Robby Müller, NSC, BVK, (4 April 1940 – 3 July 2018) was a Dutch cinematographer. Known for his use of natural light and minimalist imagery, Müller first gained recognition for his contributions to West German cinema through his acclaimed collaborations with Wim Wenders.
Through the course of his career, he worked closely with directors Wim Wenders, Jim Jarmusch, Peter Bogdanovich, Barbet Schroeder, and Lars Von Trier, the latter with whom he pioneered the use of digital cinematography. His work earned him numerous accolades and admiration from his peers. He died on 3 July 2018, aged 78, having suffered from vascular dementia for several years.
Life and work Müller was born in Curaçao in 1940, and moved to Amsterdam in 1953. He studied at the Netherlands Film Academy from 1962 to 1964. He worked as cinematographer on a number of shorts before collaborating with Wim Wenders on his first feature, Summer in the City (1970). They made many more films together, such as Alice in the Cities (1974), Kings of the Road (1976), The American Friend (1977) and Paris, Texas (1984).
Apart from the movies with Wenders, Müller contributed to both mainstream U.S. productions and independent films. His other work included Joan Micklin Silver's Finnegan Begin Again (1984), the hazy, yellow-tinted cinematography of William Friedkin's To Live and Die in LA (1985), Sally Potter's The Tango Lesson (1997), Dom Rotheroe's My Brother Tom (2001), Lars von Trier's starkly shot films Breaking the Waves (1996) and Dancer in the Dark (2000), and Jim Jarmusch's gritty-looking films Down by Law (1986), Mystery Train (1989), Dead Man (1995) and Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (1999).
He died on 3 July 2018 at the age of 78.
On 4 September 2018, the movie Living the Light - Robby Müller premiered at the Venice Film Festival. This documentary by Claire Pijman is a visual essay about the life and work of Robby Müller. On 4 October 2019, the documentary was awarded a Golden Calf for Best Long Documentary at the Netherlands Film Festival.
Filmography Year Title Director Notes1970Summer in the CityWim WendersJonathanHans W. Geißendörfer1971CarlosDie Angst des Tormanns beim ElfmeterWim Wenders1973The Scarlet LetterTrip to ViennaEdgar Reitz1974Alice in the CitiesWim WendersPerahim – die zweite ChanceHans W. GeißendörferEin bißchen LiebeVeith von Fürstenberg1975The Wrong MoveWim Wenders1976Kings of the RoadDie WildenteHans W. GeißendörferPeter Lilienthal1977The American FriendWim WendersThe Left-Handed WomanPeter Handke1978The Glass CellHans W. GeißendörferMysteriesPaul de Lussanet1979In for TreatmentMarja KokErik van ZuylenSaint JackPeter Bogdanovich1980Honeysuckle RoseJerry Schatzberg1981They All LaughedPeter Bogdanovich1982Een zwoele zomeravondShireen StrookerFrans Weisz1983Un dimanche de flicMichel VianeyPeter SteinLes îlesIradj Azimi1984Repo ManAlex CoxParis, TexasWim Wenders Finnegan Begin Again Joan Micklin Silver HBO TV movie with Robert Preston, Mary Tyler Moore, and Sylvia SidneyBody RockMarcelo EpsteinCheaters (Tricheurs)Barbet Schroeder1985To Live and Die in L.A.William Friedkin1986The LongshotPaul BartelDown by LawJim Jarmusch1987BarflyBarbet SchroederThe BelieversJohn Schlesinger1988The Little DevilRoberto Benigni1989Mystery TrainJim JarmuschNotebook on Cities and ClothesWim WendersDocumentary film1990KorczakAndrzej Wajda1991Until the End of the WorldWim Wenders1993Mad Dog and GloryJohn McNaughtonWhen Pigs FlySara Driver1995Beyond the CloudsMichelangelo AntonioniWim WendersDead ManJim JarmuschLast CallFrans Weisz1996Breaking the WavesLars von Trier1997The Tango LessonSally Potter1998Shattered ImageRaúl Ruiz1999Ghost Dog: The Way of the SamuraiJim Jarmusch2000Dancer in the DarkLars von Trier2001My Brother TomDom Rotheroe200224 Hour Party PeopleMichael Winterbottom2003Coffee and CigarettesJim JarmuschShort film compilation
Awards and nominations Year Title Award/Nomination1975The Wrong MoveGerman Film Award for Best Cinematography1977The American FriendNominated - NSFC Award for Best Cinematography1983German Film Award for Best Cinematography1984Paris, TexasBavarian Film Award for Best CinematographyGerman Camera Award for Best Feature Film1986Down by LawNominated - Independent Spirit Award for Best CinematographyNominated - NSFC Award for Best Cinematography1987BarflyNominated - Independent Spirit Award for Best Cinematography1989Mystery TrainNominated - Independent Spirit Award for Best Cinematography1990KorczakGerman Film Award for Best Cinematography1995Dead ManNSFC Award for Best CinematographyNYFCC Award for Best CinematographerNominated - CFCA Award for Best CinematographyNominated - Independent Spirit Award for Best Cinematography1996Breaking the WavesNSFC Award for Best CinematographyNYCC Award for Best CinematographerRobert Award for Best CinematographyCamerimage Best Independent DuoNominated - Satellite Award for Best CinematographyNominated - Camerimage Golden Frog AwardNominated - BSFC Award for Best Cinematography2000Dancer in the DarkNominated - Robert Award for Best Cinematography
References
Interview with Robby Muller (Dutch and English)