Robby Müller

Born: 1940-04-04

Robby Müller (4 April 1940 - 4 July 2018) was a Dutch cinematographer. Known both for his use of natural light and minimalist imagery, as well as expressionistic use of colors, Müller first gained recognition for his contributions to West German Cinema through his acclaimed collaborations with Wim Wenders. Müller's first work as a cinematographer was also Wim Wenders' first as director, Alabama: 2000 Light Years. They went on making many more films together such as Summer in the City, The Goalie's Anxiety at the Penalty Kick, The Scarlet Letter, Alice in the Cities, Wrong Move, Kings of the Road, The American Friend, Wings of Desire, Until the End of the World and Paris, Texas. Throughout the course of his career, he also worked closely with directors Jim Jarmusch (Down by Law, Mystery Train, Dead Man, Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai), Lars Von Trier (Breaking the Waves, Dancer in the Dark), Peter Bogdanovich (Saint Jack, They All Laughed), Barbet Schroeder (Barfly, Tricheurs) and Hans W. Geissendörfer (Jonathan, The Glass Cell, Carlos, The Wild Duck, Der Fall Lena Christ, Die Eltern). Müller's other work has been on both mainstream productions and independent films, including the hazy, yellow-tinted cinematography of William Friedkin's To Live and Die in LA, Alex Cox's Repo Man, Michael Winterbottom's 24 Hour Party People, Andrzej Wajda's Korczak, Jerry Schatzberg's Honeysuckle Rose, Peter Handke's The Left Handed Woman, Sally Potter's The Tango Lesson, Dom Rotheroe's My Brother Tom and Steve McQueen's Carib’s Leap. Paul Thomas Anderson referred to Müller as "The master of night exteriors. Like a chef with a secret sauce. I can't quite figure it out." Barry Sonnenfeld recalls the first thing he and the Coen Brothers bonded over was Müller's The American Friend cinematography, which convinced the brothers that Sonnenfeld had good enough taste to shoot their first film (Blood Simple). Müller died on 3 July 2018, aged 78, having suffered from vascular dementia for several years.


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Wim Wenders, Desperado

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 2020-07-16

"Wings Of Desire" and "Buena Vista Social Club", "Paris, Texas" and "The State Of Things": Wim...

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Saint Jack

as Robby (uncredited)
Released: 1979-04-27

Jack Flowers is an American hustler trying to make his fortune in 1970s Singapore in small time...

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Motion and Emotion: The Films of Wim Wenders

as Self
Released: 1990-04-25

Though very polite and British, this feature-length documentary about German filmmaker Wim...

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Cheaters

as Ingénieur
Released: 1984-02-08

Swaying between pleasure and despair, Elric throws himself into his pathological passion for the...

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One Who Set Forth: Wim Wenders' Early Years

as Self
Released: 2008-01-24

The early films of Wim Wenders are now regarded as landmarks of European film. Alice in the...

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Living the Light: Robby Müller

as Self
Released: 2018-09-20

For her extraordinary film essay, Living the Light, Director and Director of Photography Claire...

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From Dogma to Dogville: Don't Try This at Home

as himself
Released: 2006-12-01

A documentary with the three cinematographers known for breaking away cinema away from celluloid...

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Counterfeit World: Making 'To Live and Die in L.A.'

as Himself (archive footage)
Released: 2003-12-02

The magic and creation behind the making of William Friedkin's classic action film To Live and...

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The Ditvoorst Domains

as Self
Released: 1992-10-01

Documentary about the Dutch film director Adriaan Ditvoorst.

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Motion and Emotion: The Road to 'Paris, Texas'

as Self
Released: 1990-04-25

Documentary about the making of Wim Wenders' 1984 film, with interviews conducted in 1989.

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