American Cinematographer - February 2010 - 47

impression on the director while operating the camera on Poor Cow (1967), Loach’s first feature, that Loach asked him to photograph the next one, Kes (1970), Menges’ first movie as cinematographer. Kes had a profound impact on British cinema and marked the beginning of a creative partnership that endures to this day. Other acclaimed directors who worked with Menges early in their careers and sought him out again include Stephen Frears, Bill Forsyth, Neil Jordan and Roland Joffé. The latter three established relationships with Menges during a period of intense creativity for the cinemataographer, when he abandoned documentaries and turned his full attention to shooting features. He won Academy Awards for two collaborations with Joffé, The Killing Fields (1984; AC Apr. ’85) and The Mission (1986; AC Feb. ’87); the latter also brought Menges his first ASC Award nomination. After he spent a decade focusing on directing, Menges returned to cinematography with Jordan’s Michael Collins (1996; AC Oct. ’96), earning another set of Academy and ASC nominations. He was nominated by the ASC and the Academy again last year, along with Roger Deakins, ASC, BSC, for Stephen Daldry’s The Reader Photos courtesy of Chris Menges, AMPAS and the British Society of Cinematographers. This page: Menges contributed stunning imagery to The Mission (1986), for which he earned an Academy Award (near left) and an ASC nomination (below). “The light in Colombia and Argentina was inspiring, and the crew was superb,” says the cinematographer, who tends to shun the spotlight. “[Producer] David Puttnam told me I should attend the Oscars because, as he rightly noted, the nomination belonged to the entire shooting crew.” (2008), a film Menges took over when production delays and previous commitments forced Deakins from the project. “When I started out, Chris was kind of my idol — and always has been, actually,” says Deakins. “I think he’s probably the greatest cinematographer working today.” Menges was born just over a year into World War II in the rural county of Herefordshire, England, a short distance across the border from where he now lives in Wales. Coming from a family of musicians who worked in the theater, he developed an early interest in the arts. He had a www.theasc.com cousin with a job at the BBC, and it wasn’t long before Menges’ interest gravitated towards filmmaking. At the age of 17, he was introduced to Alan Forbes, who would become an early mentor. “At that time, we were living in North London, and I became an apprentice to Alan,” recalls Menges. “He was an American making documentary films for the cinema and television in London. He was really the man who taught me the basics of cinematography, editing and sound. I was his assistant, and he was a one-man band, so I had a rich opportunity to learn different genres and techniques. February 2010 47

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American Cinematographer - February 2010

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of American Cinematographer - February 2010