Sven Kyvist is dead

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Sven Nykvist, the cinematographer who shot Ingmar Bergman's best films with some of the most exquisite black-and-white compositions in film history, has died. I admired his color photography on Woody Allen's Another Woman and especially Crimes and Misdemeanors, but deep down he will always be the silver-monochrome painter who shot Bergman's The Virgin Spring, The Silence, Persona, Winter Light and Through a Glass Darkly. I met him on the set of King of the Gypsies in Manhattan back in '78 or thereabouts. Sven was only 83 years old. He lived his last days in a Stockholm nursing home where he was being treated for(this is awful) a form of dementia called aphasia, according to Carl-Gustaf Nykvist, his son.

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Posted by Jeffrey Wells on September 20, 2006 at 3:40 PM

comment #1

Nicol D says ...

God Bless him. His impact on the artform will never be forgotten.

The Virgin Spring is my favourite of his collaborations with Bergman.

Posted by Nicol D at September 20, 2006 4:09 PM

comment #2

Edward says ...

A great artist. His work on "Fanny and Alexander" was also memorable.

Posted by Edward at September 20, 2006 4:14 PM

comment #3

Reedyb says ...

Even lesser movies he had a hand in, like The Postman Always Rings Twice, were just fun to look and marvel at.

Posted by Reedyb at September 20, 2006 6:21 PM

comment #4

L.B. says ...

An amazing artist who created some of the most beautiful images I've ever seen. The sadness of his passing is releived only by the fact that it has to be better than the last years of his life. How dreadful that such an accomplished man would suffer that much. He will and has been missed greatly.

Posted by L.B. at September 20, 2006 7:17 PM

comment #5

ZacharyTF says ...

Looking at his IMDB page, I've seen the following:

With Honors
What's Eating Gilbert Grape
Sleepless in Seattle

Runs from the thread.....:)

Posted by ZacharyTF at September 20, 2006 8:52 PM

comment #6

Sharpel007 says ...

If he just made Persona at that was it with Bergman he could of slaked off band still be labled great,but no he made at least 6 that are all masterpices.

And I'll second the Fanny and Alexander love great work there, particiularly the scence with the actor signing with the candle on his head.

Posted by Sharpel007 at September 20, 2006 9:33 PM

comment #7