Sven Vilhem Nykvist (; 3 December 1922 – 20 September 2006) was a Swedish cinematographer and filmmaker, best known for his collaboration with directors Ingmar Bergman and Woody Allen.
Often considered to be one of the greatest cinematographers of all time,Cinematographer Nykvist dies, 83, BBC News his work is generally noted for its naturalism and simplicity. He also won the Academy Award for Best Cinematography for Cries and Whispers (1972) and Fanny and Alexander (1982).
Early life and education Nykvist was born in Moheda, Kronobergs län, Sweden. His parents were Lutheran missionaries who spent most of their lives in the Belgian Congo, so Nykvist was raised by relatives in Sweden and saw his parents rarely. His father was a keen amateur photographer of African wildlife, whose activities may have sparked Nykvist's interest in the visual arts.
A talented athlete in his youth, Nykvist's first cinematic effort was to film himself taking a high jump, to improve his jumping technique. After a year at the Municipal School for Photographers in Stockholm, he entered the Swedish film industry at the age of 19.
Career In 1941, he became an assistant cameraman at Sandrews studio, working on The Poor Millionaire. He moved to Italy in 1943 to work at Cinecittà Studios, returning to Sweden two years later. In 1945, aged 23, he became a full-fledged cinematographer, with his first solo credit on The Children from Frostmo Mountain.
He worked on many small Swedish films for the next few years, and spent some time with his parents in Africa filming wildlife, footage which was later released as a documentary entitled In the Footsteps of the Witch Doctor (also known as Under the Southern Cross).
Back in Sweden, he began to work with the director Ingmar Bergman on Sawdust and Tinsel (US: The Naked Night, 1953). He was one of three cinematographers to work on the film, the others being Gunnar Fischer and Hilding Bladh.
Nykvist would eventually become Bergman's regular cinematographer. He worked as sole cameraman on Bergman's Oscar-winning films The Virgin Spring (1959) and Through a Glass Darkly (1960). He revolutionised the way faces are shot in close-up with Bergman's psychologic drama Persona (1966).Borden, D.M., 1977. Bergman’s style and the facial icon. Quarterly Review of Film Studies 2, 42–55. https://doi.org/10.1080/10509207709391332
After working with other Swedish directors, including Alf Sjöberg on The Judge (1960) and Mai Zetterling on Loving Couples (1964), he then worked in the United States and elsewhere, on: Richard Fleischer's The Last Run (1971); Louis Malle's Black Moon (1975) and Pretty Baby (1978); Roman Polanski's The Tenant (1976); Jan Troell's Hurricane (1979); Bob Rafelson's version of The Postman Always Rings Twice (1981); Norman Jewison's Agnes of God (1985); Woody Allen's Another Woman (1988), Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989) and Celebrity (1998); Richard Attenborough's Chaplin (1992); Nora Ephron's Sleepless in Seattle (1993); and Lasse Hallström's What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993) and Something to Talk About (1995).
Nykvist won the Academy Award for Best Cinematography for two of his films: Cries and Whispers (1972), and Fanny and Alexander (1982), both of which were Bergman films. Nykvist said that his favorite cinematography was Fanny and Alexander. Interview with poet/artist Steven Vita. At the 9th Guldbagge Awards in 1973 he won the Special Achievement award for his work on Cries and Whispers. He was also nominated for a Cinematography Oscar for The Unbearable Lightness of Being (1988), and in the category of Best Foreign Language Film for The Ox (1991), in which he directed Max von Sydow and Liv Ullmann.
Nykvist won a special prize at the Cannes Film Festival for his work on The Sacrifice (1986), the last film directed by Andrei Tarkovsky, who by then was in exile from his native Russia. He was the first European cinematographer to join the American Society of Cinematographers, and received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the ASC in 1996.Some years later Nykvist told in a Swedish television interview about joining the ASC. At first he was surprised over having to qualify for the entrance, but showed up for his interview. One of the first questions to him was, how many full-length films he had shot. He said "seventy", to which the board said, that they understood that there was a language problem; obviously Nykvist had meant "seventeen". No, seventy, seven-oh. Hrm-hrm. Than the board said "It says here, you've been doing some films with Bergman." "Yes, that's seventeen," Nykvist answered...
Personal life and death His ex-wife, Ulrika, died in 1982. Nykvist's career was brought to an abrupt end in 1998 when he was diagnosed with aphasia; he died in 2006, aged 83. He wrote three books, including Curtain Call published in 1999. His son Carl-Gustaf Nykvist directed a 1999 documentary about him, Light Keeps Me Company.
Filmography Cinematographer Film Year Title Director Notes 1943 In Darkest Smaland Schamyl Bauman With Olle Nordemar1945 Gomorron Bill! Lauritz FalkPeter Winner With Hilding Bladh and Göran Strindberg Barnen från Frostmofjället Rolf Husberg With Olle Nordemar 13 stolar Börje Larsson 1946 Saltstänk och krutgubbar Schamyl Bauman1947 Lata Lena och blåögda Per Lennart Wallén Maj på Malö Schamyl Bauman1949 The Devil and the Smalander Ivar Johansson With Carl-Erik Edlund Sjösalavår Per Gunvall Big Lasse of Delsbo Ivar Johansson Bohus Battalion Sölve CederstrandArthur Spjuth1950 Loffe blir polis Elof Ahrle With Göran Strindberg The Realm of the RyeIvar Johansson1952 In Lilac Time Under södra korset HimselfOlof Bergström1953 Barabbas Alf Sjöberg With Göran Strindberg The Road to Klockrike Gunnar Skoglund Sawdust and Tinsel Ingmar Bergman With Hilding Bladh1954 Storm over Tjurö Arne Mattsson Karin Månsdotter Alf Sjöberg Salka Valka Arne Mattsson1955 The Magnificent Lie Schamyl BaumanMike Road Darling of Mine Schamyl Bauman With Göran Strindberg Sista ringen Gunnar Skoglund1956 Laughing in the Sunshine Daniel Birt Blånande hav Gunnar Skoglund Gorilla HimselfLorens MarmstedtLars-Henrik Ottoson Night Child Gunnar Hellström The Girl in Tails Arne Mattsson Den tappre soldaten Jönsson Håkan Bergström With Rune Ericson1957 A Dreamer's Journey Lars-Magnus Lindgren Synnöve Solbakken Gunnar Hellström1958 The Lady in Black Arne Mattsson Laila Rolf Husberg1959 The Angel Who Pawned Her Harp Kurt Hoffmann Får jag låna din fru? Arne Mattsson1960 The Virgin Spring Ingmar Bergman Stage Fright Kurt Hoffmann A Matter of Morals John Cromwell The Judge Alf Sjöberg1961 The Marriage of Mr. Mississippi Kurt Hoffmann Through a Glass Darkly Ingmar Bergman Murder Party Helmut Ashley Lita på mej älskling Sven Lindberg 1962 Snow White and the Seven Jugglers Kurt Hoffmann1963 Winter Light Ingmar Bergman Love Has to Be Learned Kurt Hoffman The Silence Ingmar Bergman Prins hatt under jorden Bengt Lagerkvist1964 All These Women Ingmar Bergman To Love Jörn Donner The Dress Vilgot Sjöman Loving Couples Mai Zetterling1965 Lianbron Himself Transit Erwin LeiserBernhard Wicki 1966 Persona Ingmar Bergman1967 RoseannaHans Abramson Bränt barn1968 Hour of the WolfIngmar Bergman Shame1969 An-Magritt Arne Skouen The Passion of Anna Ingmar Bergman 1970 One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich Caspar Wrede1971 The Touch Ingmar Bergman The Last Run Richard Fleischer Lockfågeln Torgny Wickman1972 A Free Woman Volker Schlöndorff Siddhartha Conrad Rooks Cries and Whispers Ingmar Bergman1974 The Dove Charles Jarrott Scenes from a Marriage Ingmar Bergman Ransom Caspar Wrede1975 The Magic Flute Ingmar Bergman Monismanien 1995 Kenne Fant Black Moon Louis Malle1976 Face to Face Ingmar Bergman The Tenant Roman Polanski 1977 The Serpent's Egg Ingmar Bergman1978 Pretty Baby Louis Malle En och en Erland JosephsonHimselfIngrid Thulin Autumn Sonata Ingmar Bergman1979 Hurricane Jan Troell Starting Over Alan J. Pakula1980 Marmalade Revolution Erland Josephson Also credited as producer Willie & Phil Paul Mazursky 1981 The Postman Always Rings Twice Bob Rafelson1982 Cannery Row David S. Ward Fanny and Alexander Ingmar Bergman1983 Star 80 Bob Fosse La tragédie de Carmen Peter Brook 1984 Swann in Love Volker Schlöndorff 1985 Agnes of God Norman Jewison1986 Dream Lover Alan J. Pakula The Sacrifice Andrei Tarkovsky1988 The Unbearable Lightness of Being Philip Kaufman Katinka Max von Sydow With Claus Loof Another WomanWoody Allen 1989 Crimes and Misdemeanors1991 Buster's Bedroom Rebecca Horn The Ox Himself 1992 Chaplin Richard Attenborough1993 Sleepless in Seattle Nora Ephron What's Eating Gilbert Grape Lasse Hallström1994 With Honors Alek Keshishian Only You Norman Jewison Mixed Nuts Nora Ephron1995 Something to Talk About Lasse Hallström Kristin LavransdatterLiv Ullmann 1996 Private Confessions1998 Celebrity Woody Allen Curtain Call Peter Yates
Short film Year Title Director Notes 1973 Kallelsen Himself 1976 De fördömda kvinnornas dans Ingmar Bergman 1989 Oedipus Wrecks Woody Allen Segment of New York Stories
Documentary short Year Title Director Notes 1943 En Stockholmssilhuett Bibi Lindström 1946 Där lägereldarna brinna Mauritz Sandin 1961 Africa and Schweitzer Jan Sadlo 1995 Liv Ullmann Segment of Lumière and Company
Television TV movies Year Title Director Notes 1969 The RiteIngmar Bergman 1970 Fårö Document Documentary film 1971 Karpfs Karriere Bernhard Wicki 1973 Das blaue Hotel Stanislav Barabas 1980 From the Life of the MarionettesIngmar Bergman 1984 After the Rehearsal 1986 Nobody's Child Lee Grant
TV series Year Title Director Notes 1973 Scenes from a Marriage Ingmar Bergman Miniseries 1975 Nouvelles d'Henry James Volker Schlöndorff Episode "Les raisons de Georgina" 2001 Nova Episode "Life's Greatest Miracle"
Director Year Title Director Writer Producer Notes 1952 Under södra korset Co-directed with Olof Bergström 1956 Gorilla Co-directed with Lorens Marmstedt and Lars-Henrik Ottoson 1965 Lianbron 1973 Kallelsen Short film 1978 En och en Co-directed with Erland Josephson and Ingrid Thulin 1991 The Ox
Awards and nominations Year Award Category Title Result 1973Academy AwardsBest Cinematography Cries and Whispers 1983 Fanny and Alexander 1988 The Unbearable Lightness of Being 1988American Society of Cinematographers Outstanding Achievement in Theatrical Releases The Unbearable Lightness of Being 1996Life Achievement Award 1973BAFTA AwardsBest CinematographyCries and Whispers 1983 Fanny and Alexander 1983British Society of CinematographersBest Cinematography in a Theatrical Feature Film Fanny and Alexander 1988 The Unbearable Lightness of Being 1992 Chaplin 1986 Cannes Film Festival Best Artistic Contribution The Sacrifice 1988 Independent Spirit Awards Best Cinematography The Unbearable Lightness of Being 1983Los Angeles Film Critics AssociationBest Cinematography Fanny and Alexander 1988 The Unbearable Lightness of Being 1966National Society of Film CriticsBest Cinematography Persona 1968 Shame 1973 Cries and Whispers 1988 The Unbearable Lightness of Being 1983New York Film Critics CircleBest Cinematographer Fanny and Alexander 1988 The Unbearable Lightness of Being
Legacy The Sven Nykvist Cinematography Award is awarded annually at the Gothenburg Film Festival, presented in collaboration with the Sven Nykvist Cinematography Foundation. In 2003, Nykvist was judged one of history's ten most influential cinematographers in a survey conducted by the International Cinematographers Guild."Top 10 Most Influential Cinematographers Voted on by Camera Guild," October 16, 2003. Retrieved January 28, 2011.
References
In-depth interview with Nykvist from 1984 on working with Bergman Obituary, The Daily Telegraph, 20 September 2006 Obituary, New York Times, 21 September 2006
External links