Film series: Robby Müller: Light Work

Robby Müller was a towering figure in the field of cinematography and influenced a generation of filmmakers through his masterful ability to harness the textures and complexities of natural light on screen. 

Born in 1940 and raised in both Indonesia and the Netherlands, Müller studied filmmaking at the Dutch Film Academy before moving to Germany to work as an assistant for cinematographer Gérard Vandenberg. There, he met the German filmmaker Wim Wenders and he soon began working on Wender’s thesis film at the University of Television and Film Munich, launching a prolific, creative partnership that would have a transformative impact on cinema history. 

Müller is best known for his work with Wim Wenders, which includes the films Alice in the Cities (1974), Kings of the Road (1976), The American Friend (1977), and Paris, Texas (1984), among numerous others. However, he collaborated closely with various filmmakers throughout his career, playing a decisive role in shaping the aesthetic visions of pioneering directors like Jim Jarmusch, Peter Bogdanovich, William Friedkin, Alex Cox, Barbet Schröder, and Lars von Trier. 

The cinematographer, also known as a director of photography, is responsible for creatively conceiving and capturing the visual story of a film, making decisions about color, lighting, framing, camera lens, and camera movement that help to amplify the director’s creative vision. Robby Müller is celebrated for bringing a uniquely European sensibility to photographing the vast natural and urban landscapes of the United States and for having an uncommon ability to infuse cinematic images with deeper narrative meaning through carefully composed wide shots and meticulous use of light, shadow, and color.

This series will highlight five films by the luminary cinematographer, including his first collaboration and best-known collaboration with Wim Wenders, two striking, black-and-white films he made with Jim Jarmusch, and Willliam Friedkin’s stylish thriller To Live and Die in L.A. (1985).

For more, visit the Robby Müller Archive and check out the 2018 film essay Robby Müller: Living the Light by filmmaker Claire Pijman, which combines rich archival footage of Müller with excerpts from his cinematic oeuvre and interviews with colleagues, friends, and family.