Editing Gilbert Taylor (section)

===Kubrick, Lester and Polanski===
Taylor worked on a number of films commended for their black and white photography, such as [[Stanley Kubrick]]'s ''[[Dr. Strangelove]]'' and [[Richard Lester]]'s ''[[A Hard Day's Night (film)|A Hard Day's Night]]'' (both 1964). Taylor, without Kubrick who was unwilling to fly in an aircraft, filmed material in the Arctic to be used as background plates in the flying sequences.<ref name="Hughes">{{cite news|last=Hughes|first=James|url=http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/culturebox/2013/08/gilbert_taylor_recalls_shooting_star_wars_for_george_lucas_and_dr_strangelove.html|title=A Long Time Ago …|work=Slate|date=29 August 2013|access-date=10 April 2017}}</ref>

He commented later: "''Strangelove'' was at the time a unique experience because the lighting was to be incorporated in the sets, with little or no other light used". Concerning the war room set designed by [[Ken Adam]]: "Lighting that set was sheer magic, and I don’t quite know how I got away with it all". He continued: "Much of it was the same formula based on the overheads as fill and blasting in the key on faces from the side".<ref name="Williams">{{cite web|last=Williams|first=David E.|url=https://www.theasc.com/magazine/feb06/taylor/page1.html|title=High Key Highlights|work=American Cinematographer|date=February 2006|access-date=9 April 2017}}</ref> Although Kubrick and Taylor had a rapport, he found the director to be autocratic. An easier project to work on was the Richard Lester film with [[The Beatles]] which was heavily improvised.<ref name="Hughes"/><ref name="Timesobit">{{cite news|url=https://www.thetimes.com/culture/film/article/gilbert-taylor-xljlhvld30d|title=Gilbert Taylor|work=[[The Times]]|location=London|date=26 August 2016|access-date=9 April 2017}} {{subscription required}}</ref>

With Lester, Chris Pizzello wrote in 2003, Taylor "adopted a roving, multiple-camera technique (aided by new, versatile 10:1 zoom lenses) so that the Beatles could move about freely and not worry about technicalities like hitting marks. This fast, fresh brand of filmmaking was a perfect fit for the film’s tiny budget, tight schedule and simple black-and-white aesthetic".<ref>{{cite news|last=Pizzello|first=Chris|url=https://www.theasc.com/magazine/feb03/dvd/page2.html|title=A Hard Day's Night (1964)|work=American Cinematographer|date=February 2003|access-date=10 April 2017}}</ref> Taylor and five other operators on the film used hand-held [[Arri]]flex cameras. "The key is not to hold the camera completely still", he once commented "but to let it 'breathe' with you, to move with it".<ref name="Hilton"/>

His work on ''Dr Strangelove'' led [[Roman Polanski]] to seek Taylor for ''[[Repulsion (film)|Repulsion]]'' (1965). In committing to the Polish director's first English-language film, Taylor rejected the opportunity to work on a Bond film (''[[Thunderball (film)|Thunderball]]'') because he thought Polanski "was a very interesting guy".<ref name="BBC230813">{{cite news|title=Gilbert Taylor, Star Wars cinematographer, dies aged 99|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-23808854|work=BBC News|date=23 August 2013|access-date=9 April 2017}}</ref> According to Polanski in his 1984 autobiography, ''Repulsion''{{'}}s executive producer [[Michael Klinger (producer)|Michael Klinger]] "protested that Gil Taylor was one of the most expensive cameramen in the business, but I held out for Taylor and I got him".<ref name="Williams"/> Taylor said his "aim was to get a stronger negative and good shadows in the final print. The shadows are what make good movies".<ref name="Hilton"/>

Their collaboration continued with ''[[Cul-de-sac (1966 film)|Cul-de-sac]]'' (1966) and ''[[Macbeth (1971 film)|Macbeth]]'' (1971), the third and last film he shot with Polanski. According to [[Ronald Bergan]], "although shot in colour", ''Macbeth'', "is as near to black and white as possible, with its grey, misty landscape".<ref name="Bergan"/> Taylor received BAFTA nominations over two consecutive years for the first two collaborations.<ref name="Barnes">{{cite news|last=Barnes|first=Mike|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/star-wars-cinematographer-gilbert-taylor-dies-613654|title=''Star Wars'' Cinematographer Gilbert Taylor Dies at 99|work=The Hollywood Reporter|date=23 August 2013|access-date=10 April 2017}}</ref>