Reply to Topic
I've decided that every year I'll make a list of the top 100 directors and their best films. I'll also be providing commentary as to why I consider them so great. Afterwords, I'll tell you about my 50 worst directors.
This list is built on a set of rules for calculating the best directors based on the ratings. The long and short of it is simple: top 3-5 movies get you on the list. Higher average scores mean higher positions. Directors with 5 movies have priority over 4 and 3, and the grouping is also organized by whole number. If the director has three movies of the same best rating, that becomes a permanent score and the director is put at the top of that whole number group. So far, only a few directors who've done 3 100/100 films are up there.
Every day I'll post five.
1. Francis Ford Coppola
Coppola's 70's streak of four movies was freaking unbelievable. Even though he started out a crappy director with his early nudie picks, being picked as a cheap and inexpensive director for a big name book (Puzo's Godfather) is the best thing that ever happened to him. That was when he really proved himself. Overtime, he developed a stle with the next threee movies from his 70's run./ And even though his quality fluctuated some, he's often surprised us with something wonderful if not phenomenal.
Top 5:
The Godfather (100), The Godfather Pt. II (100), Apocalypse Now (100), Tetro (100), The Conversation (100)
STAYING SCORE: 100 / 5
AVERAGE SCORE: 100 / 5
Other 5-Star Movies:
Dracula: 99
The Godfather Coda: 98
2. Alfred Hitchcock
Master of suspense, right? Well, it might be a very common saying, but its true. After the silent era ended and he had enough practice, sound opened up a new world for him. He practically INVENTED it and pushed the limits when you weren't allowed to. Having an eye for visuals was half the deal, but proper pacing and perfect casting are also staples of his technique. This was a guy who loved breaking rules and reinventing the wheel, and you could tell that his personality was going into his movies.
Top 5:
Vertigo (100), Rebecca (100), Rear Window (100), Strangers on a Train (99.5), North By Northwest (99)
STAYING SCORE: 100
AVERAGE SCORE: 99.7
Other 5-Star Movies:
Psycho: 97
3. Akira Kurosawa
Kurosawa is another director who really needed the practice before achieving greatness. I think the real secret to his movies is his sense of humanity and the natural way his characters interact. The heavy focus he themes he explores feels effortless, especially when he's challenging length. Specializing in Japanese history, Kurosawa's vision relies on bringing history through life via the focus on his characters, so it's easy to get drawn into the Edo period and beyond with him.
Top 5:
Seven Samurai (100), Red Beard (100), Ran (100), High and Low (99), Rashomon (97)
STAYING SCORE: 100
AVERAGE SCORE: 99.2 / 5
Other 5-Star Movies:
Yojimbo: 96
Ikiru: 95
4. Christopher Nolan
If Hitchcock is the master of suspense, Nolan is the second place. He ups the psycho-ante to the extremes of what today's audiences can handle, but is also excellent at exploring heavy stories outside of that box, like Oppenheimer. Basically, Nolan is the kind of director that keeps you hitched with twists and mentality, often putting us just an inch in front of the screen.
Top 5:
Memento (100), The Dark Knight (100), Oppenheimer (100), Interstellar (98), Batman Begins (96)
STAYING SCORE: 100 / 5
AVERAGE SCORE: 98.8 / 5
Other 5-Star Movies:
Inception: 95
5. Andrey Tarkovsky
Tarkovsky is my favorite experimental director, largely thanks to his work on The Mirror and Solaris, the latter of which is based on a book that the movie convinced me to read. How does a man take 90 minutes of memories and turn it into an intriguing and perfectly filmed movie? This guy has an understanding of the human condition deeper than most directors on Earth. Of course, as a SLOW CINEMA director, I prefer Bela Tarr. But Tarkovsky understands perfectionism more well.
Top 5:
The Mirror (100), Solaris (100), Andrey Rublev (100), Ivan's Childhood (95), Stalker (92)
STAYING SCORE: 100 / 5
AVERAGE SCORE: 97.4 / 5
This list is built on a set of rules for calculating the best directors based on the ratings. The long and short of it is simple: top 3-5 movies get you on the list. Higher average scores mean higher positions. Directors with 5 movies have priority over 4 and 3, and the grouping is also organized by whole number. If the director has three movies of the same best rating, that becomes a permanent score and the director is put at the top of that whole number group. So far, only a few directors who've done 3 100/100 films are up there.
Every day I'll post five.
1. Francis Ford Coppola
Coppola's 70's streak of four movies was freaking unbelievable. Even though he started out a crappy director with his early nudie picks, being picked as a cheap and inexpensive director for a big name book (Puzo's Godfather) is the best thing that ever happened to him. That was when he really proved himself. Overtime, he developed a stle with the next threee movies from his 70's run./ And even though his quality fluctuated some, he's often surprised us with something wonderful if not phenomenal.
Top 5:
The Godfather (100), The Godfather Pt. II (100), Apocalypse Now (100), Tetro (100), The Conversation (100)
STAYING SCORE: 100 / 5
AVERAGE SCORE: 100 / 5
Other 5-Star Movies:
Dracula: 99
The Godfather Coda: 98
2. Alfred Hitchcock
Master of suspense, right? Well, it might be a very common saying, but its true. After the silent era ended and he had enough practice, sound opened up a new world for him. He practically INVENTED it and pushed the limits when you weren't allowed to. Having an eye for visuals was half the deal, but proper pacing and perfect casting are also staples of his technique. This was a guy who loved breaking rules and reinventing the wheel, and you could tell that his personality was going into his movies.
Top 5:
Vertigo (100), Rebecca (100), Rear Window (100), Strangers on a Train (99.5), North By Northwest (99)
STAYING SCORE: 100
AVERAGE SCORE: 99.7
Other 5-Star Movies:
Psycho: 97
3. Akira Kurosawa
Kurosawa is another director who really needed the practice before achieving greatness. I think the real secret to his movies is his sense of humanity and the natural way his characters interact. The heavy focus he themes he explores feels effortless, especially when he's challenging length. Specializing in Japanese history, Kurosawa's vision relies on bringing history through life via the focus on his characters, so it's easy to get drawn into the Edo period and beyond with him.
Top 5:
Seven Samurai (100), Red Beard (100), Ran (100), High and Low (99), Rashomon (97)
STAYING SCORE: 100
AVERAGE SCORE: 99.2 / 5
Other 5-Star Movies:
Yojimbo: 96
Ikiru: 95
4. Christopher Nolan
If Hitchcock is the master of suspense, Nolan is the second place. He ups the psycho-ante to the extremes of what today's audiences can handle, but is also excellent at exploring heavy stories outside of that box, like Oppenheimer. Basically, Nolan is the kind of director that keeps you hitched with twists and mentality, often putting us just an inch in front of the screen.
Top 5:
Memento (100), The Dark Knight (100), Oppenheimer (100), Interstellar (98), Batman Begins (96)
STAYING SCORE: 100 / 5
AVERAGE SCORE: 98.8 / 5
Other 5-Star Movies:
Inception: 95
5. Andrey Tarkovsky
Tarkovsky is my favorite experimental director, largely thanks to his work on The Mirror and Solaris, the latter of which is based on a book that the movie convinced me to read. How does a man take 90 minutes of memories and turn it into an intriguing and perfectly filmed movie? This guy has an understanding of the human condition deeper than most directors on Earth. Of course, as a SLOW CINEMA director, I prefer Bela Tarr. But Tarkovsky understands perfectionism more well.
Top 5:
The Mirror (100), Solaris (100), Andrey Rublev (100), Ivan's Childhood (95), Stalker (92)
STAYING SCORE: 100 / 5
AVERAGE SCORE: 97.4 / 5
