Legendary cinematographer Nykvist dies aged 83
Sven Nykvist, whose celebrated collaborations with director Ingmar Bergman included 1973's Cries and Whispers and 1982's Fanny and Alexander, for which Nykvist scored cinematography Oscars, has died after a long illness. He was 83.
Nykvist died yesterday at a Swedish nursing home where he was being treated for aphasia, a form of dementia, said his son, Carl-Gustaf Nykvist. The exact cause of death was not immediately known.
He first worked with Bergman on 1954's Sawdust and Tinsel, impressing the latter with his sense of lighting and camera work and beginning a partnership that lasted nearly 30 years and encompassed 22 films.
"He was called 'the master of light' because of the moods and atmospheres he could create with light. It was a near impossibility to create the moods he created," said his son, referring to Nykvist's stripped down photography and low-tech illumination techniques to magnify actors' psychological reactions on camera.
Although he was best known for his partnership with Bergman, Nykvist made more than 100 films over six decades, a number of them his own features and documentaries, including his feature directorial effort, The Ox, which was nominated for best foreign-language film in 1991.
In more recent years, Nykvist also worked on fellow Swede Lasse Hallstrom's What's Eating Gilbert Grape - the film that shot Leonardo DiCaprio to fame - and did several movies with Bergman-fan Woody Allen. His last film was Curtain Call in 1999.
Nyvkist's wife, Ulrika, died in 1982. He is survived by his son and two grandchildren.