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Chris Menges | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1940-09-15)15 September 1940 (age 84) Kington, Herefordshire, England |
| Occupation(s) | Cinematographer and film director |
| Years active | 1959–2019 |
| Father | Herbert Menges |
Chris MengesBSC,ASC (born 15 September 1940) is a British cinematographer and film director.
He is a member of both theAmerican andBritish Societies of Cinematographers.
Menges was born inKington, Herefordshire, the son of the composer and conductorHerbert Menges.[1] He began his career in the 1960s as camera operator for documentaries byAdrian Cowell, and for films includingPoor Cow by Ken Loach andIf.... byLindsay Anderson.Kes, directed byKen Loach, was his first film as cinematographer. Menges was also behind the camera onStephen Frears' first feature filmGumshoe in 1971.
After several documentaries and feature films, such asBlack Beauty (1971),Bloody Kids (1978),The Game Keeper (1980),Babylon (1980) andAngel (1982), Menges became notable for more ambitious works, for which he was critically acclaimed.
In 1983, Menges received his firstBAFTA nomination for theBill Forsyth filmLocal Hero, and only a year later won his firstAcademy Award for the filmThe Killing Fields about thegenocide inCambodia. He continued his work with helmerRoland Joffe, and Menges won his secondOscar in 1986 with the historical dramaThe Mission. He also shot a television play titledMade in Britain, starringTim Roth, in 1983.
In 1988, Menges made his directorial debut withA World Apart. This film was celebrated at the1988 Cannes Film Festival and won three major awards.[2]
His second film as director,CrissCross withGoldie Hawn, received critical acclaim, but was a box-office flop. In 1996 he moved back behind the camera to shoot the award-winning filmsThe Boxer (directed byJim Sheridan) andMichael Collins. For the latter, he received his third Academy Award nomination in 1997.
Menges also made documentaries. In the early 1970s, he went to Burma with British film makerAdrian Cowell to shootThe Opium Warlords, a film about the drug trade. After the release of the documentary in 1974, the Burmese government was said to have put a price on their heads. Menges is mentioned in the bookConversations with Cinematographers by David A. Ellis, published byScarecrow Press.
Short film
| Year | Title | Director | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1963 | The War Game | Mai Zetterling | With Brian Probyn |
| 1966 | Raid into Tibet | Adrian Cowell | Documentary short |
| 1968 | Solo | Misha Donat | |
| 1969 | Assignment Vietnam | Richard Taylor | Documentary short |
| 1971 | Talk About Work | Ken Loach | |
| 1981 | Couples and Robbers | Clare Peploe |
Documentary film
| Year | Title | Director | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 | Abel Gance: The Charm of Dynamite | Kevin Brownlow | |
| 1969 | Wild and Free Twice Daily | Himself | |
| 1971 | The Save the Children Fund Film | Ken Loach | |
| 1981 | East 103rd Street | Himself | |
| 1984 | Which Side Are You On? | Ken Loach | With Jimmy Dibling |
| 1987 | Jin San Jiao ya pian jun fa jie mi | Adrian Cowell Wai-Chuen Yung | |
| 2003 | Concert for George | David Leland | |
| 2019 | Voice of Land | Henrique Bouduard |
Feature film
Documentary film
Feature film
Academy Awards
| Year | Title | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | The Killing Fields | Best Cinematography | Won |
| 1986 | The Mission | Won | |
| 1996 | Michael Collins | Nominated | |
| 2008 | The Reader | Nominated |
BAFTA Awards
| Year | Title | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Local Hero | Best Cinematography | Nominated |
| 1984 | The Killing Fields | Won | |
| 1986 | The Mission | Nominated | |
| 1996 | Michael Collins | Nominated | |
| 2008 | The Reader | Nominated |
American Society of Cinematographers
| Year | Title | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | The Mission | Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography | Nominated |
| 1996 | Michael Collins | Nominated | |
| 1997 | The Boxer | Nominated | |
| 2008 | The Reader | Nominated |
Los Angeles Film Critics Association
| Year | Title | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | The Killing Fields | Best Cinematography | Won |
| 1986 | The Mission | Won | |
| 1996 | Michael Collins | Won |
National Society of Film Critics
| Year | Title | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Comfort and Joy | Best Cinematography | Won |
| The Killing Fields | Won | ||
| 1996 | Michael Collins | Nominated |
New York Film Critics Circle
| Year | Title | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | The Killing Fields | Best Cinematography | Won |
| 1986 | The Mission | Nominated |
Other awards
| Year | Title | Award/Nomination |
|---|---|---|
| 1984 | The Killing Fields | Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Cinematography |
| 1996 | Michael Collins | Nominated –Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Cinematography |
