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Robert Richardson

Robert Richardson

Cinematographer, also actor · Born August 27, 1955 (71) · Hyannis, Massachusetts, USA

3 Oscars · BAFTA Award nominee · 2 other major award bodies

Robert Bridge Richardson, ASC (born August 27, 1955) is an American cinematographer. Having collaborated with prestigious filmmakers like Oliver Stone, Martin Scorsese, and Quentin Tarantino, he's known for his trademark aggressively bright highlights and for exploring a variety of visual styles, both with film and digital cameras. He is one of three people living here who have won the Academy Award for Best Cinematography three times, sharing the position with Vittorio Storaro and Emmanuel Lubezki. Description above from the Wikipedia article Robert Richardson (cinematographer), licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
August 27, 1955 (71)
From
Hyannis, Massachusetts, USA
Works as
Cinematographer, also actor
Titles
50 on MovieCove · 59 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 155 days to Oct 26

What are Robert Richardson's films like?

Across their 43 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Self.

Genres

Drama12 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 92nd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Action8 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 75th percentile
: browse their Action movies
Biography7 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 85th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Biography movies
Documentary5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 87th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Documentary movies
Crime4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 88th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime movies
Adventure3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 62nd percentile
: browse their Adventure movies
Comedy2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 88th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Comedy movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Morality
33%
Self
17%
Bonds
13%
Survival
13%
Power
10%
Ideas
10%
Society
4%
Justice10 titles, browse their movies with this themeRevenge6 titles, browse their movies with this themeTruth5 titles, browse their movies with this themeRedemption6 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose5 titles, browse their movies with this themeBetrayal6 titles, browse their movies with this themeAmbition5 titles, browse their movies with this themeCorruption5 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 42 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Dark: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their dark movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 7 · Serious 7 · Dark 28

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 19 · Stylized 10 · Heightened 13

Intense: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their intense movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 3 · Charged 10 · Intense 29

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 13 · Shifting 17 · Whiplash 12

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 25 · Some laughs 15 · Funny 2

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 15 · Even-paced 23 · Relentless 4

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 7 · Engaged 24 · Full focus 11

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

A split, not a type: Easy watch 7 · Affecting 13 · Heavy 22

Open-ended: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their open-ended movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

A split, not a type: Resolved 25 · Open-ended 8 · Ambiguous 9

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
32
Melancholic
24
Thrilling
9
Contemplative
10
Dread
6
Other
40

How their films linger

Thought-provoking18 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet13 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting12 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful13 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteCathartic6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 8 with a twist

  • Happy5
  • Bittersweet23
  • Tragic6
  • Ambiguous8
  • Cyclical1

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Robert Richardson's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 32 of their 50 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (10).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Robert Richardson's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

59 credits, 50 with a MovieCove page; 2 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Madden (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2026)

    Cinematographer

  • In between Stars and Scars: Masters of Cinema(2024)

    Cinematographer · as Self

  • The Equalizer 3(2023)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • Air(2023)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • Emancipation(2022)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • JFK: Destiny Betrayed(2021)

    Show 4 episodes · Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all shows

  • JFK Revisited: Through the Looking Glass(2021)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • Venom: Let There Be Carnage(2021)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films

  • Once Upon a Time in... Hollywood(2019)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • The Hateful Eight (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)

    Show 4 episodes · Cinematographer

  • A Private War(2018)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • Adrift(2018)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • Breathe(2017)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Live by Night(2016)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films

  • The Hateful Eight(2015)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Gravity(2013)

    Thanks

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • Wild Horses (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    Cinematographer

  • Django Unchained(2012)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • Hugo(2011)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • George Harrison: Living in the Material World (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    Show 2 episodes · Cinematographer

  • Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair(2004)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • Eat Pray Love(2010)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 43rd percentile of all films

  • Shutter Island(2010)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • Inglourious Basterds(2009)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • Shine a Light(2008)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all films

  • Standard Operating Procedure(2008)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • The Good Shepherd(2006)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • The Aviator(2004)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • Kill Bill: Vol. 2(2004)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • Kill Bill: Vol. 1(2003)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • The Four Feathers(2002)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • Powder Keg (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    Cinematographer

  • Mr. Death: The Rise and Fall of Fred A. Leuchter, Jr.(1999)

    Additional Photography

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • Snow Falling on Cedars(1999)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • Bringing Out the Dead(1999)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • The Horse Whisperer(1998)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • Wag the Dog(1997)

    Cinematographer · as Man in a TV Studio (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • Fast, Cheap & Out of Control(1997)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • U Turn(1997)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • Nixon(1995)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • Casino(1995)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • Natural Born Killers(1994)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Heaven & Earth(1993)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • A Few Good Men(1992)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • JFK(1991)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • City of Hope(1991)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • The Doors(1991)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • Born on the Fourth of July(1989)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Talk Radio(1988)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • Eight Men Out(1988)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • Wall Street(1987)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • Dudes(1987)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films

  • Platoon(1986)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • Salvador(1986)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • Missing... Have You Seen This Person? (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    Cinematographer

  • An Outpost of Progress (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    Cinematographer

  • Murphy's War(1971)

    Assistant Editor

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • 4 Kids Walk Into a Bank (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Cinematographer

  • Untitled Hannibal Film (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Cinematographer

Career shape

A full career of 58 titles, 55 of them dated from 1971 to 2023.

Biggest box office

Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2021)

$507M worldwide

Highest rated

Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair (2004)

Midcredits 99th

Most popular right now

Django Unchained (2012)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting1 of 58: 0 only acting, 1 with another roleCinematography55 of 58: 54 only cinematography, 1 with another role · typical Midcredits score86thOther crew3 of 58: 3 only other crew, 0 with another role

By decade

1970s1 · crew1980s9 · crew1990s15 · 1 acting · 15 crew2000s9 · crew2010s15 · crew2020s6 · crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

Awards

3 Oscars and 1 other major award from 21 major nominations, 1987–2020.

WinNomination
  1. 2020
    • Oscar, nominated · Best Achievement in Cinematography
    • +1 other major body · 1 nomination
      • Critics Choice Award, nominated · Best Cinematography
  2. 2016
    • Oscar, nominated · Best Achievement in Cinematography
    • +1 other major body · 1 nomination
      • Critics Choice Award, nominated · Best Cinematography
  3. 2013
    • Oscar, nominated · Best Achievement in Cinematography
  4. 2012
    • Oscar, won · Best Achievement in Cinematography
    • BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Cinematography
    • +1 other major body · 1 nomination
      • Critics Choice Award, nominated · Best Cinematography
  5. 2010
    • Oscar, nominated · Best Achievement in Cinematography
    • BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Cinematography
    • +1 other major body · 1 nomination
      • Critics Choice Award, nominated · Best Cinematography
  6. 2005
    • Oscar, won · Best Achievement in Cinematography
    • BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Cinematography
  7. 2000
    • Oscar, nominated · Best Cinematography
  8. 1992
    • Oscar, won · Best Cinematography
Show 4 earlier years
  1. 1990
    • Oscar, nominated · Best Cinematography
  2. 1989
    • Independent Spirit Award, nominated · Best Cinematography
  3. 1988
    • BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Cinematography
  4. 1987
    • Oscar, nominated · Best Cinematography
    • +1 other major body · 1 win and 1 nomination
      • Independent Spirit Award, won · Best Cinematography
      • Independent Spirit Award, nominated · Best Cinematography

Major bodies only: the Oscars, Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Screen Actors Guild Awards are named; Cannes, Venice, the Berlinale, Sundance, the directors', writers' and producers' guilds, the Grammys, Critics Choice and the Independent Spirit Awards count as other major bodies. Festival and regional prizes are not counted. Source: IMDb.

How do Robert Richardson's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 87th percentile, the median of the 48 of 49 with a score; across their 41 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 83rd percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

83rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 41

Approval · how many liked their films

85thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 41

Reach · how many have seen their films

96thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 41

Midcredits score across 49 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up36
  • 50th to 74th10
  • 25th to 49th3

Shape of the crowd

27 of their 49 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved17
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser27
  • Broadly Agreed1
  • Mixed3

Most divisive · cinematographer

Emancipation (2022)

75th percentile spread · 21% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · cinematographer

Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair (2004)

Midcredits 99th · 93% liked

Reviewers score the cinematography 77/100 in their films, across 41 reviewed titles; fans 82, detractors 60. The element that speaks to their work as a cinematographer.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Robert Richardson's work okay for kids?

Across up to 33 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore, profanity, alcohol & drugs and frightening / intense run heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore32 titles23–95 · median 74 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity33 titles15–67 · median 39 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity32 titles34–93 · median 71 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs30 titles30–84 · median 43 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense31 titles31–87 · median 65 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Robert Richardson work with?

People who share at least 2 of Robert Richardson's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Oliver Stone shares the most, 12.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Editors

Producers

Mixed roles