'The Exorcist' cinematographer Owen Roizman passes away at 86

Los Angeles, Jan 8 Cinematographer Owen Roizman, who shot many premier films of a generation like 'The French Connection' and 'The Exorcist', has died at the age of 86.

A representative for the American Society of Cinematographers confirmed the news. However, no further details about Roizman's death are available, reports Variety.

Roizman was Oscar-nominated five times, for 'The French Connection', 'The Exorcist', 'Network', 'Tootsie' and the 1994 Western 'Wyatt Earp'. In 2017, Roizman was honoured with an honorary Academy Award for his contributions to the medium.

As per Variety, in addition to his Oscar noms, Roizman was nominated for an Emmy for his cinematography (using film, not videotape) of the 1972 Liza Minnelli special Liza With a Z, directed by Bob Fosse.

Roizman received the American Society of Cinematographers' lifetime achievement award in 1997. He worked with director Sydney Pollack on five films: 'Three Days of the Condor', 'The Electric Horseman', 'Absence of Malice' and 'Havana'.

Roizman developed a key working relationship with William Friedkin. Friedkin's 'The French Connection' (1971) was only Roizman's second film as cinematographer, but the way in which he shot the movie's thrilling, fast-moving central car chase has achieved legendary status.

The gritty, documentary-like realism he brought, not just to the chase, but to the entire film, in part by shooting on location in the streets of New York, made the cops' pursuit of the heroin traffickers feel more authentic.