Known for Camera
Robert Christopher Elswit, ASC (born April 22, 1950) is an American cinematographer. He has collaborated with Paul Thomas Anderson from 1996 to 2014, winning the Academy Award for Best Cinematography for There Will Be Blood. Elswit has also collaborated with directors and screenwriters Tony and Dan Gilroy on all six films that either brother directed. Description above from the Wikipedia article Robert Elswit, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Born
April 22, 1950 (age 76)
Birthplace
California, USA
Filmography
85 films, 9 shows


Animals
2026 · 1h 46m
country: United States
When the son of an L.A. mayoral candidate is kidnapped, he and his wife have a few hours to come up with the ransom payment. With most of their money spent on his political campaign, they have to get their hands dirty and expose a side of their lives they never intended to see the light of day.


The Punisher: One Last Kill
2026 · 51m
country: United States
As Frank Castle searches for meaning beyond revenge, an unexpected force pulls him back into the fight.


Ella McCay
2025 · 1h 55m
country: United States
An idealistic young politician juggles familial issues and a challenging work life while preparing to take over the job of her mentor, the state’s longtime incumbent governor.


Bob Marley: One Love
2024 · 1h 44m
country: United States
Jamaican singer-songwriter Bob Marley overcomes adversity to become the most famous reggae musician in the world.


King Richard
2021 · 2h 24m
country: United States
The story of how Richard Williams served as a coach to his daughters Venus and Serena, who will soon become two of the most legendary tennis players in history.


The King of Staten Island
2020 · 2h 17m
country: United States
Scott has been a case of arrested development ever since his firefighter father died when he was seven. He's now reached his mid-20s having achieved little, chasing a dream of becoming a tattoo artist that seems far out of reach. As his ambitious younger sister heads off to college, Scott is still living with his exhausted ER nurse mother and spends his days smoking weed, hanging with the guys — Oscar, Igor and Richie — and secretly hooking up with his childhood friend Kelsey. But when his mother starts dating a loudmouth firefighter named Ray, it sets off a chain of events that will force Scott to grapple with his grief and take his first tentative steps toward moving forward in life.


Velvet Buzzsaw
2019 · 1h 52m
country: United States
Big money artists and mega-collectors pay a high price when art collides with commerce. After a series of paintings by an unknown artist are discovered, a supernatural force enacts revenge on those who have allowed their greed to get in the way of art.


Skyscraper
2018 · 1h 42m
country: Japan
Framed and on the run, a former FBI agent must save his family from a blazing fire in the world's tallest building.


Write When You Get Work
2018 · 1h 39m
country: Unknown
Ruth Duffy is getting by on an assistant's salary at a pricey school for girls in Manhattan, managing to move beyond the trouble and loss of her teenage years. Jonny Collins is working local jobs near the Throgs Neck Bridge in the Bronx. When they cross paths after years apart, Jonny is as consumed with Ruth as he was in their high school days, and he infiltrates her life for love and profit.


Roman J. Israel, Esq.
2017 · 2h 2m
country: United Arab Emirates
Hard-nosed liberal lawyer Roman J. Israel has been fighting the good fight forever while others take the credit. When his partner – the firm's frontman – has a heart attack, Israel suddenly takes on that role. He soon discovers some unsettling truths about the firm – truths that conflict with his values of helping the poor and dispossessed – and finds himself in an existential crisis that leads to extreme actions.


Suburbicon
2017 · 1h 45m
country: China
In the quiet family town of Suburbicon during the 1950s, the best and worst of humanity is hilariously reflected through the deeds of seemingly ordinary people. When a home invasion turns deadly, a picture-perfect family turns to blackmail, revenge and murder.


Gold
2016 · 2h
country: United States
Kenny Wells, a modern-day prospector, hustler, and dreamer, is desperate for a lucky break. Left with few options, Wells teams up with an equally luckless geologist to execute a grandiose, last-ditch effort: to find gold deep in the uncharted jungle of Indonesia.


Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation
2015 · 2h 11m
country: United States
Ethan and team take on their most impossible mission yet—eradicating 'The Syndicate', an International and highly-skilled rogue organization committed to destroying the IMF.


Inherent Vice
2014 · 2h 29m
country: United States
In Los Angeles at the turn of the 1970s, drug-fueled detective Larry "Doc" Sportello investigates the disappearance of an ex-girlfriend.


Nightcrawler
2014 · 1h 58m
country: United States
When Lou Bloom, desperate for work, muscles into the world of L.A. crime journalism, he blurs the line between observer and participant to become the star of his own story. Aiding him in his effort is Nina, a TV-news veteran.


The Bourne Legacy
2012 · 2h 15m
country: United States
New CIA operative Aaron Cross experiences life-or-death stakes that have been triggered by the previous actions of Jason Bourne.


Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol
2011 · 2h 13m
country: United States
Ethan Hunt and his team are racing against time to track down a dangerous terrorist named Hendricks, who has gained access to Russian nuclear launch codes and is planning a strike on the United States. An attempt to stop him ends in an explosion causing severe destruction to the Kremlin and the IMF to be implicated in the bombing, forcing the President to disavow them. No longer being aided by the government, Ethan and his team chase Hendricks around the globe, although they might still be too late to stop a disaster.


The Town
2010 · 2h 5m
country: United States
A proficient group of thieves rob a bank and hold the manager hostage. Things begin to get complicated when one of the crew members falls in love with her.


Salt
2010 · 1h 40m
country: United States
As a CIA officer, Evelyn Salt swore an oath to duty, honor, and country. Her loyalty will be tested when a Russian defector accuses her of being a Russian sleeper spy. She goes on the run, using all her skills and years of experience as a covert operative to elude capture, protect her husband, and stay one step ahead of her colleagues at the CIA. Her efforts to prove her innocence only serve to cast doubt on her motives, as the hunt to uncover the truth behind her identity continues and the question remains: "Who is Salt?"


The Men Who Stare at Goats
2009 · 1h 34m
country: United Kingdom
A reporter in Iraq might just have the story of a lifetime when he meets Lyn Cassady, a guy who claims to be a former member of the U.S. Army's New Earth Army, a unit that employs paranormal powers in their missions.


Duplicity
2009 · 2h 5m
country: Germany
Two romantically involved government operatives Claire Stenwick and Ray Koval team up to manipulate a race between opposing corporations to corner the market on a medical innovation that will reap huge profits and allow them to lead an extravagant lifestyle together. They find themselves on opposing sides as corporate spies; however, as they each try to outdo the other, neither one can decide how far to trust the other in this high-stakes game of cat-and-mouse.


The Burning Plain
2008 · 1h 51m
country: Argentina
A trailer is burning in the middle of a plain. The bodies of two adulterous lovers are found. Scenes from both families, before and after the dramatic events, suggest an unusual connection between them. But what is their secret?


Redbelt
2008 · 1h 39m
country: United States
Martial artist Mike Terry lives by a strict code of no competitions, for he feels that such contests weaken fighters. After saving a famous action star from a brutal attack, Mike takes a job in the film industry. He soon finds his personal beliefs and integrity on the line as circumstances force him to participate in a prize fight.


Shine a Light
2008 · 2h 2m
country: Canada
Martin Scorsese’s electrifying concert documentary captures The Rolling Stones live at New York’s Beacon Theatre during their A Bigger Bang tour. Filmed over two nights in 2006 with an all-star team of cinematographers, the film combines dynamic performances with archival footage and rare glimpses behind the scenes, offering a vibrant portrait of the band’s enduring energy and legacy.


There Will Be Blood
2007 · 2h 38m
country: United States
Ruthless silver miner, turned oil prospector, Daniel Plainview, moves to oil-rich California. Using his son to project a trustworthy, family-man image, Plainview cons local landowners into selling him their valuable properties for a pittance. However, local preacher Eli Sunday suspects Plainview's motives and intentions, starting a slow-burning feud that threatens both their lives.


Michael Clayton
2007 · 2h
country: United States
A law firm brings in its "fixer" to remedy the situation after a lawyer has a breakdown while representing a chemical company that he knows is guilty in a multi-billion dollar class action suit.


American Dreamz
2006 · 1h 47m
country: United States
The new season of "American Dreamz," the wildly popular television singing contest, has captured the country's attention, as the competition looks to be between a young Midwestern gal and a showtunes-loving young man from Orange County. Recently awakened President Staton even wants in on the craze, as he signs up for the potential explosive season finale.


Syriana
2005 · 2h 8m
country: United States
The Middle Eastern oil industry is the backdrop of this tense drama, which weaves together numerous story lines. Bennett Holiday is an American lawyer in charge of facilitating a dubious merger of oil companies, while Bryan Woodman, a Switzerland-based energy analyst, experiences both personal tragedy and opportunity during a visit with Arabian royalty. Meanwhile, veteran CIA agent Bob Barnes uncovers an assassination plot with unsettling origins.


Good Night, and Good Luck.
2005 · 1h 33m
country: France
The story of journalist Edward R. Murrow's stand against Senator Joseph McCarthy's anti-communist witch-hunts in the early 1950s.


Runaway Jury
2003 · 2h 7m
country: United States
After a workplace shooting in New Orleans, a trial against the gun manufacturer pits lawyer Wendell Rohr against shady jury consultant Rankin Fitch, who uses illegal means to stack the jury with people sympathetic to the defense. But when juror Nicholas Easter and his girlfriend Marlee reveal their ability to sway the jury into delivering any verdict they want, a high-stakes cat-and-mouse game begins.


Gigli
2003 · 2h 2m
country: United States
Gigli is ordered to kidnap the psychologically challenged younger brother of a powerful federal prosecutor. When plans go awry, Gigli's boss sends in Ricki, a gorgeous free-spirited female gangster who has her own set of orders to assist with the kidnapping. But Gigli begins falling for the decidedly unavailable Ricki, which could be a hazard to his occupation.


Behind the Red Door
2003 · 1h 45m
country: Canada
Natalie, a gifted New York photographer, has a troubled past reflected in her art. When she struggles to make ends meet in the city, her agent, arranges an assignment in Boston for a considerable sum of money. Unable to turn it down in her dire straits, Natalie takes the job -- only to find that her estranged gay brother, Roy, is the employer. Roy wants to mend their broken past, but must convince her to stay long enough to do so.


Punch-Drunk Love
2002 · 1h 36m
country: United States
A socially awkward and volatile small business owner meets the love of his life after being threatened by a gang of scammers.


Impostor
2001 · 1h 42m
country: United States
A top-secret government weapons designer is arrested by a clandestine government organization on suspicion of being a clone created by the hostile alien race wanting to take over Earth.


Heist
2001 · 1h 47m
country: United States
Joe Moore has a job he loves. He's a thief. His job goes sour when he gets caught on security camera tape. His fence, Bergman, reneges on the money he's owed, and his wife may be betraying him with the fence's young lieutenant. Moore and his partner, Bobby Blane, and their utility man, Pinky Pincus, find themselves broke, betrayed, and blackmailed. Moore is forced to commit his crew to do one last big job.


Bounce
2000 · 1h 47m
country: United States
Buddy Amaral, a successful and self-absorbed Los Angeles advertising executive, switches airline tickets with a stranger just before boarding a long-delayed flight so that he might enjoy an overnight fling with a pretty Dallas businesswoman. When the plane goes down, killing all aboard, Buddy's guilt soon turns into an alcohol problem. As part of his 12-step program, Buddy seeks atonement and decides to seek out the woman he thinks he's left a widow.


Magnolia
1999 · 3h 9m
country: United States
On one random day in the San Fernando Valley, a dying father, a young wife, a male caretaker, a famous lost son, a police officer in love, a boy genius, an ex-boy genius, a game show host and an estranged daughter will each become part of a dazzling multiplicity of plots, but one story.


8MM
1999 · 2h 3m
country: Germany
A small, seemingly innocuous plastic reel of film leads surveillance specialist Tom Welles down an increasingly dark and frightening path. With the help of the streetwise Max, he relentlessly follows a bizarre trail of evidence to determine the fate of a complete stranger. As his work turns into obsession, he drifts farther and farther away from his wife, family and simple life as a small-town PI.


Richard Lester!
1998 · 32m
country: Unknown
A tribute to Richard Lester, Philadelphia-born filmmaker who moved to England to direct the modern classics "A Hard Day's Night," "Petulia," and "Help!"


Tomorrow Never Dies
1997 · 1h 59m
country: United Kingdom
A deranged media mogul is staging international incidents to pit the world's superpowers against each other. Now James Bond must take on this evil mastermind in an adrenaline-charged battle to end his reign of terror and prevent global pandemonium.


Boogie Nights
1997 · 2h 36m
country: United States
In 1977, an idealistic porn producer and his promising protege try to catch up with the end of an era before their never-ending party collides with cold, hard reality.


Hard Eight
1997 · 1h 42m
country: United States
A stranger mentors a young Reno gambler who weds a hooker and befriends a vulgar casino regular.


Boys
1996 · 1h 26m
country: United States
Fed up with boarding school and frustrated with the way others have planned his life, John Baker Jr. wants a change -- anything to shake up his staid routine. The moment arrives when he stumbles upon a woman, Patty Vare, unconscious in a field. Deciding to risk it, John takes her to his dorm to look after her, much to the disapproval of his friends. John's decision proves fateful as he and Patty grow close to one another. However, she may be keeping secrets from him.


The Pallbearer
1996 · 1h 37m
country: United States
Aspiring architect Tom Thompson is told by mysterious Ruth Abernathy that his best friend, "Bill," has taken his own life. Except that Tom has never met Bill and neither have his incredulous friends. So when Tom foolishly agrees to give the eulogy at Bill's funeral, it sets him on a collision course with Ruth -- who is revealed to be Bill's oversexed mother -- and Julie DeMarco, the longtime crush Tom hasn't seen since they were teens.


The River Wild
1994 · 1h 51m
country: United States
Gail and Tom Hartman are struggling to stay together and decide to take a white-water rafting holiday adventure in Montana for their son Roarke's 10th birthday, only to meet up with a pair of mysterious men whose desperation grows, turning their vacation into a nightmare.


A Dangerous Woman
1993 · 1h 42m
country: United States
Martha Horgan is a withdrawn, mentally disabled woman who lives with her aunt, Frances. One of Martha's unusual traits is that she doesn't lie, a quality that leads to her getting fired from a dry-cleaning shop thanks to the actions of the shifty Getso. Conflict seems to follow Martha, since she also becomes romantically involved with local fix-it man, Mackey, who is sleeping with Frances as well.


A Murderous Affair: The Carolyn Warmus Story
1992 · 1h 36m
country: United States
A married man meets a beautiful woman and they begin an affair.


Waterland
1992 · 1h 35m
country: United Kingdom
The story of a mentally anguished high school history teacher going through a complete reassessment of his life. His method for reassessing his life is to narrate it to his class and interweave in it three generations of his family's history.


The Hand That Rocks the Cradle
1992 · 1h 50m
country: United States
A suburban family chooses seemingly sweet Peyton Flanders as their newborn's nanny. Only much later does the infant's mother, Claire Bartel, realize Peyton's true intentions -- to destroy Claire and replace her in the family. The nail-biting suspense builds quickly in this chilling psychological thriller about deception and bitter revenge.


Paris Trout
1991 · 1h 33m
country: United States
Paris Trout is a vile Southern bigot. He owns a store and is a loanshark. He often sues people, and so his lawyer, Harry Seagraves, eventually meets Paris' wife Hannah. A former schoolteacher, she made the mistake of her life when she married Paris, who brutalizes her. Soon Paris goes beyond the overgenerous bounds of what a man in his position can get away with even in the segregated South, leading to a spiral of perverse insanity.


The Summer My Father Grew Up
1991 · 1h 37m
country: United States
A divorced and remarried doctor tries to reconnect with his eleven-year-old son whom he has always neglected.


Prison Stories: Women on the Inside
1991 · 1h 19m
country: United States
Three novels - three dramatic stories in the walls of the women's prison. The first story - a brand new, first went to prison inmates. The second - about a mother whose son has ceased to go to prison for visits. The third - about the experiences of women on the eve of its release.


Opposites Attract
1990 · 1h 35m
country: United States
A mayoral candidate (Barbara Eden) for a California town gets romantically involved with her opponent (John Forsythe), a former cowboy star.


A Killing in a Small Town
1990 · 1h 40m
country: United States
The gory ax-murder of one suburban Texas housewife by another is nearly as shocking as the excuse offered by the bespectacled defendant's attorney: self-defense.


Bad Influence
1990 · 1h 39m
country: United States
Wimpy young executive Michael is about to get pulverized by a jealous boyfriend in a bar when a handsome, mysterious stranger steps in—and then disappears. Later that night, Michael runs into a stranger on a pier, who wheedles his way into Michael's life and turns it upside down.


Heart of Dixie
1989 · 1h 35m
country: United States
Three young sorority women try to find love with potential men, while worrying about changes in their way of life when integration begins at their college in 1957 segregated Alabama.


How I Got Into College
1989 · 1h 26m
country: United States
High school senior Marlon Bowne is smitten with overachieving classmate Jessica Kailo. But, if he wants to have a shot with her, he'll have to find a way to get into Ramsey College, Jessica's top choice of schools. It won't be easy, since the college is highly selective and Marlon's grades are hardly impressive. That means the lovelorn teen will have to find a way to score high on the SATs and win over the college admissions committee.


Margaret Bourke-White
1989 · 1h 45m
country: United States
A biographical account of pioneering photographer Margaret Bourke-White's career.


Return of the Living Dead Part II
1988 · 1h 29m
country: United States
A group of kids discover one of the drums containing a rotting corpse and release the 2-4-5 Trioxin gas into the air, causing the dead to once again rise from the grave and seek out brains.


Cadillac Dreams
1988 · 30m
country: Unknown
Cadillac Dreams is a 1988 American short film directed by Matia Karrell. In the film, a young drug runner's dreams of being a great inventor give way to the equally unlikely dream of living to be 20. The film was nominated for an Oscar for Best Live Action Short Film.


Into the Homeland
1987 · 1h 50m
country: United States
A man's daughter disappears after falling in love with the son of a right wing, white-supremacist terrorist organization.


Long Gone
1987 · 1h 50m
country: Unknown
Story of the Tampico Stogies, a low minor-league baseball team, and its star player and manager, Stud' Cantrell, as they battle for the league championship amidst the corruption and racism of the American south.


Amazing Grace and Chuck
1987 · 1h 54m
country: United States
Average American boy Chuck Murdock goes on a school outing to a nuclear weapons facility, where he learns about the destructive power that sits at the fingertips of the military. Knowing that the world could end with the push of a button, he protests against nuclear war by walking out on his Little League team during a game. Chuck's stunt ends up in the local paper, and as the story snowballs, basketball star "Amazing Grace" Smith decides to boycott sports, too.


A Different Affair
1987 · 1h 40m
country: United States
A single radio psychiatrist takes in a runaway boy she sponsors in a foster parents program.


Trick or Treat
1986 · 1h 37m
country: United States
Eddie Weinbauer, a metalhead teen who is bullied at school, looks to his heavy metal superstar idol, Sammi Curr, for guidance. When Curr is killed in a hotel fire, Eddie becomes the recipient of the only copy of his unreleased album, which, when played backwards, brings the rocker back to life. As Halloween approaches, Eddie begins to realize that this isn't only rock 'n roll...It's life and death.


The Children of Times Square
1986 · 1h 34m
country: United States
An alienated teenage boy runs away from home and ventures to New York City where he falls in with a gang of juvenile delinquents working as drug dealers and pickpockets for a shady crime boss.


Desert Hearts
1985 · 1h 31m
country: United States
While waiting for her divorce papers, a repressed literature professor finds herself unexpectedly attracted by a carefree, spirited young woman named Cay.


Moving Violations
1985 · 1h 30m
country: United States
A group of careless and unlucky drivers are sentenced to attend traffic school to keep their records clean.


The Sure Thing
1985 · 1h 35m
country: United States
Gib, a beer-guzzling slob, and Alison, an uptight Ivy-Leaguer, are an unlikely duo stuck together on a cross-country trip during Christmas break. At first they get on each other's nerves but, as time passes, they find their divergent natures complement each other. Now they need to realize what they've already found before it's too late.


Tiger Town
1984 · 1h 16m
country: United States
Facing his final season with the Detroit Tigers baseball team, veteran outfielder Billy Young sees his dream of playing in the World Series slipping away. It takes the courage and boundless enthusiasm of a young Tigers' fan to rekindle the ballplayer's faith in himself. Brimming with big league, all-star excitement, Tiger Town is a film that says anyone can be a winner - if you only believe!


Summerspell
1983 · 1h 40m
country: Unknown
Family celebrations and tensions, Independence Day, Texas 1948


Waltz Across Texas
1982 · 1h 39m
country: United States
A wildcatter and a geologist prospect for oil and love in West Texas.


All Summer in a Day
1982 · 25m
country: United States
Based on the story by Ray Bradbury. Set on a planet where the sun shines for just a few minutes once every nine years, this is a classic tale of suffering and forgiveness. A classroom full of young children are excited to hear that today the rain will stop. However, they are also resentful of a new classmate from Earth who remembers what it's like to see the sun. "This gripping, unsettling production softens the original story’s abrupt conclusion without diminishing its punch. A masterful work." - Booklist. Winner of a CINE Golden Eagle, and honored by Instructor Magazine as one of the 25 Best Films of the Year.


The End of August
1981 · 1h 45m
country: Unknown
In the turn of the century South, a woman feels unfulfilled by marriage and motherhood and has an affair with a younger man. Later, the woman leaves her family and tries to start a new life alone.