The German picture director and cameraman was one of the most important filmmakers in international cinema; his work was groundbreaking for the New German Film of the 1970s, which lived essentially from his legendary collaboration with Rainer Werner Fassbinder. Michael Ballhaus made seventeen films with Fassbinder, which made him known on the film scene beyond Germany and also opened doors for him in Hollywood. Ballhaus then worked with the most important representatives of the international film industry. Here he was responsible for successful productions such as “The Color of Money”, “Dracula” by the “Gangs of New York”…
Michael Ballhaus was born on August 5, 1935 in Berlin.
The son of a couple of theater actors grew up in Coburg. After graduating from school, Ballhaus completed a two-year apprenticeship as a photographer and then worked as a stage photographer. The desire to become a cameraman awoke in Ballhaus on the set of Max Ophüls’ filming of “Lola Montez” (1955). He observed the work of cinematographer Raoul Coutard (b. 1924) and was immediately hooked on the atmosphere of this huge production. In 1958 Ballhaus married the actress and set designer Helga Betten. Together they became parents of sons Sebastian and Florian. In 1959, Ballhaus was hired by Südwestrundfunk Baden-Baden, where he worked as chief cameraman until 1966. He made his first feature film in 1968, the Hallervorden comedy “Multiple Daily”. He came into contact with the legendary German director Rainer Werner Fassbinder. A close collaboration lasting more than eight years followed, from which the titles “The American Soldier” (1970), “Warning Before a Holy Hooker” (1970), “The World on the Wire” (1973) and “Chinese Roulette” (1976) were released ) come.
For the joint productions “The bitter tears of Petra von Kant” from 1973 and “Despair” from 1978, Ballhaus was awarded the Federal Film Prize for his camera work. Fassbinder’s growing popularity abroad – he was the most important representative of German film at the time – also increased the popularity of his cameraman Ballhaus. When he was shooting part of Peter Lilienthal’s “Dear Mr. Wonderful” in the USA in 1982, he also came into contact with American film producers. Ballhaus stayed in the United States. He met Martin Scorsese and filmed with him “Time After Midnight” (1985) and “The Color of Money” (1986) with Paul Newman and Tom Cruise. This collaboration can be seen as Ballhaus’ international breakthrough. Ballhaus made a name for himself in the American film business, gaining widespread recognition for his precise angles and his ability to capture the atmosphere and mood of each scene.
From then on, Ballhaus worked with the most renowned producers and directors, including Francis Ford Coppola for “Dracula”, Robert Redford for “Quizshow” and “The Legend of Bagger Vance” and again and again with Martin Scorsese. Ballhaus became famous above all for its specialty, the 360° ride around the performers. This trip was first seen in Fassbinder’s marriage drama “Martha”. Also spectacular was a scene in “The Fabulous Baker Boys” from 1989, where Ballhaus had the camera move in a circle around Michelle Pfeiffer on a piano. Together with the director Tom Tykwer, Ballhaus published an interview book entitled “The Flying Eye – Michael Ballhaus, Director of Photography”. Ballhaus has been nominated for an Oscar three times: in 1987 for News Fever, in 1989 for The Fabulous Baker Boys and in 2002 for Gangs of New York. His more famous works also include ‘Lilli Marleen’ (1981), ‘Death of a Salesman’ (1985), ‘Good Fellas’ (1990), ‘What the Heart Desires’ (2003) and ‘The Departed’ (2006) .
His wife Helga died on September 28, 2006 in Los Angeles. In 2007, Ballhaus received the International Achievement Award from the American Society of Cinematographers (ASC); In 2010 he was awarded the Bavarian Order of Merit. He married director Sherry Hormann on October 28, 2011. In 2012 they worked together on the film “3096 Days”, which told the story of Natascha Kampusch’s kidnapping. It was his last cinema production. In 2013 he received the honorary award at the 34th Max Ophüls Film Festival in Saarbrücken, in 2015 Ballhaus was awarded the Grand Cross of Merit and in 2016 he was awarded the Honorary Golden Bear at the Berlinale.
Michael Ballhaus died on April 11, 2017 in Berlin.
Filmography
1960: The Cassette
1960: The Neighborhood Kids
1965: The Great Wild Mountain
1965: Farewell
1966: Great love
1967: Whole days in the trees
1968: Several times a day
1969: Your caresses
1969: May I make you a mother? (also as actor)
1970: Whity
1970: Warning of a holy whore
1970: Fassbinder produces Film No. 8 (documentation)
1972: The Bitter Tears of Petra by Kant
1973: Chetan, the Indian boy
1973: The dead don’t need a home
1973: World on the Wire
1973: Martha
1974: Made in Germany and USA
1974: Law of the fist of liberty
1975: The Amulet of Death
1975: Mother Sexton’s Ascent to Heaven
1975: I just want you to love me
1976: Summer Guests – Directed by Peter Stein
1976: Satan’s Roast
1976: Chinese roulette
1977: Women in New York
1978: Despair – A journey into the light
1979: Marriage of Maria Braun
1979: The Uprising
1979: The first polka
1982: The Magic Mountain
1982: Baby it’s you
1983: Bright delusion
1983: The Autograph
1984: Edith’s Diary
1985: The time after midnight
1985: Death of a traveling salesman
1986: Under the Cherry Moon
1986: The Color of Money
1987: The Glass Menagerie
1987: News Fever – Broadcast News
1988: Baja Oklahoma
1988: The House on Carroll Street
1988: The Last Temptation of Christ
1988 Working Girl
1989: The Fabulous Baker Boys
1990: Greetings from Hollywood
1990: Good Fellas – Three Decades in the Mafia
1991 Guilty by Suspicion
1992: Bram Stoker”s Dracula
1992: Mambo Kings
1993: Age of Innocence
1994: Quiz Show
1995: Outbreak
1996: Sleepers
1997: Air Force One
1998: With all his might
1999: Wild Wild West
2000: The Legend of Bagger Vance
2000: Good Vibrations – sex from the other planet
2000: Gone Underground
2002: Gangs of New York
2003: Whatever your heart desires
2003: Uptown Girls – A Bitch Rarely Comes Alone
2004: Sunday Air (Ghosts)
2006: Departed
