Who's on your Mount Rushmore of film directors and why?

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These aren't necessarily your favorite directors, just ones you think are most iconic or important.

Hitchcock - laid the blueprint for how to build suspense
Spielberg (maybe split Lucas' face onto his also... probably not tho) - created the blockbuster
Kubrick - directed what are arguably the greatest horror (the shining), sci-fi (2001), war (paths of glory), and comedy (dr strangelove) films of all time.
Struggling with the last one. I'll go with Kurosawa though.



Kurosawa - Had a massive influence on both Hollywood and Asian cinema. Gets credit for movies like Star Wars,The Dollars trilogy and The Magnificent Seven. Also Rashomon .

Georges Meilies - Juggled between him and D.W.Griffith. One of the first major innovators in cinema.

Hitchcock - Pretty much the same reasons you gave.

Scorcese - Because he's my favourite director .

Others i considered were, Buster Keaton, Charlie Chaplin and F.W.Murnau.



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Chaplin, Lang, Eisenstein, Murnau
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Verhoeven (surprise surprise)...


A guy who isn't scared to make the film he wants to make, even when he is working for a Hollywood Studio that normally frowns on 18 rated films full of Ultraviolence and sex combined with gore and bad language.


Every other director bows to the Studio Execs and makes what they're told to make so they can rake as much cash in as possible.


Verhoeven's stance on the artistic vision of filmmaking is second to none.



I'm not sure if the mount Rushmore theme strictly means American directors but you're forgetting Orson Welles



Kurosawa - Had a massive influence on both Hollywood and Asian cinema. Gets credit for movies like Star Wars,The Dollars trilogy and The Magnificent Seven. Also Rashomon .

Georges Meilies - Juggled between him and D.W.Griffith. One of the first major innovators in cinema.

Hitchcock - Pretty much the same reasons you gave.

Scorcese - Because he's my favourite director .

Others i considered were, Buster Keaton, Charlie Chaplin and F.W.Murnau.
Pretty much agree with this if we're going 'American' as it is Mt. Rushmore. Maybe add John Ford in too. Something like D.W. Griffith, Keaton/Chaplin, John Ford, Alfred Hitchcock



Billy Wilder

Stanley Kubrick

Orson Welles

and George Lucas would be my 4th with one caveat, if he would just release a version of the Original Trilogy in top notch blu-ray quality that does the following, this will not be extensive:

1977 film:
* restore Obi-Wan's original 'yell' to ward off the sand people as he approaches injured Luke
* take the CGI animals out of Mos Eisley
* restore this - Han Solo shoots, Greedo doesn't

1980 film:
* restore Boba Fett's original voice
* take out the 'alert my star destroyer to prepare for my arrival' addition

1983 film:
* put back in the original song in Jabba's Palace and remove the CGI singers
* restore the original Sarlaac pit without the CGI part
* remove all of Darth Vader's 'NO's' as he contemplates and then decides to save Luke
* remove the CGI celebration cut-aways across the galaxy at the end
* restore the Sebastian Shaw force ghost

without that, put Sergio Leone up there



Billy Wilder

Stanley Kubrick

Orson Welles

and George Lucas would be my 4th with one caveat, if he would just release a version of the Original Trilogy in top notch blu-ray quality that does the following, this will not be extensive:

1977 film:
* restore Obi-Wan's original 'yell' to ward off the sand people as he approaches injured Luke
* take the CGI animals out of Mos Eisley
* restore this - Han Solo shoots, Greedo doesn't

1980 film:
* take out the 'alert my star destroyer to prepare for my arrival' addition

1983 film:
* put back in the original song in Jabba's Palace and remove the CGI singers
* restore the original Sarlaac pit without the CGI part
* remove all of Darth Vader's 'NO's' as he contemplates and then decides to save Luke
* remove the CGI celebration cut-aways across the galaxy at the end
* restore the Sebastian Shaw force ghost

without that, put Sergio Leone up there
You could just say he should release the original, unaltered versions.



You could just say he should release the original, unaltered versions.
true. these are just the major ones, i think

i don't mind some of the additions, like extra buildings in Mos Eisley and Bespin. so i guess this was sorta a compromise



thinking about it in this frame of reference, from a legacy standpoint... Star Wars is a tremendous achievement, and it should be preserved. the sad part about it is all Lucas has done is hurt his own legacy with alterations. it's nothing personal against him. prequels can be forgiven and forgotten over time. it's not a big deal, good directors make bad movies sometimes

people should be remembered for what they were at their best, in my opinion. instead of what they were at their worst



thinking about it in this frame of reference, from a legacy standpoint... Star Wars is a tremendous achievement, and it should be preserved. the sad part about it is all Lucas has done is hurt his own legacy with alterations. it's nothing personal against him. prequels can be forgiven and forgotten over time. it's not a big deal, good directors make bad movies sometimes

people should be remembered for what they were at their best, in my opinion. instead of what they were at their worst
I agree. The original trilogy is infinitely better unaltered.



Mine would have to be Guillermo del Toro. Why? He mixes a bit of mythology, fantasy, a bit of a ghost story with reality. Something that many directors can't do and pull off beautifully. Each of del Torro's films are amazing on their own, even films that he just helps with the production or story line. He's an amazing director and I continue to look forward to see what he has to offer in the future.



A system of cells interlinked
Verhoeven (surprise surprise)...

Every other director bows to the Studio Execs and makes what they're told to make so they can rake as much cash in as possible.


Verhoeven's stance on the artistic vision of filmmaking is second to none.


Huzzuh?!?

Please list all the films Kubrick made while bowing to studio execs, which in turn compromised his vision is ANY way.

" Kubrick's international reputation as a cinematic genius, however, built to such a peak that the studios eventually allowed him full control over his films, from initial planning through post-production. He responded with a body of work that is instantly identifiable by its imaginative, seemingly intuitive handling of powerful, often difficult themes and the beauty and precision of its imagery."

I presume David lynch is a studio stooge, as well?

Eraserhead: Crown Jewel of 20th Century Fox. They liked it so much, they made the star the official symbol of the studio, and made his face part of their logo. Here, i will post it:

Oh wait, that's preposterous!

Even the directors that do make changes (usually under duress or threat of being removed from the project) don't do it so they can "rake in as much cash as possible." The STUDIO has that aim, but the director is already under contract and has a set amount they will get paid. Ridley Scott fought for decades to release the Blade Runner cut that he was finally happy with. That film was taken by the bond guarantor when the film went slightly over budget and fell behind schedule. Why did it fall behind schedule? That would be Ridley's dedication to HIS vision and level of detail on the project.

Man, there are so many...Gilliam? Ever hear of Brazil? Clearly a cash grab by the director, eh? There are books and documentaries about this one, as it is pretty much infamous.

Your claim is that the only film maker that is an artist with integrity is the guy that made Starship Troopers, meanwhile discarding legendary visionaries like Kurosawa, Hitchcock, and Kubrick. You MUST be joking, Rodent!

Von Trier? Watch Melancholia and tell me it's an exercise an artistic compromise.

I like Robocop, and some of Verhoeven's other work, but come on, man!
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