Robby Müller obit

Robby Müller death: Cinematographer nicknamed 'master of light' dies aged 78

He was best known for collaborating with Jim Jarmusch, Lars von Trier and Wim Wenders

 He was not on the list.

Robby Müller, the famous cinematographer nicknamed the ‘master of light’, has died aged 78, according to Dutch press.

De Volkskrant reports that the renowned filmmaker passed away in Amsterdam, family telling the publication that he had been ill for some time.

The Dutchman was best known for his pioneering camerawork and idiosyncratic use of light, with a particular emphasis on natural lighting and colour.

Müller collaborated with various high-profile directors, including Jim Jarmusch, Lars von Trier and Wim Wenders, working on their respected films Dead Man, Breaking the Waves and Palm d'Or winner Paris, Texas.

“There’s a certain kind of magic or poetry to whatever he shoots, but he’s much more grounded than that,” Steve McQueen, director of 12 Years a Slave, once said of Müller, the duo having worked together on the 2002 film installation Carib’s Leap.

“I compare him to a blues musician in a way. He plays just a few chords and he conveys what he needs to convey. He’s a purist.”

Müller was born on the Dutch island of Curaçao, then Netherlands Antilles, before moving to Amsterdam and studying at the Netherlands Film Academy.

The cinematographer’s first feature-length film was Summer in the City, directed by Wenders. The duo went on to work together on nine other films, including all three parts of Wenders’ Road Movie trilogy (Alice in the Cities, The Wrong Move and Kings of the Road).

Müller was also well known for work with Jarmusch, their first collaboration, Down By Law, being nominated for the Independent Spirit Award for best cinematography. He was recently subject to the retrospective installation, Master of Light — Robby Müller, at the EYE Film Museum in Amsterdam.

Actor

Tricheurs (1984)

Tricheurs

6.2

Ingénieur

1984

 

Ben Gazzara in Saint Jack (1979)

Saint Jack

7.0

Robby (uncredited)

1979

 

Cinematographer

Robby Müller: Living the Light (2018)

Robby Müller: Living the Light

7.2

Cinematographer

2018

 

Ashes (2014)

Ashes

6.8

Short

Cinematographer

2014

 

Nach grauen Tagen

Short

Cinematographer

2004

 

Visions of Europe (2004)

Visions of Europe

5.8

Cinematographer (segment "Prologue")

2004

 

Coffee and Cigarettes (2003)

Coffee and Cigarettes

7.0

director of photography (segment "Twins")

2003

 

Poem: I Set My Foot Upon the Air and It Carried Me (2003)

Poem: I Set My Foot Upon the Air and It Carried Me

7.0

Cinematographer (segments "Gesang der Geister über den Wassern", "Nach grauen Tagen", "Der Schiffüchige")

2003

 

Carib's Leap

6.9

Short

Cinematographer

2002

 

Steve Coogan, Danny Cunningham, and Chris Coghill in 24 Hour Party People (2002)

24 Hour Party People

7.3

director of photography (as Robby Muller)

2002

 

My Brother Tom (2001)

My Brother Tom

6.8

Cinematographer

2001

 

Björk in Dancer in the Dark (2000)

Dancer in the Dark

7.9

director of photography

2000

 

Forest Whitaker in Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (1999)

Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai

7.5

Cinematographer

1999

 

Shattered Image (1998)

Shattered Image

4.8

Cinematographer

1998

 

Sally Potter and Pablo Verón in The Tango Lesson (1997)

The Tango Lesson

6.7

Cinematographer (as Robby Muller)

1997

 

Emily Watson in Breaking the Waves (1996)

Breaking the Waves

7.8

Cinematographer

1996

 

Beyond the Clouds (1995)

Beyond the Clouds

6.4

Cinematographer (Wenders segment)

1995

 

Johnny Depp in Dead Man (1995)

Dead Man

7.5

Cinematographer

1995

 

Rijk de Gooyer in Hoogste tijd (1995)

Hoogste tijd

7.2

Cinematographer

1995

 

Alfred Molina in When Pigs Fly (1993)

When Pigs Fly

6.0

Cinematographer

1993

 

Robert De Niro, Bill Murray, and Uma Thurman in Mad Dog and Glory (1993)

Mad Dog and Glory

6.2

director of photography

1993

 

William Hurt and Solveig Dommartin in Until the End of the World (1991)

Until the End of the World

6.8

Cinematographer

1991

 

Red Hot + Blue: A Tribute to Cole Porter (1990)

Red Hot + Blue: A Tribute to Cole Porter

7.2

TV Movie

Cinematographer

1990

 

Korczak (1990)

Korczak

7.4

Cinematographer

1990

 

Steve Buscemi, Cinqué Lee, and Joie Lee in Coffee and Cigarettes II (1989)

Coffee and Cigarettes II

7.1

Short

Cinematographer

1989

 

Notebook on Cities and Clothes (1989)

Notebook on Cities and Clothes

6.4

Cinematographer

1989

 

Nicoletta Braschi, Yûki Kudô, and Masatoshi Nagase in Mystery Train (1989)

Mystery Train

7.5

director of photography

1989

 

The Little Devil (1988)

The Little Devil

6.9

Cinematographer

1988

 

Martin Sheen, Helen Shaver, Malick Bowens, Harley Cross, Lee Richardson, Elizabeth Wilson, and Harris Yulin in The Believers (1987)

The Believers

6.1

director of photography

1987

 

Mickey Rourke and Faye Dunaway in Barfly (1987)

Barfly

7.1

Cinematographer

1987

 

Roberto Benigni, Tom Waits, and John Lurie in Down by Law (1986)

Down by Law

7.6

director of photography

1986

 

The Longshot (1986)

The Longshot

5.4

director of photography

1986

 

William Petersen in To Live and Die in L.A. (1985)

To Live and Die in L.A.

7.3

director of photography (as Robby Muller)

1985

 

Finnegan Begin Again (1984)

Finnegan Begin Again

7.1

TV Movie

Cinematographer

1984

 

Lorenzo Lamas and Michelle Nicastro in Body Rock (1984)

Body Rock

3.7

Cinematographer

1984

 

Nastassja Kinski, Harry Dean Stanton, and Hunter Carson in Paris, Texas (1984)

Paris, Texas

8.1

director of photography

1984

 

Emilio Estevez, Olivia Barash, Harry Dean Stanton, and Jennifer Balgobin in Repo Man (1984)

Repo Man

6.8

director of photography (as Robby Muller)

1984

 

Tricheurs (1984)

Tricheurs

6.2

Cinematographer

1984

 

Victor Lanoux, Jean Rochefort, and Barbara Sukowa in Un dimanche de flic (1983)

Un dimanche de flic

5.8

Cinematographer

1983

 

Maximilian Schell and Marie Trintignant in Les îles (1983)

Les îles

6.8

Cinematographer

1983

 

Klassen Feind (1983)

Klassen Feind

7.6

Cinematographer

1983

 

Een zwoele zomeravond (1982)

Een zwoele zomeravond

6.9

Cinematographer

1982

 

Rod Steiger, Christoph Eichhorn, and Marie-France Pisier in The Magic Mountain (1982)

The Magic Mountain

6.4

Cinematographer (fired, uncredited)

1982

 

They All Laughed (1981)

They All Laughed

6.3

Cinematographer

1981

 

Dyan Cannon, Amy Irving, and Willie Nelson in Honeysuckle Rose (1980)

Honeysuckle Rose

6.3

director of photography

1980

 

Hallo medemens (1980)

Hallo medemens

TV Special

Cinematographer

1980

 

Alex van Warmerdam and Jim van der Woude in Striptease (1979)

Striptease

TV Movie

Cinematographer

1979

 

Opname (1979)

Opname

7.6

Cinematographer (as Robbie Müller)

1979

 

Ben Gazzara in Saint Jack (1979)

Saint Jack

7.0

director of photography

1979

 

Das Ende einer Karriere

TV Movie

Cinematographer

1978

 

Mysteries (1978)

Mysteries

5.3

Cinematographer

1978

 

Brigitte Fossey and Helmut Griem in The Glass Cell (1978)

The Glass Cell

6.6

Cinematographer

1978

 

The Left-Handed Woman (1977)

The Left-Handed Woman

6.5

Cinematographer

1977

 

The American Friend (1977)

The American Friend

7.4

Cinematographer

1977

 

Anne Bennent and Jean Seberg in The Wild Duck (1976)

The Wild Duck

7.3

Cinematographer

1976

 

Rüdiger Vogler and Hanns Zischler in Kings of the Road (1976)

Kings of the Road

7.6

Cinematographer (as Robbie Müller)

1976

 

Die Herausforderung

TV Movie

Cinematographer

1975

 

Es herrscht Ruhe im Land (1975)

Es herrscht Ruhe im Land

6.1

Cinematographer

1975

 

Das Double

TV Movie

Cinematographer

1975

 

Rüdiger Vogler in Wrong Move (1975)

Wrong Move

6.9

Cinematographer

1975

 

Wandas Paradies

TV Movie

Cinematographer

1974

 

Eva Maria Herzig in Ein bißchen Liebe (1974)

Ein bißchen Liebe

Cinematographer

1974

 

Perahim - die zweite Chance

7.1

TV Movie

Cinematographer

1974

 

Yella Rottländer and Rüdiger Vogler in Alice in the Cities (1974)

Alice in the Cities

7.8

Cinematographer

1974

 

Die Eltern (1974)

Die Eltern

8.2

TV Movie

Cinematographer

1974

 

Die Reise nach Wien (1973)

Die Reise nach Wien

7.0

Cinematographer

1973

 

The Scarlet Letter (1973)

The Scarlet Letter

5.8

Cinematographer

1973

 

Can (1972)

Can

7.5

Cinematographer

1972

 

Marie

6.4

TV Movie

Cinematographer

1972

 

Arthur Brauss in The Goalie's Anxiety at the Penalty Kick (1972)

The Goalie's Anxiety at the Penalty Kick

6.5

Cinematographer

1972

 

Overload

Cinematographer

1972

 

Horst Frank in Carlos (1971)

Carlos

6.7

TV Movie

Cinematographer

1971

 

Summer in the City (1971)

Summer in the City

5.8

Cinematographer (as Robert Müller)

1971

 

Eine Rose für Jane

6.8

TV Movie

Cinematographer

1970

 

Der Fall Lena Christ (1970)

Der Fall Lena Christ

7.6

TV Movie

Cinematographer (as Robert Müller)

1970

 

Pakbo

TV Movie

Cinematographer (as Robert Müller)

1970

 

Jonathan (1970)

Jonathan

6.0

Cinematographer (as Robert Müller)

1970

 

She's Like a Rainbow

Short

Cinematographer

1969

 

Alabama (2000 Light Years) (1969)

Alabama (2000 Light Years)

5.9

Short

Cinematographer

1969

 

Toets

Short

Cinematographer (as Rob Müller)

1968

 

Eiland

Short

Cinematographer

1966

 

Camera and Electrical Department

Cat Power in Sleepwalkers (2007)

Sleepwalkers

6.7

Short

Additional Cinematography

2007

 

Ibrahim Ferrer in Buena Vista Social Club (1999)

Buena Vista Social Club

7.6

director of photography: Amsterdam crew

1999

 

The Longshot (1986)

The Longshot

5.4

camera operator

1986

 

Rüdiger Vogler and Hanns Zischler in Kings of the Road (1976)

Kings of the Road

7.6

camera (as Robbie Müller)

1976

 

Rüdiger Vogler in Wrong Move (1975)

Wrong Move

6.9

camera

1975

 

I'm an Elephant, Madame (1969)

I'm an Elephant, Madame

6.9

assistant camera

1969

 

Liebe und so weiter

6.9

assistant camera

1968

 

To Grab the Ring (1968)

To Grab the Ring

assistant camera

1968

 

Jonathan Swift

Short

camera operator

1967

 

Kitty Courbois in Het gangstermeisje (1966)

Het gangstermeisje

6.4

assistant camera

1966

 

Een ochtend van zes weken (1966)

Een ochtend van zes weken

6.8

assistant camera

1966

 

Een zondag op het eiland van de Grande Jatte

7.6

Short

assistant camera

1965

 

Thanks

Tranceformer - A Portrait of Lars von Trier (1997)

Tranceformer - A Portrait of Lars von Trier

6.8

special thanks

1997

 

Night on Earth (1991)

Night on Earth

7.7

personal thanks

1991