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Gordon Willis

Gordon Willis

Cinematographer, also director and actor · Died May 18, 2014, aged 82 · Astoria, New York, USA

Gordon Hugh Willis, Jr., ASC (May 28, 1931 – May 18, 2014) was an American cinematographer. He is best known for his work on Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather series as well as Woody Allen's Annie Hall and Manhattan. Fellow cinematographer William Fraker called Willis's work a "milestone in visual storytelling", while one critic suggested that Willis "defined the cinematic look of the 1970s: sophisticated compositions in which bolts of light and black put the decade's moral ambiguities into stark relief". When the International Cinematographers Guild conducted a survey in 2003, they placed Willis among the ten most influential cinematographers in history.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
May 28, 1931
Died
May 18, 2014 (aged 82)
From
Astoria, New York, USA
Works as
Cinematographer, also director and actor
Titles
33 on MovieCove · 38 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Up 6% in 30 days

What are Gordon Willis' films like?

Across their 34 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Bonds.

Genres

Comedy14 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 82nd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Comedy movies
Drama10 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 50th percentile
: browse their Drama movies
Crime6 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 89th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Self
26%
Bonds
23%
Morality
17%
Power
11%
Survival
10%
Society
6%
Ideas
6%
Romantic love9 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity7 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception7 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds5 titles, browse their movies with this themeCorruption4 titles, browse their movies with this themeObsession3 titles, browse their movies with this themeRedemption4 titles, browse their movies with this themeSelf-worth3 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 34 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 12 · Serious 4 · Dark 18

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 17 · Stylized 12 · Heightened 5

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

A split, not a type: Gentle 12 · Charged 5 · Intense 17

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 10 · Shifting 19 · Whiplash 5

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 19 · Some laughs 9 · Funny 6

Slow burn: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their slow burn movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 18 · Even-paced 15 · Relentless 1

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 9 · Engaged 18 · Full focus 7

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

A split, not a type: Easy watch 10 · Affecting 10 · Heavy 14

Open-ended: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their open-ended movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

A split, not a type: Resolved 16 · Open-ended 14 · Ambiguous 4

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
22
Melancholic
20
Contemplative
11
Warm
9
Absurd
7
Other
20

How their films linger

Bittersweet14 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking14 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 5 with a twist

  • Happy5
  • Bittersweet15
  • Tragic8
  • Ambiguous6

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Gordon Willis' films?

As of October 24, 2026, 24 of their 33 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (18).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Gordon Willis' titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

38 credits, 33 with a MovieCove page; 10 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • The Devil's Own(1997)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • Malice(1993)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • The Godfather Trilogy: 1901-1980 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    Cinematographer

  • The Godfather Part III(1990)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • Presumed Innocent(1990)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • Bright Lights, Big City(1988)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films

  • The Pick-up Artist(1987)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 22nd percentile of all films

  • The Money Pit(1986)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Perfect(1985)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 15th percentile of all films

  • The Purple Rose of Cairo(1985)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • Broadway Danny Rose(1984)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • The Lost Honor of Kathryn Beck (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    Cinematographer

  • Zelig(1983)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy(1982)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • Pennies from Heaven(1981)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all films

  • Stardust Memories(1980)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Windows(1980)

    Director · Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films

  • Manhattan(1979)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Comes a Horseman(1978)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Interiors(1978)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Mario Puzo's The Godfather: The Complete Novel for Television (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    Show 4 episodes · Cinematographer

  • September 30, 1955(1977)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • The Beatles at Shea Stadium (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    Camera Operator

  • Annie Hall(1977)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • All the President's Men(1976)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • The Drowning Pool(1975)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • The Godfather Part II(1974)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • The Parallax View(1974)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • The Paper Chase(1973)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • Up the Sandbox(1972)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • Bad Company(1972)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • The Godfather(1972)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • Klute(1971)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • Little Murders(1971)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • The People Next Door(1970)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • The Landlord(1970)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • Loving(1970)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • End of the Road (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)

    Cinematographer

Career shape

A full career of 38 titles from 1970 to 1997.

Biggest box office

The Godfather (1972)

$251M worldwide

Highest rated

The Godfather (1972)

Midcredits 99th

By role

only this rolewith another role
Directing1 of 38: 0 only directing, 1 with another roleCinematography37 of 38: 36 only cinematography, 1 with another role · typical Midcredits score77thOther crew1 of 38: 1 only other crew, 0 with another role

By decade

1970s21 · crew1980s12 · crew1990s5 · crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

How do Gordon Willis' films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 77th percentile, the median of all 33; across their 34 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 78th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

78thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 34

Approval · how many liked their films

76thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 34

Reach · how many have seen their films

87thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 34

Midcredits score across 33 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up18
  • 50th to 74th6
  • 25th to 49th6
  • Below 25th3

Shape of the crowd

15 of their 33 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved8
  • Crowd Pleaser15
  • Broadly Agreed4
  • Mixed6

Most divisive · cinematographer

Up the Sandbox (1972)

69th percentile spread · 21% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · cinematographer

The Godfather (1972)

Midcredits 99th · 94% liked

Reviewers score the cinematography 77/100 in their films, across 31 reviewed titles; fans 81, detractors 61. The element that speaks to their work as a cinematographer.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Gordon Willis' work okay for kids?

Across up to 22 MovieCove titles with content scores, profanity runs heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore13 titles2–87 · median 42 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity22 titles17–56 · median 32 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity13 titles40–77 · median 59 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs14 titles29–45 · median 40 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense14 titles8–70 · median 48 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Gordon Willis work with?

People who share at least 2 of Gordon Willis' MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Woody Allen shares the most, 8.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles