKO and which was released in 1935. Victor McLaglen received the Oscar for best actor for this film.
American Dreamz
Director of Photography
The new season of "American Dreamz," the wildly popular television singing contest, has captured the country's attention, as the competition looks to be between a young Midwestern gal and a showtunes-loving young man from Orange County. Recently awakened President Staton even wants in on the craze, as he signs up for the potential explosive season finale.
Syriana
Director of Photography
The Middle Eastern oil industry is the backdrop of this tense drama, which weaves together numerous story lines. Bennett Holiday is an American lawyer in charge of facilitating a dubious merger of oil companies, while Bryan Woodman, a Switzerland-based energy analyst, experiences both personal tragedy and opportunity during a visit with Arabian royalty. Meanwhile, veteran CIA agent Bob Barnes uncovers an assassination plot with unsettling origins.
Good Night, and Good Luck.
Director of Photography
The story of journalist Edward R. Murrow's stand against Senator Joseph McCarthy's anti-communist witch-hunts in the early 1950s.
Gigli
Director of Photography
Gigli is ordered to kidnap the psychologically challenged younger brother of a powerful federal prosecutor. When plans go awry, Gigli's boss sends in Ricki, a gorgeous free-spirited female gangster who has her own set of orders to assist with the kidnapping. But Gigli begins falling for the decidedly unavailable Ricki, which could be a hazard to his occupation.
Runaway Jury
Director of Photography
A juror on the inside and a woman on the outside manipulate a court trial involving a major gun manufacturer.
Behind the Red Door
Director of Photography
Natalie, a gifted New York photographer, has a troubled past reflected in her art. When she struggles to make ends meet in the city, her agent, arranges an assignment in Boston for a considerable sum of money. Unable to turn it down in her dire straits, Natalie takes the job -- only to find that her estranged gay brother, Roy, is the employer. Roy wants to mend their broken past, but must convince her to stay long enough to do so.
Punch-Drunk Love
Director of Photography
A socially awkward and volatile small business owner meets the love of his life after being threatened by a gang of scammers.
Impostor
Director of Photography
A top-secret government weapons designer is arrested by a clandestine government organization on suspicion of being a clone created by the hostile alien race wanting to take over Earth.
Heist
Director of Photography
Joe Moore has a job he loves. He's a thief. His job goes sour when he gets caught on security camera tape. His fence, Bergman, reneges on the money he's owed, and his wife may be betraying him with the fence's young lieutenant. Moore and his partner, Bobby Blane, and their utility man, Pinky Pincus, find themselves broke, betrayed, and blackmailed. Moore is forced to commit his crew to do one last big job.
Bounce
Director of Photography
A man switches plane tickets with another man who dies in that plane in a crash. The man falls in love with the deceased one's wife.
That Moment: Magnolia Diary
Self
A very in-depth documentary that follows the very over-worked director Paul Thomas Anderson through a gruelling 80+ days of shooting for the film Magnolia (1999), containing behind-the-scenes footage and interviews.
Magnolia
Director of Photography
An epic mosaic of many interrelated characters in search of happiness, forgiveness, and meaning in the San Fernando Valley.
8MM
Director of Photography
A small, seemingly innocuous plastic reel of film leads surveillance specialist Tom Welles down an increasingly dark and frightening path. With the help of the streetwise Max, he relentlessly follows a bizarre trail of evidence to determine the fate of a complete stranger. As his work turns into obsession, he drifts farther and farther away from his wife, family and simple life as a small-town PI.
Richard Lester!
Director of Photography
A tribute to Richard Lester, Philadelphia-born filmmaker who moved to England to direct the modern classics "A Hard Day's Night," "Petulia," and "Help!"
Tomorrow Never Dies
Director of Photography
A deranged media mogul is staging international incidents to pit the world's superpowers against each other. Now James Bond must take on this evil mastermind in an adrenaline-charged battle to end his reign of terror and prevent global pandemonium.
Boogie Nights
Director of Photography
Set in 1977, back when sex was safe, pleasure was a business and business was booming, idealistic porn producer Jack Horner aspires to elevate his craft to an art form. Horner discovers Eddie Adams, a hot young talent working as a busboy in a nightclub, and welcomes him into the extended family of movie-makers, misfits and hangers-on that are always around. Adams' rise from nobody to a celebrity adult entertainer is meteoric, and soon the whole world seems to know his porn alter ego, "Dirk Diggler". Now, when disco and drugs are in vogue, fashion is in flux and the party never seems to stop, Adams' dreams of turning sex into stardom are about to collide with cold, hard reality.
Hard Eight
Director of Photography
A stranger mentors a young Reno gambler who weds a hooker and befriends a vulgar casino regular.
The Pallbearer
Director of Photography
Aspiring architect Tom Thompson is told by mysterious Ruth Abernathy that his best friend, "Bill," has taken his own life. Except that Tom has never met Bill and neither have his incredulous friends. So when Tom foolishly agrees to give the eulogy at Bill's funeral, it sets him on a collision course with Ruth -- who is revealed to be Bill's oversexed mother -- and Julie DeMarco, the longtime crush Tom hasn't seen since they were teens.
The River Wild
Director of Photography
While on a family vacation, rafting expert Gail takes on a pair of armed killers while navigating a spectacularly violent river.
A Dangerous Woman
Director of Photography
Martha Horgan is a withdrawn, mentally disabled woman who lives with her aunt, Frances. One of Martha's unusual traits is that she doesn't lie, a quality that leads to her getting fired from a dry-cleaning shop thanks to the actions of the shifty Getso. Conflict seems to follow Martha, since she also becomes romantically involved with local fix-it man, Mackey, who is sleeping with Frances as well.
A Murderous Affair: The Carolyn Warmus Story
Director of Photography
A married man meets a beautiful woman and they begin an affair.
Waterland
Director of Photography
The story of a mentally anguished high school history teacher going through a complete reassessment of his life. His method for reassessing his life is to narrate it to his class and interweave in it three generations of his family's history.
The Hand that Rocks the Cradle
Director of Photography
A suburban family chooses seemingly sweet Peyton Flanders as their newborn's nanny. Only much later does the infant's mother, Claire Bartel, realize Peyton's true intentions -- to destroy Claire and replace her in the family. The nail-biting suspense builds quickly in this chilling psychological thriller about deception and bitter revenge.
Paris Trout
Director of Photography
Paris Trout is a vile Southern bigot. He owns a store and is a loanshark. He often sues people, and so his lawyer, Harry Seagraves, eventually meets Paris' wife Hannah. A former schoolteacher, she made the mistake of her life when she married Paris, who brutalizes her. Soon Paris goes beyond the overgenerous bounds of what a man in his position can get away with even in the segregated South, leading to a spiral of perverse insanity.
The Summer My Father Grew Up
Director of Photography
A divorced and remarried doctor tries to reconnect with his eleven-year-old son whom he has always neglected.
Prison Stories: Women on the Inside
Director of Photography
Three novels - three dramatic stories in the walls of the women's prison. The first story - a brand new, first went to prison inmates. The second - about a mother whose son has ceased to go to prison for visits. The third - about the experiences of women on the eve of its release.
Opposites Attract
Director of Photography
A mayoral candidate (Barbara Eden) for a California town gets romantically involved with her opponent (John Forsythe), a former cowboy star.
A Killing in a Small Town
Director of Photography
The gory ax-murder of one mousy, suburban Texas housewife by another is nearly as shocking as the excuse offered by the bespectacled defendant's attorney: self-defense. Could it be so?
Bad Influence
Director of Photography
Wimpy young executive, Michael is about to get pulverised by a jealous boyfriend in a bar when a handsome, mysterious stranger steps in—and then disappears. Later that night, Michael runs into a stranger on a pier, who wheedles his way into Michael's life and turns it upside down.
Heart of Dixie
Director of Photography
In the 1950s, three young sorority women re-assess their values in light of the burgeoning civil rights movement.
How I Got Into College
Director of Photography
The simple story of two young Michigan high school students, Jessica, Class President, Local Smart Girl, and object of Marlon's affections attempt to get into a small Pennsylvania college. Jessica fights off her parent's expectation of going to their alma mater of the University of Michigan, while Marlon fights his grades and SAT scores.
Margaret Bourke-White
Director of Photography
A biographical account of pioneering photographer Margaret Bourke-White's career.
Return of the Living Dead Part II
Director of Photography
A group of kids discover one of the drums containing a rotting corpse and release the 2-4-5 Trioxin gas into the air, causing the dead to once again rise from the grave and seek out brains.
Cadillac Dreams
Director of Photography
Cadillac Dreams is a 1988 American short film directed by Matia Karrell. In the film, a young drug runner's dreams of being a great inventor give way to the equally unlikely dream of living to be 20. The film was nominated for an Oscar for Best Live Action Short Film.
Long Gone
Director of Photography
Story of the Tampico Stogies, a low minor-league baseball team, and its star player and manager, Stud' Cantrell, as they battle for the league championship amidst the corruption and racism of the American south.
Amazing Grace and Chuck
Director of Photography
Chuck Murdock, a 12-year-old boy from Montana and son of a military jet pilot, becomes anxious after seeing a Minuteman missile on a school field trip. He protests the existence of nuclear weapons by refusing to play baseball, which results in the forfeit of a Little League game by his team. "Amazing Grace" Smith, a fictional Boston Celtics player, played by NBA star Alex English, decides to join the boy in his protest by resigning from professional basketball. This gives it nationwide coverage, inspiring more pro athletes to join the protest against nuclear weapons. The film reaches a climax when the President of the United States personally meets with Chuck, admiring his resolve but at the same time explaining the practical difficulties of disarmament. Sinister forces, meanwhile, threaten the lives of Amazing Grace and his agent, Lynn.
A Different Affair
Director of Photography
A single radio psychiatrist takes in a runaway boy she sponsors in a foster parents program.
Into the Homeland
Director of Photography
A man's daughter disappears after falling in love with the son of a right wing, white-supremacist terrorist organization.
Trick or Treat
Director of Photography
Eddie Weinbauer, a metalhead teen who is bullied at school, looks to his heavy metal superstar idol, Sammi Curr, for guidance. When Curr is killed in a hotel fire, Eddie becomes the recipient of the only copy of Curr's unreleased album, which, when played backwards, brings Sammi back to life. As Halloween approaches, Eddie begins to realize that this isn't only rock 'n roll...it's life and death.
The Children of Times Square
Director of Photography
An alienated teenage boy runs away from home and ventures to New York City where he falls in with a gang of juvenile delinquents working as drug dealers and pickpockets for a shady crime boss.
Desert Hearts
Director of Photography
The story of straight-edge literature professor Vivian who travels to Reno to get away from a relationship breakup when she falls in love with an attractive and unconventional girl named Cay.
Moving Violations
Director of Photography
A group of careless and unlucky drivers are sentenced to attend traffic school to keep their records clean.
The Sure Thing
Director of Photography
Gib, a beer-guzzling slob, and Alison, an uptight Ivy-Leaguer, are an unlikely duo stuck together on a cross-country trip during Christmas break. At first they get on each other's nerves but, as time passes, they find their divergent natures complement each other. Now they need to realize what they've already found before it's too late.
Tiger Town
Director of Photography
Alex believed in his baseball hero Billy Young. When Billy's performance struggled, Alex's friends began to doubt Alex; and Billy began to doubt himself. Alex wants to prove to his friends, to Billy, and to himself that believing in someone can make the difference.
Summerspell
Director of Photography
Family celebrations and tensions, Independence Day, Texas 1948
Return of the Jedi
Visual Effects Camera
Luke Skywalker leads a mission to rescue his friend Han Solo from the clutches of Jabba the Hutt, while the Emperor seeks to destroy the Rebellion once and for all with a second dreaded Death Star.
Waltz Across Texas
Director of Photography
A wildcatter and a geologist prospect for oil and love in West Texas.
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
Visual Effects Camera
An alien is left behind on Earth and saved by the 10-year-old Elliot who decides to keep him hidden in his home. While a task force hunts for the extra-terrestrial, Elliot, his brother, and his little sister Gertie form an emotional bond with their new friend, and try to help him find his way home.
All Summer in a Day
Director of Photography
Based on the story by Ray Bradbury. Set on a planet where the sun shines for just a few minutes once every nine years, this is a classic tale of suffering and forgiveness. A classroom full of young children are excited to hear that today the rain will stop. However, they are also resentful of a new classmate from Earth who remembers what it's like to see the sun. "This gripping, unsettling production softens the original story’s abrupt conclusion without diminishing its punch. A masterful work." - Booklist. Winner of a CINE Golden Eagle, and honored by Instructor Magazine as one of the 25 Best Films of the Year.
The End of August
Director of Photography
In the turn of the century South, a woman feels unfulfilled by marriage and motherhood and has an affair with a younger man. Later, the woman leaves her family and tries to start a new life alone.
The Empire Strikes Back
Visual Effects Lineup
The epic saga continues as Luke Skywalker, in hopes of defeating the evil Galactic Empire, learns the ways of the Jedi from aging master Yoda. But Darth Vader is more determined than ever to capture Luke. Meanwhile, rebel leader Princess Leia, cocky Han Solo, Chewbacca, and droids C-3PO and R2-D2 are thrown into various stages of capture, betrayal and despair.
Star Trek: The Motion Picture
Visual Effects Camera
When a destructive space entity is spotted approaching Earth, Admiral Kirk resumes command of the Starship Enterprise in order to intercept, examine, and hopefully stop it.
Genesis
Assistant Camera
Fraternity Row
Camera Operator
Zac is an idealistic student who, after arriving at college, decides to pledge the Gamma Nu Pi fraternity. Unhappy with what he sees as the bigotry and abusiveness of the hazing process, he tries to reform the system, even though his steady girl, Jennifer, doesn't approve. Zac eventually finds an ally in his pledgemaster, but the head of the fraternity proves cruelly inflexible about preserving the uglier rituals.
The Division
Director of Photography
In the near future, a pandemic virus is spread via paper money on Black Friday, decimating the city of New York and killing millions. By Christmas, what's left of society has descended into chaos. A group of civilians, trained to operate in catastrophic times, are activated in an attempt to save who and what remains.
Faster, Cheaper, Better
Director of Photography
Spans 20 years in multiple locales with a myriad of characters in interwoven stories that follow a union foreman, a young entrepreneur, an indoor farm executive and a tech billionaire whose lives are upended when automation and AI transform the world as we know it. Ultimately, they all must face what it means to be human.