These days it's so much easier to get films to look amazing what with all the computer assisted tricks.  The pre digital films show a more difficult challenge to be visually arresting.  My favorite pre-digital ciinematography is from the Polish film "The Sandglass" (Sanitorum Pod Klepsydra).  Also virtually any film by Fellini (with Giuseppe Rotunno) has teriffic camerawork.  My favorite post digital film is Greenaway's "Prospero's Books" (shot by Sacha Vierny) which has yet to be topped in the visual imagination department. 