Great Film Directors

This section is my tribute to all great film directors -both current and former- and more specifically to my all time favorite ones; Stanley Kubrick, Woody Allen, Alfred Hitchcock, Billy Wilder, Steven Spielberg, Coen Brothers, David Lean and Akira Kurosawa. Of course, there will be some other great directors too who are equally talented and who know their craft very well. But, in life, why do we sometimes like few things or some people more than those who have same qualities as our favorite ones? I think that’s because those few have that extra dimension in them and they move us bit more than those who are equally talented or good. Also, I have listed only those great directors as my favorite here who have consistently proved their greatness over more than mere 1-2 movies and with whose sensibilities I could identify the most. For instance, there are directors such as Francis Ford Coppola who made a perfect Godfather 1 and II, but he didnt really live to standards even close to that in his other films. Then, there are some other directors such as John Ford, Fellini and Bergman etc who were idols of people like Allen and Kubrick and who perhaps were even greater than the ones I mentioned above, but I havent yet had the opportunity to see much of their work to make a definite opinion about them.

I write and discuss here my favorite directors, their movies, their craft and their genius. Through these posts and your comments, I intend to keep exploring them and keep learning in the process. Every time I want to share or discuss something about them, I will make a new post and will update this section by putting a link of that post under that particular director. I invite all of you who are interested in these great directors to share your thoughts. Even if you havent seen a particular director’s work, you are still more than welcome here to comment . Your suggestions to include & discuss some other great directors will be taken very seriously.

Stanley Kubrick: He is, in my humble opinion, the greatest film director ever to have walked on this planet. I dont say this without reason. His movies have moved me unlike anybody else’s. His movies have changed my whole concept of cinema and also influenced the way I see life. His ‘2001: A Space Odyssey‘ overwhelms me every time I watch it and remains my most favorite film of all time. Kubrick was a genius and a true artist. He had complete control over the film medium and his craft was exceedingly impeccable. Number of his films are recognized as classics in terms of both form and content. He never, never, never compromised on what he wanted to say and how he wanted to say it. It’s not without reason that Oscar winning director,  Martin Scorsese - one of the finest directors of our times-, once said that, “Kubrick’s one film is equivalent to ten films of others”. Kubrick was probably the biggest influence on Steven Spielberg (who ironically became much more famous than Kubrick). Much more on Kubrick to come in this section.

The Cinema of Stanley Kubrick by Norman Kagan

Woody Allen: Sometime back on my Facebook, I joined a group ‘Everything important I learnt in life was from Woody Allen”. It’s true that Woody Allen is one another true genius from the world of cinema whom I admire tremendously. His movies’ take on fundamental issues of life (mortality, purpose of life, happiness etc), man-woman relationships and human psychology have influenced millions of people since the 70’s. His movies are taught and discussed not only in film schools but also in philosophy and  psychology departments of Ivy league universities. The biggest gift he has is that he is genuinely funny and can use humor in it’s most elevated form to bring home his point on most serious issues. His movies can never be boring and pretentious, even if few times they are not that great. He is one of the most prolific directors with more than 40 movies under his belt and considering that in many of them he took the triple role of writing, directing and acting, his achievements are even more noteworthy. His “Annie Hall” was a watershed in exploring man-woman relationships and remains my second most favorite movie of all time. Know more about him through the posts below and much more to come..

Characterization in Allen’s movies

First 10 minutes of Love and Death

Alfred Hitchcock: If there was one film maker who made cinematic experience most thrilling and most entertaining, it has to be Alfred Hitchcock. His little use of technology in telling his stories and yet affecting his audiences deeply speaks greatly of his genius. He has influenced generation of filmmakers, writers and audiences alike. The suspense genre as we know it now owes almost everything to Hitchcock. Unlike my other favourite directors whose most of the films I have seen, I havent yet seen many of Hitchcock’s films. But whatever odd number of movies I have watched from this master filmmaker, leaves no doubt in my mind that he deserves to be in my Top 3 directors. His Vertigo is in my list of Top 10 Films of all time. More to come on him here..

Billy Wilder: He was one of the most brilliant and versatile filmmakers of Hollywood’s golden age. Many of Wilder’s films achieved both critical and public acclaim. His films were a proof of the fact that it’s possible to say whatever one wants to say in a simple and effective way. His main motto in terms of his films was ”I dont wanna bore people”. He is certainly very legendary with his controversial quotes. He received six Oscars in his lifetime, an achievement which is unparalleled. His “Double Indemnity” was a first genuine attempt in the film noir genre which continues to inspire film makers around the world even today and his “Apartment” is my favorite romantic comedy of all time.. More on him later..

Steven Spielberg: Undoubtedly, the most famous film maker in the world today. Also, most successful and rich too. Many people might criticize him as “pro American” or “very Jewish” or “very commercialized”, but I think he redefined the world of modern filmmaking the way Bill Gates redefined personal computing. Time magazine listed him as one of the 100 Greatest People of the Century. If he has made those highest grossing and full of adventure films such as ET and Jurassic Parc, he has also made those gritty classics such as Saving Private Ryan and Schindler’s list.

Coen Brothers: Coen brothers are my most favorite filmmakers of this generation. My introduction to their genius happened rather recently only (though they have been around for more than 20 years). I believe that among the current filmmakers whose movies audiences wait with lot of high expectations, Coen Brothers top the list. I have written about them in my post below and will add more..

The Coen Brothers

David Lean: If there was one director who made truly larger than life movies without ever making them over dramatic or unrealistic, it was David Lean. The way he shot his stories had people falling madly in love with his films. The breathtaking visuals and story telling technique of “Lawrence of Arabia” and “The Bridge on the River Kwai” have inspired the best of film makers around the world. “Lawrence of Arabia ” is considered a perfect film by countless cinegoers and is in my list of Top 10 films of all time. More on his movies to come here…

Akira Kurosawa: He is my favorite filmmaker outside Hollywood. Kurosawa had a distinctive cinematic technique which gave his films a unique look. His experimentation with camera angles, costumes and lighting produced spectacular results and earned him the tag of a perfectionist. His ‘Seven Samurai’ inspired lot of similar westerns and even our own “Sholay” which perhaps is the best Hindi film of all time, considering it’s never ending appeal among both the masses and the classes. More on Kurosawa later..