Laszlo Kovacs, the esteemed cinematographer who shot classics such as Easy Rider and Five Easy Pieces died Saturday at age 74. Although a cancer survivor, Kovacs appears to have died in his sleep of natural causes. Ironically, he was in the midst of co-operating on a new documentary about him and his long time friend, cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond. The two had been classmates in Hungary when the 1956 revolt against the Soviets broke out. Both men became impromptu cinematographers on the spur of the moment by filming the violent demonstrations in the streets. The resulting footage made its way to CBS and paved the way for both men to have highly successful careers as directors of photography on some of the most influential films of the 1970s. For Kovacs, it was his shooting of the unheralded Easy Rider that brought him his first major acclaim. The low budget road movie shook the entire film industry upon its release in 1969 and helped usher in the a new generation of bold filmmaking. Kovacs reaped acclaim for his imaginative methods of filming the tragic tale.Â
Click here for Variety's full report on his life and career.
See Cinema Retro issue #8 for writer Mike Siegel's extensive analysis of Easy Rider including a recreation of the version never released to theaters.