# Philippe Rousselot

Philippe Rousselot, AFC, ASC (born 4 September 1945) is a French cinematographer, best known for his wide range of work in both European and mainstream American cinema, from drama, to fantasy, and action.
He is the recipient of three César Awards, a BAFTA, an Oscar, and is a nominee for the Palme d'Or.

## Life and career

Rousselot was born in Briey, Meurthe-et-Moselle, France. After studying cinema at l'École Louis Lumière, he graduated in 1966 with, among others, François About, Eduardo Serra, Noël Very, and Jean-François Robin. He began as an assistant to Néstor Almendros, then quickly emerged as chief operator, leading to his career. He collaborated, in particular, with Jean-Jacques Beineix (Diva), Alain Cavalier (Thérèse), Jean-Jacques Annaud (The Bear), Robert Redford (A River Runs Through It), Stephen Frears (Dangerous Liaisons), John Boorman (The Tailor of Panama), Patrice Chéreau (Queen Margot), Bertrand Blier (Thanks Life), Neil Jordan (Interview with the Vampire), and Tim Burton on Planet of the Apes, Big Fish, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
For Henry & June, he was nominated the Academy Award for Best Cinematography in 1990. He won the 1992 Academy Award for Best Cinematography for his work on A River Runs Through It, and earned three César Awards for Best Cinematography, in 1982 for Diva, in 1987 for Thérèse and in 1995 for Queen Margot.

## Style

With director Jean-Jaques Beineix and Diva, he worked successfully to make photographic aesthetics a central element of the filming process, developing a photographic light "effect" and creating a timeless, almost unreal atmosphere, which would become his trademark as in the films of Bertrand Blier. He tried to achieve this effect in 1997 with The Serpent's Kiss.

## Filmography
### Film

Director
* The Serpent's Kiss (1997)
Cinematographer
| Year | Title | Director | Notes |
| 1970 | Le clare de terre | Guy Gilles | With Guy Gilles |
| 1971 | Les yeux de maman sont des étoiles | Jacques Robiolles | With Jean-Marie Estève and Claude Reggane |
| 1972 | Repeated Absences | Guy Gilles | |
| 1973 | La raison du plus fou | François Reichenbach | With Daniel Cardot, Christian Odasso and Gerard Taverna |
| 1975 | Il pleut toujours où c'est mouillé | Jean-Daniel Simon | |
| 1976 | L'affiche rouge | Frank Cassenti | |
| 1977 | The Model Couple | William Klein | With William Klein |
| 1977 | Pour Clémence | Charles Belmont | |
| 1977 | Paradiso | Christian Bricout | |
| 1977 | Pauline et l'ordinateur | Francis Fehr | With Pierre Dupouey |
| 1977 | Adom ou Le sang d'Abel | Gérard Myriam Benhamou | |
| 1977 | Peppermint Soda | Diane Kurys | |
| 1979 | The Hussy | Jacques Doillon | |
| 1980 | Cocktail Molotov | Diane Kurys | |
| 1981 | La provinciale | Claude Goretta | |
| 1981 | Diva | Jean-Jacques Beineix | |
| 1981 | La gueule du loup | Michel Léviant | |
| 1982 | Guy De Maupassant | Michel Drach | |
| 1983 | Moon in the Gutter | Jean-Jacques Beineix | |
| 1984 | Thieves After Dark | Samuel Fuller | |
| 1984 | Nemo | Arnaud Sélignac | |
| 1985 | Night Magic | Lewis Furey | |
| 1985 | The Emerald Forest | John Boorman | |
| 1986 | Thérèse | Alain Cavalier | |
| 1987 | Hope and Glory | John Boorman | |
| 1988 | The Bear | Jean-Jacques Annaud | |
| 1988 | Dangerous Liaisons | Stephen Frears | |
| 1989 | Too Beautiful for You | Bertrand Blier | |
| 1989 | We're No Angels | Neil Jordan | |
| 1990 | Henry & June | Philip Kaufman | |
| 1991 | Merci la vie | Bertrand Blier | |
| 1991 | The Miracle | Neil Jordan | |
| 1992 | A River Runs Through It | Robert Redford | |
| 1993 | Sommersby | Jon Amiel | |
| 1993 | Flesh and Bone | Steve Kloves | |
| 1994 | La Reine Margot | Patrice Chéreau | |
| 1994 | Interview with the Vampire | Neil Jordan | |
| 1996 | Mary Reilly | Stephen Frears | |
| 1996 | The People vs. Larry Flynt | Miloš Forman | |
| 1999 | Instinct | Jon Turteltaub | |
| 1999 | Random Hearts | Sydney Pollack | |
| 2000 | Remember the Titans | Boaz Yakin | |
| 2001 | The Tailor of Panama | John Boorman | |
| 2001 | Planet of the Apes | Tim Burton | |
| 2002 | Antwone Fisher | Denzel Washington | |
| 2003 | Big Fish | Tim Burton | |
| 2005 | Constantine | Francis Lawrence | |
| 2005 | Charlie and the Chocolate Factory | Tim Burton | |
| 2007 | The Brave One | Neil Jordan | |
| 2007 | Lions for Lambs | Robert Redford | |
| 2007 | The Great Debaters | Denzel Washington | |
| 2009 | Sherlock Holmes | Guy Ritchie | |
| 2010 | Peacock | Michael Lander | |
| 2011 | Larry Crowne | Tom Hanks | |
| 2011 | A Bird of the Air | Margaret Whitton | |
| 2011 | Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows | Guy Ritchie | |
| 2013 | Beautiful Creatures | Richard LaGravenese | |
| 2016 | The Nice Guys | Shane Black | |
| 2016 | Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them | David Yates | |
| 2018 | Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald | David Yates | |
| 2021 | Without Remorse | Stefano Sollima | |
| 2022 | Beast | Baltasar Kormákur | |
| 2025 | Play Dirty | Shane Black | Post-production |

### Documentary film

| Year | Title | Director | Notes |
| 1974 | Histoires d'A | Charles Belmont Marielle Issartel | |
| 1985 | Des terroristes à la retraite | Mosco Boucault | With Guy-Auguste Boléat, François Catonné, Guy Chanel, Jean Orjollet, Eduardo Serra and Carlo Varini |

## Awards and nominations

Academy Awards
| Year | Title | Category | Result |
| 1987 | Hope and Glory | Best Cinematography | Nominated |
| 1990 | Henry & June | Best Cinematography | Nominated |
| 1992 | A River Runs Through It | Best Cinematography | Won |
BAFTA Awards
| Year | Title | Category | Result |
| 1985 | The Emerald Forest | Best Cinematography | Nominated |
| 1987 | Hope and Glory | Best Cinematography | Nominated |
| 1988 | The Bear | Best Cinematography | Nominated |
| 1988 | Dangerous Liaisons | Best Cinematography | Nominated |
| 1994 | Interview with the Vampire | Best Cinematography | Won |
American Society of Cinematographers
| Year | Title | Category | Result |
| 1988 | Dangerous Liaisons | Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography | Nominated |
| 1989 | Too Beautiful for You | Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography | Nominated |
| 1992 | A River Runs Through It | Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography | Nominated |
| 2017 | ASC International Award | ASC International Award | Won |
César Awards
| Year | Title | Category | Result |
| 1981 | Diva | Best Cinematography | Won |
| 1983 | Moon in the Gutter | Best Cinematography | Nominated |
| 1986 | Thérèse | Best Cinematography | Won |
| 1988 | The Bear | Best Cinematography | Nominated |
| 1989 | Too Beautiful for You | Best Cinematography | Nominated |
| 1994 | La Reine Margot | Best Cinematography | Won |
British Society of Cinematographers
| Year | Title | Category | Result |
| 1987 | Hope and Glory | Best Cinematography | Won |
| 1988 | Dangerous Liaisons | Best Cinematography | Nominated |
| 1994 | Interview with the Vampire | Best Cinematography | Won |
National Society of Film Critics
| Year | Title | Category | Result |
| 1981 | Diva | Best Cinematography | Won |
| 1987 | Hope and Glory | Best Cinematography | Won |
Cannes Film Festival
| Year | Title | Category | Result |
| 1997 | The Serpent's Kiss | Palme d'Or | Nominated |