What movies have a painterly quality to their cinematography?

I’m not sure if this is exactly what you’re looking for, but the French children’s film Une Vie de Chat and its English counterpart, A Cat in Paris, are animated in a very artistic and painterly technique. The film reminds me very much of several artists/artistic movements, though I can’t seem to place my finger on a specific artist or style that it emulates. Regardless, it’s an excellent film that I would recommend for adults and children alike.

300. That film looks almost animated, the whole bit. I liked it and it had that artsy look.

As I recall the Dick Tracy had that animated feeling to it. Especially in the background but the actors were real people.

Dick Tracy with Warren Beatty did in a comic book sort of way. Lots of use of primary colors. If not primary, still bold and solid.

Edit: I just remembered 91/2 weeks had an amazing use of light throughout the movie, but I am not sure if it would count for what you are looking for.

@rooeytoo Jinx.

Sin City

What Dreams May Come

I would nominate Blade Runner. Ridley Scott credits Edward Hopper’s painting Nighthawks and the work of Mœbius as inspiration for the visuals.

Further to the Dick Tracey thing not only are there lots of primary colours but there is a very limited colour palette used as well.

The incredibly beautiful Lust for Life. In fact, it may have been one of the first, if not the first film to use the “painterly” style. Quite fitting, since it’s about Vincent van Gogh. The style not only emphasized the artist’s style, but also his emotions, which ranged from joy to torture.

The Taming of the Shrew by Franco Zefferelli had a very Renaissance painting quality.

While I don’t think it is what you are thinking of, Skyfall, the newest Bond movie, was like a modern painting. There were very bleak scenes (filmed on an island south of Japan), the scenes of Shanghai at night were like an abstract painting (very striking) and the scenes of Bond’s ancestral home on a bleak moor (filmed at Glencoe Scotland) were very evocative.

Frida?

Definitely “What Dreams May Come” with Robin Williams and Annabella Sciorra.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120889/

An American in Paris with Gene Kelly; not necessarily the entire film but the fantasy dancing interludes. Magnificent use of lush bold colors, absolutely gorgeous.

Camille Claudel, the story of Rodin’s mistress and a sculpture in her own right.

Séraphine, the story of a French housekeeper who ground her own pigments and painted on the sly.

Jean de flourette and Manon des sources, filmed in the most glorious parts of Province.

A new movie that I have not seen sounds promising, Renoir.

Here’s what one critic says about the director: “Mark Lee Ping-Bin shoots the interiors with classic Dutch light and shadow but the exteriors in the unbridled luminosity of Impressionism.”

Some of the snowy scenes in The Girl with the Dragon Tatoo(2011_film) are like Jonas Lie’s Winter Scenes

I’m sorry if I was unclear, but—no, not an animated film!

“Animated” means “brought to life.” I’m not referring to something created graphically. I’m talking about photographed film sets and scenes that look like paintings all the way through because that’s the style of their cinematography.

And I mean that they look like paintings of a recognizable artist or style (for example, Dutch masters or Impressionists) and not that they are simply beautiful or scenic enough to be paintings. This would have to be an essential part of the photographic concept and design, using composition, light, color, texture, etc., in such a way that you feel as if you’re looking into actual paintings that are no longer still.

I’m also not referring to creating tableaus that resemble known works of art (which is sometimes done for a momentary effect, usually humorous).

If you know Vermeer’s works at all, watch the trailer of Girl with a Pearl Earring and you’ll see what I mean.

@Pachyderm_In_The_Room, yes, that’s what I’m talking about. Somehow I’ve missed seeing that film; it’s in my queue now. The Zeffirelli, yes, I think that’s one such, @marinelife. @gailcalled, I’ve seen the first and third of your list, and they do have something of that quality. I’ll check out Séraphine. The trailer of the Renoir film doesn’t seem to show what I’m looking for, but that might not be enough of a sample. @Mama_Cakes, I didn’t have that sense in Frida, though there were many visual references to her paintings and it’s a good suggestion. Films about artists don’t necessarily do what I’m talking about. I imagine it’s pretty difficult—and expensive.

Thanks for all relevant suggestions.

Babette’s Feast
The Seventh Seal
Night of Shooting Stars
Cinema Paridiso
Enchanted April

Ah, @Jeruba, prepare yourself for a movie treat with Lust for Life. You’ll see Kirk Douglas at the tip-top of his game. And you might want to keep a few tissues handy. You won’t believe how perfectly Vincente Minnelli captured the look on film of VanGogh’s paintings.

Kill Bill?

What Dreams May Come was the first one to come to mind mind, too. I love that movie. I thought Vanilla Sky had a very painted quality to it too.

@La_chica_gomela Hey, great to see you back in the Fluther environs, woman!