The king of ensemble comedy-dramas, Altman's ability to seamlessly blend multitudes of intricate story-lines into one cohesive whole is parallel to none. Sometimes multiple viewings are necessary to completely grasp the depth of his movies, so don't write them off if you didn't find them appealing at first look.
Favorite movies:
- Gosford Park
- Nashville
- M*A*S*H
19. Federico Fellini
One of the most influential filmmakers of all-time, and obviously one of my favorites, Fellini's style may be a bit (dare I say) pretentious for some, but ultimately he has won me over. I sadly had to exclude La Dolce Vita and Amarcord from the following list, so check those out too if you have the inclination.
Favorite movies:
- 8½
- I Vitelloni
- La Strada
18. Sergio Leone
The greatest director of westerns of all-time, Sergio Leone's incredibly influential spaghetti westerns make for some of the most entertaining movies of their time. I sadly had to omit Once Upon A Time In America and A Fistful Of Dollars from the following list, but that doesn't mean they aren't also great.
Favorite movies:
- The Good, The Bad And The Ugly
- Once Upon A Time In The West
- For A Few Dollars More
17. Frank Capra
With probably the best three movie combination of any director in history, Frank Capra could make his way up on just about any great director list just for the following movies. And that doesn't include others like Arsenic And Old Lace or Best Picture-winner You Can't Take It With You.
Favorite movies:
- It's A Wonderful Life
- It Happened One Night
- Mr. Smith Goes To Washington
16. Francois Truffaut
Much like Capra, Truffaut's incredible upper-echelon work make him one of my favorites. Shoot The Piano Player is another that could easily make the list of his greatest, but I couldn't leave Jules And Jim off the list. But I digress, Truffaut is a great director, and actually a fairly capable actor as well.
Favorite movies:
- Day For Night
- The 400 Blows
- Jules And Jim
15. Wes Anderson
Starting directing only 15 years ago, Wes Anderson is not the kind of director I would expect to see this high on most people's lists, but I think his movies are all amazing. If I ever want to instantly be put in a good mood, all I need to do is watch one of his movies. The following three are my personal favorites, but quite honestly, I think all of his movies are great. If you haven't checked any of his stuff out, I strongly suggest you get working on that.
Favorite movies:
- The Royal Tenenbaums
- The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou
- Fantastic Mr. Fox
14. Andrei Tarkovsky
Implementing unusually long tracking shots and adding strange, often confusing moments in his movies, Tarkovsky is one of my favorites out of sheer originality. His style is instantly recognizable, and though I've only seen a handful of his movies, they have all left a considerable impact on the way I view film in general.
Favorite movies:
- Solaris
- Andrei Rublev
- Stalker
13. Steven Spielberg
Love him or hate him, Spielberg is without a doubt one of the most important and influential figures in the history of cinema. He practically single-handedly invented the blockbuster, and directed some of the most beloved and well-known movies of all-time. In fact, having him this low on the list is almost an insult... Almost.
Favorite movies:
- Saving Private Ryan
- Jaws
- Raiders Of The Lost Ark
12. David Lynch
When it comes to directing freaky movies, there is no-one quite like David Lynch. Whether its a comedy, romance, or straight-up drama, Lynch always brings his signature weirdness into everything, creating an unsettling atmosphere and always delivering solid, if not disturbing entertainment.
Favorite movies:
- The Elephant Man
- Mulholland Drive
- Eraserhead
11. Martin Scorsese
Another director that should probably be little bit higher on this list, but I have my reasons. Regardless, Scorsese is undoubtedly one of the most important directors of all-time, and his collaborations with Robert De Niro are some of the most well-respected movies ever made.
Favorite movies:
- Goodfellas
- Taxi Driver
- The Age Of Innocence
5 comments:
You are one of the best film buffs I know for your impressive amount of films viewed and being able to list 100 directors in a list! I only remember about 85 directors myself. This is a great list with some fine directors! I look forward to the final post.
You like Spielberg's work more than Tarkovsky's? ;)
Good work man...I am yet to check the other parts of this blog out...been tied up like hell.
Your top 10 is gonna be interesting then.
I love that Frank Capra's here! I wish Jurassic Park would have made Spielberg's list, it's one of my favesss! :)
it's really a great list you have here, Jeff.
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