Dante Spinotti ASC, AIC (born 24 August 1943) is an Italian cinematographer, known for his collaborations with directors Michael Mann and Brett Ratner.
He received Academy Award nominations for L.A. Confidential (1997) and The Insider (1999), and won a BAFTA Award for The Last of the Mohicans (1992).
Life and career Dante Spinotti was born in the commune of Tolmezzo, in Northern Italian region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, near the Austrian border. At the age of 11, he began experimenting with still photography, using a camera inherited from his uncle (a cinematographer and director who specialized in documentaries and newsreels). Spinotti left high school early to work in the film industry in Kenya, driven by his skills in freehand drawing.
Spinotti's first work as cinematographer was the 1972 television drama I Nicotera. His early work included collaborations with noted Italian directors like Lina Wertmüller and Liliana Cavani.
In 1986, Spinotti moved to the United States, forming collaborations with established American directors like Brett Ratner and Michael Mann.
Spinotti has gone on record discussing the preparation and collaborative spirit essential to his work, particularly with director Michael Mann. He also discussed the process of remastering classics like Heat and adapting to new technologies, like digital cameras and even iPhones for certain shots to enhance storytelling.
Dante Spinotti is a member of the board of governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. He won the Golden Camera 300 award at the Manaki Brothers Film Festival in North Macedonia for lifetime achievement. In 2012, he received the American Society of Cinematographers's Lifetime Achievement Award.
Filmography Film + Key Denotes films that have not yet been released Year Title Director Notes1981 Il minestrone Sergio Citti La disubbidienza Aldo Lado 1982 Basileus Quartet Fabio Carpi1983 Dream of a Summer Night Gabriele Salvatores Hearts and Armour Giacomo Battiato1984 Cinderella '80 Roberto Malenotti Softly, Softly Lina Wertmüller Così parlò Bellavista Luciano De Crescenzo1985 The Dark Side of Love Salvatore Samperi The Berlin Affair Liliana Cavani1986 Choke Canyon Charles Bail Manhunter Michael Mann 1st collaboration with Mann Crimes of the Heart Bruce Beresford1987 From the Hip Bob Clark Aria Bruce Beresford Segment Die tote Stadt1988 Illegally Yours Peter Bogdanovich The Legend of the Holy Drinker Ermanno Olmi Fair Game Mario Orfini Beaches Garry Marshall 1989 Torrents of Spring Jerzy Skolimowski With Witold Sobociński1990 A Violent Life Giacomo Battiato The Comfort of Strangers Paul Schrader1991 True Colors Herbert Ross Hudson Hawk Michael Lehmann Frankie & Johnny Garry Marshall Also made a cameo as "Man on Bus" (Uncredited)1992 The Last of the Mohicans Michael Mann The End Is Known Cristina Comencini1993 The Secret of the Old Woods Ermanno Olmi BlinkMichael Apted 1994 Nell1995 The Quick and the Dead Sam Raimi The Star Maker Giuseppe Tornatore Heat Michael Mann 1996 The Mirror Has Two Faces Barbra Streisand With Andrzej Bartkowiak 1997 L.A. Confidential Curtis Hanson 1998 Goodbye Lover Roland Joffé1999 The Other Sister Garry Marshall The Insider Michael Mann2000 Wonder Boys Curtis Hanson The Family Man Brett Ratner 1st collaboration with Ratner 2001 Bandits Barry Levinson2002 Red Dragon Brett Ratner Pinocchio Roberto Benigni 2004 After the SunsetBrett Ratner2006 X-Men: The Last Stand The Contract Bruce Beresford 2007 Slipstream Anthony Hopkins2008 Deception Marcel Langenegger Also acted as Herr Kleiner/Mr. Moretti Flash of Genius Marc Abraham 2009 Public Enemies Michael Mann 2010 The Chronicles of Narnia:The Voyage of the Dawn Treader Michael Apted 2011 Tower Heist Brett Ratner 2013 ReWined Ferdinando Vicentini Orgnani 2014 Hercules Brett Ratner 2015 I Saw the Light Marc Abraham 2017 Freak Show Trudie Styler2018 Traffik Deon Taylor Ant-Man and the Wasp Peyton Reed2019 Black and Blue Deon Taylor Where Are You Valentina De AmicisRiccardo Spinotti Also credited as producer2020 Elyse Stella Hopkins Fatale Deon Taylor 2025 The Alto Knights Barry Levinson 2026 Up Against It Trudie Styler TBA That's Amore! Nick Vallelonga Post-production
Documentary film Year Title Director Notes 2008 Visual Acoustics: The Modernism of Julius Shulman Eric Bricker With Aiken Weiss 2023 Posso entrare? An ode to Naples Trudie Styler 2026 Melania Brett Ratner With Barry Peterson and Jeff Cronenweth
Television Miniseries Year Title Director 1972 I Nicotera Salvatore Nocita 1979 Paura sul mondo Domenico Campan 1982 Colomba Giacomo Battiato
TV movies Year Title Director 1975 Tracce sulla neve Alessandro Cane 1980 La signorina ElseEnzo Muzii 1981 Fosca 1983 Le ambizioni sbagliate Fabio Carpi 2008 Blue BloodBrett Ratner 2012 Rogue 2015 Edge Shane Black
TV series Year Title Director Notes 1982 La pietra di Marco Polo Aldo Lado 2005 Prison Break Brett Ratner Episode "Pilot" 2007 Women's Murder Club 2011 CHAOS Brett Ratner Episode "Pilot"
Awards and nominations Year Award Category Title Result 1997Academy AwardsBest Cinematography L.A. Confidential 1999 The Insider 1992BAFTA AwardsBest Cinematography The Last of the Mohicans 1997 L.A. Confidential 1992American Society of CinematographersOutstanding Achievement in Cinematography The Last of the Mohicans 1997 L.A. Confidential 1999 The Insider 1997Los Angeles Film Critics AssociationBest Cinematography L.A. Confidential 1999 The Insider 1997Satellite AwardsBest Cinematography L.A. Confidential 2006 X-Men: The Last Stand 2009 Public Enemies 1995 Chicago Film Critics Association Best Cinematography Heat 1997 National Society of Film Critics Best Cinematography L.A. Confidential
References
External links
Quality screengrabs of Dante Spinotti's fine cinematography on Manhunter (1986) Profile at New York Times Profile at American Cinematographer Interview for International Cinematographers Guild Interview for LightTools