Michael Ballhaus | |
---|---|
![]() Ballhaus in 2007 | |
Born | |
Died | 12 April 2017 Berlin, Germany | (aged 81)
Occupation | Cinematographer |
Years active | 1959–2013 |
Organization | American Society of Cinematographers |
Known for | Broadcast News Goodfellas The Age of Innocence The Departed |
Spouses | |
Children | 2, including Florian Ballhaus |
Parent(s) | Oskar Ballhaus Lena Hutter |
Relatives | Carl Balhaus (uncle) |
Michael Ballhaus, A.S.C. (5 August 1935 – 12 April 2017) was a German cinematographer. He is known for his work with directors including Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Martin Scorsese, Mike Nichols, James L. Brooks, and Wolfgang Petersen. He was a member of both the Academy of Arts, Berlin, and the American Society of Cinematographers.
Early life
[edit]Ballhaus was born on 5 August 1935 in Berlin to actors Lena Hutter and Oskar Ballhaus . His uncle was actor and director Carl Ballhaus.[1][2] Ballhaus was influenced by family friend Max Ophüls,[3] and appeared as an extra in Ophüls' last film Lola Montès (1955).[4]
Career
[edit]Ballhaus came to prominence for his work with director Rainer Werner Fassbinder on films including Whity (1971), The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant (1972), Chinese Roulette (1976) and The Marriage of Maria Braun (1978).
After settling in the United States, he worked on American films such as Baby It's You (1983) for John Sayles; Old Enough (1984) for Marisa Silver; Under the Cherry Moon (1986) for Prince; After Hours (1985), The Color of Money (1986), The Last Temptation of Christ (1988), Goodfellas (1990), The Age of Innocence (1993), Gangs of New York (2002) and The Departed (2006) for Martin Scorsese; Broadcast News (1987) and I'll Do Anything (1994) for James L. Brooks; The Fabulous Baker Boys (1989) for Steve Kloves; Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992) for Francis Ford Coppola; Sleepers (1996) for Barry Levinson; and Wild Wild West (1999) for Barry Sonnenfeld. Ballhaus appeared in Rosa von Praunheim's film Fassbinder's Women (2000).
In 1990, Ballhaus was the head of the jury at the 40th Berlin International Film Festival.[5]
Ballhaus was nominated three times for the Academy Award for Best Cinematography, for his work on Broadcast News, The Fabulous Baker Boys and Gangs of New York, but never won. He won the Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Cinematography for Bram Stoker's Dracula, the Boston Society of Film Critics and Los Angeles Film Critics Association cinematography awards for The Fabulous Baker Boys, and the Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Cinematography for Goodfellas.
His documentary In Berlin, made with Ciro Cappellari, was released in May 2009.
Ballhaus' final film was Sherry Hormann's 3096 Days in 2013.
Personal life and death
[edit]Ballhaus was married to actress and art director Helga Maria Betten from 1958 until her death in 2006.[6] They had two sons: cinematographer Florian and assistant director Jan Sebastian.[7]
In 2011, Ballhaus married German-American director Sherry Hormann.[8] He died at his home in Berlin on 12 April 2017, at the age of 81, after a short illness.[9]
Filmography
[edit]Awards and nominations
[edit]Academy Awards
Year | Category | Title | Result |
---|---|---|---|
1987 | Best Cinematography | Broadcast News | Nominated |
1989 | The Fabulous Baker Boys | Nominated | |
2002 | Gangs of New York | Nominated |
BAFTA Awards
Year | Category | Title | Result |
---|---|---|---|
1990 | Best Cinematography | Goodfellas | Nominated |
1993 | The Age of Innocence | Nominated | |
2002 | Gangs of New York | Nominated |
Chicago Film Critics Association
Year | Category | Title | Result |
---|---|---|---|
1992 | Best Cinematography | Bram Stoker's Dracula | Won |
2002 | Gangs of New York | Nominated | |
2006 | The Departed | Nominated |
Los Angeles Film Critics Association
Year | Category | Title | Result |
---|---|---|---|
1989 | Best Cinematography | The Fabulous Baker Boys | Won |
1990 | Goodfellas | Won |
Satellite Awards
Year | Category | Title | Result |
---|---|---|---|
2000 | Best Cinematography | The Legend of Bagger Vance | Nominated |
2002 | Gangs of New York | Nominated |
Other awards
Year | Award | Category | Title | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
1985 | Independent Spirit Awards | Best Cinematography | After Hours | Nominated |
1989 | Boston Society of Film Critics | Best Cinematography | The Fabulous Baker Boys | Won |
National Society of Film Critics | Best Cinematography | Won | ||
2007 | Bavarian Film Awards | Honorary Award | Won |
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Filmreference.com
- ^ Thomas Vorwerk, Das fliegende Auge: Michael Ballhaus im Gespräch mit Tom Tykwer
- ^ A Conversation With Michael Ballhaus, ASC (November 20, 2006) at the Wayback Machine (archive index)
- ^ Michael Ballhaus discusses his connection with the Austrian director in the documentary film Working with Max Ophuls: Lola Montès Revisited (2008).
- ^ "Berlinale: 1990 Juries". berlinale.de. Retrieved 14 March 2011.
- ^ Fox, Margalit (15 April 2017). "Michael Ballhaus, an Oscar-Nominated Cinematographer, Dies at 81". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 21 February 2023.
- ^ "In Memoriam: Michael Ballhaus, ASC, BVK (1935-2017) – The American Society of Cinematographers (en-US)". theasc.com. Retrieved 21 February 2023.
- ^ Filmreife Hochzeit in Zehlendorf!. bild.de, 28 October 2011. Retrieved on 13 March 2012.
- ^ McNary, Dave (12 April 2017). "Michael Ballhaus, 'The Departed' and 'Goodfellas' Cinematographer, Dies at 81". Variety. Retrieved 11 January 2019.