Robby Müller: Living the Light

The late Robby Muller was a brilliant cinematographer of many classic movies directed by Jim Jarmush, Wim Wenders and Lars von Trier, among others. This documentary about Robby Muller life's work is impressive, touching and playful, showing family snapshots and many other personal camera recordings, in which Robby Muller is playing with different shades of light.

Catching reflections of light on film, was Robby Muller's intention, so we learn as viewers watching interviews. In my perception (and of many others) Robby Muller's work is breathtakingly beautiful to watch. Life long colleague and friend, director Wim Wenders (Paris,Texas), praised Robby Muller's gift to play with the reflections of light in such a way that he referred to him as a "Dutch Master of Light", which is a reference to the great 17th century Dutch painters, who excelled in portraying landscapes with gorgeous dynamic contrasts.

What was most striking for me about this documentary was the fact that director Wim Wenders and Robby Muller knew how their pictures should look like, way before they started shooting, by simply looking at photographs and talking about the mood of the picture beforehand. Many scenes in Robby Muller's films do have the same stunning quality and intensity as a still picture or a painting and that is probably due to the affection Robby Muller had with making art photographs.

For many years to come I will cherish and rewatch the many great classics Robby Muller has made during his lifetime. What an incredibly, marvellous photographer!

When I watched this movie, I felt like I was reading Robby's journal that was composed of photos and videos including his fellows' interview. Therefore, the audience would understand how much he was obsessed with taking pictures with practical elements especially art of lighting. His responsibility as a cinematographer was sometimes similar to thespian's role because he needed to interpret lots of screenplays for his portrayals but he did not act out. He just shot with cameras and let the pictures tell everything.