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  1. In Memory of LAJ_FETT: Please share your remembrances and condolences HERE

Who is the Greatest Contemporary Filmmaker?

Discussion in 'Archive: The Amphitheatre' started by Tyranus_the_Hutt, Apr 11, 2005.

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  1. JediTrilobite

    JediTrilobite Jedi Grand Master star 7

    Registered:
    Nov 17, 1999
    well movie making this day and age kinda throws style out the window. no one cares about making a good movie. They will but a elaphant eating pie if they think it will make money.


    You're wrong. There's many good people out there out to make a good stylistic movie. Unfortunently, there are more who are just there to make a buck
     
  2. Nrf-Hrdr

    Nrf-Hrdr Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Aug 3, 2000
    Tarintino is good -- for what Tarintino does. He's a one-trick pony. That's one hell of a trick, mind you, but he doesn't have much interest in doing things outside of that.

    Agreed. The thing about Tarantino is that he seems to have incredible confidence and knowledge of his own strengths, and that's what he sticks to. The good thing about that is that I can't see him doing a 'bad' film any time soon (unless you consider him and his filmmaking style to be fundamentally bad), but it also means he'll probably stick to the same old kinds of things. His ww2 film is guarenteed to be 'ww2: Tarantino style'.

    Wes Anderson has a distinctive visual style and a knack for unusual storylines, but his greatest talent is in making his films seem wittier and more sophisticated then they really are.
     
  3. Kast_Morben

    Kast_Morben Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Aug 18, 2001
    I'd like to throw the influence of John Lasseter into the ring.

    It has been his vision that has completely changed the way that both Animated and "family" films are both looked at and the way their future will progress.

    Not to mention that all the films that he has been involved with have been very good.

    There are obviously questions about his 'range' though. :)
     
  4. Drew_Atreides

    Drew_Atreides Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    Apr 30, 2002
    Tarintino is good -- for what Tarintino does. He's a one-trick pony. That's one hell of a trick, mind you, but he doesn't have much interest in doing things outside of that.

    Before "Kill Bill", i'd agree with this statement.

    However, have you ever seen what Yuen Woo-Ping (who was brought in to choreograph the fights) had to say about Tarantino? He basically said "I don't even know why they needed me. All of those fights that you see on the screen were ALL choreographed by Tarantino"..

    That right there shows me he's more then a 1 trick pony. We've got to remember that QT has only made 4 (or 5, depending on how you count the two Kill Bills) films. He's got plenty of time to show us more...
     
  5. Darth-Kevin-Thomas

    Darth-Kevin-Thomas Jedi Master star 5

    Registered:
    Sep 27, 2002
    You're wrong. There's many good people out there out to make a good stylistic movie. Unfortunently, there are more who are just there to make a buck

    im not saying there arnt, but to look at "Greatest Contemporary Filmmakers" is kinda hard to do in such a vague way.

    There is no doubt that there are directors that want to make good movies but once you get down to it, most movies arn't the "directors" movies anyway. Its the producers movies. Thats why more directors are producing there own movies.

    Studios have the power, not the director. no matter how hard that is to grasp for some.

    Take AVP for example. good film/bad film that doesnt' matter. Anderson had a much better version of the film that was longer, bloodier and had more action between alien and predator. The studio made him hake his movie to bits becuase "They felt that it wouldn't be good with more blood and gore" Studios will ruin movies most of the time.

    dkt
     
  6. severian28

    severian28 Jedi Master star 5

    Registered:
    Apr 1, 2004
    Scorcese.
     
  7. master_organa

    master_organa Jedi Knight star 5

    Registered:
    Jun 5, 2004
    1:George Lucas

    2:Steven Spielberg

    3:Tim Burton

    4:Robert Zemeckis

    5:James Cameron

    Runners Up:M. Night Shayalman, Bryan Singer, Irvin Kershner.

    I'd like to throw the influence of John Lasseter into the ring.
    True.

    Brad Bird is also one to watch.
     
  8. gonzoforce

    gonzoforce Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    Feb 27, 2002
    Spielberg and Lucas, Kubrick, Francis Ford Coppola
     
  9. Nrf-Hrdr

    Nrf-Hrdr Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Aug 3, 2000
    Anderson had a much better version of the film that was longer, bloodier and had more action between alien and predator. The studio made him hake his movie to bits becuase "They felt that it wouldn't be good with more blood and gore" Studios will ruin movies most of the time.

    Agreed. It's always a tragedy when the vision of an auteur like Paul WS Anderson is compromised by shortsighted studio suits. I'd say studio interference probably doesn't result in any noticable drop in quality when they're dealing with your average worker-for-hire hack director like Terry Gilliam, but I think it's a crime to see it happen to the likes of Anderson.
     
  10. AdmiralZaarin

    AdmiralZaarin Jedi Knight star 5

    Registered:
    Jul 8, 2001
    Terry Gilliam? Average hack? Surely you meant someone like Michael Bay? Most of Gilliam's work is as unconventional and brilliant as it comes, and though some beg to differ, he's hardly "average".

    I'd have to say either Spielberg, Kubrick or Scorsese. Spielberg's brilliant moments make up for his more hit-and-miss work, Kubrick had almost nothing but brilliant moments, and as for Scorsese, let's just say he's "good" beyond most definitions of the word.

     
  11. Tyranus_the_Hutt

    Tyranus_the_Hutt Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    Nov 14, 2004
    So, what's the criteria here? How many Oscars (or whatever other award) won? How much their films earned in the box office? How much they get paid?

    There isn't any formal criteria for this topic, as it is, ultimately, a matter of opinion. Things such as awards, money, and box-office returns, are arbitrary, and share little relevance to the underlying artistic quality of a particular film. Case in point: great directors, such as Orson Welles, Alfred Hitchcock, Martin Scorsese, Stanley Kubrick, Ingmar Bergman, Satyajit Ray, Robert Altman, Frederico Fellini, etc. have never won best director Oscars, something which calls the entire A.M.P.A.S. into question, from my perspective - therefore, precisely what amount of "merit" do awards such as the Academy Awards have in the long run if they cannot, as it is their dictum to indicate, properly assess excellence in the motion picture arts? The same goes for the bean-counting "dollars and cents" aspect of filmmaking; many a good or great film has been overlooked by the general public upon its original release, only to have its inherent artistry "discovered" years later - look, for example, at the likes of "La Regle du Jeu", "Vertigo", "The Searchers", "The Shawshank Redemption", "Blade Runner", "The Golden Coach", and so forth, films that were critically panned and/or commercial failures at the time of their initial release. The criteria for this thread belongs exclusively to those who wish to contribute to it - opinions and logic may be disputed, of course, but (as trite as this may sound) there is no right or wrong answer.

    But I wouldn't call either of them [Scorsese and Spielberg] the greatest directors working this very second. That's a much harder question to answer, I think, because we can't assess newer filmmakers with perspective and hindsight. I had a lot of hopes pinned on Darren Aronofsky and David Fincher, but their low level of output is disappointing. If The Fountain turns out to be a masterpiece, i'd probably nominate Aronofsky.

    Some good points, Nrf-Hrdr. Fincher is a director whose filmmaking abilities often surpass the parameters of the material with which has to work. "Seven" and "The Game" are both good films with endings that lack the courage of their convictions, but Fincher's mastery of tone and atmosphere is undeniable. Even missed opportunities such as "Fight Club", a film that ultimately succumbs to its more meretricious nature, is a suberb example of craft and technique. I think that Fincher (who, incidentally, was an assistant cameraman on "Return of the Jedi", just as George Lucas was a cameraman on "Gimme Shelter") has the raw capability to become a true master of the filmic medium, but he hasn't been able to harness his abilities and put them into practice with a screenplay that is on par with his obvious talent.

    Aronofsky is likewise a naturally gifted filmmaker who has exhibited his many talents in good films such as "Pi" and "Requeim For a Dream" - if you watch either of these pictures, you will notice that while Aronofsky is a stylistically inclined director, he never allows his filmmaking flourishes overwhelm the story he is attempting to communicate - his style enhances the films, isn't incongruous, and doesn't become an affectation. Although I admire both of the pictures I have cited, Aronofsky really does need to move on and make some more films before I judge him more fully as a director.

    So I'd put Scorcese up there, but his recent stuff has fallen short in my opinion, as well as foreign directors like Chen Kaige, and definitely Almodovar.

    There is no denying the vast amount of good to great films that Scorsese has produced over the years, despite the fact that his contemporary material hasn't been as well-received. His great films ("Mean Streets"; "Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore"; "Taxi Driver"; "Raging Bull"; "After Hours"; "The Last Temptation of Christ"; "Goodfellas"; "The Age of Innocence"; "Casino"; "Bringing Out the Dead"; and "The Aviator") represent some of t
     
  12. Drew_Atreides

    Drew_Atreides Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    Apr 30, 2002
    EDIT: AdmiralZaarin - NrfHrdr was being sarcastic in his comments regarding Paul W.S. Anderson and Terry Gilliam. I actually had a good chuckle when reading his remarks.

    And that's biting sarcasm if ever it existed :p

    Seriously, i had to read thru it a couple times just to be sure. It was pretty convincing.. I kept thinking "he has to mean PT Anderson, and he just slipped up, right? RIGHT?" :p
     
  13. Tyranus_the_Hutt

    Tyranus_the_Hutt Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    Nov 14, 2004
    Seriously, i had to read through it a couple of times just to be sure. It was pretty convincing...i kept thinking "he has to mean PT Anderson, and he just slipped up, RIGHT?"

    You have a good point, Drew_Atreides. However, as the comments stand, the logical deduction would indicate that the post was sarcastic in nature. Two things suggest this: a) I don't often hear Paul W.S. Anderson, director of "Event Horizon", "Mortal Kombat", "Resident Evil", "Soldier", and "Alien Vs. Predator", being described as an "auteur" - in fact his films are antithetical to that theoretic principle; and b) Nrf-Hrdr has made some witty and biting comments before, so my initial feeling was that the post was not intended to be taken seriously. If, however, you were to insert Paul Thomas Anderson's name into the post, in place of Paul W.S. Anderson, then the comments immediately take on a radically different tone. So, you are correct - it's hard to say.

    I have problems with some of Terry Gilliam's pictures, but suffice to say that he is less often referred to as a "hack" than someone such as Paul W.S. Anderson likely is.
     
  14. Drac39

    Drac39 Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Jul 9, 2002
    Steven Spielberg nearly every movie the guy direct`s is gold.He can go from entertaining summer flicks like Jaws to Saving Private Ryan.


    Scorcese,Coppola,and Lucas are all great directors,but I think it`s impressive the range of films Spielberg's done...

    Scorcesse,and Coppola usually stay to dramatic films.

    Geogre Lucas does Star Wars.




     
  15. Gonk

    Gonk Jedi Grand Master star 6

    Registered:
    Jul 8, 1998
    However, have you ever seen what Yuen Woo-Ping (who was brought in to choreograph the fights) had to say about Tarantino? He basically said "I don't even know why they needed me. All of those fights that you see on the screen were ALL choreographed by Tarantino"..

    That right there shows me he's more then a 1 trick pony. We've got to remember that QT has only made 4 (or 5, depending on how you count the two Kill Bills) films. He's got plenty of time to show us more...


    Yes, and I've seen Pulp Fiction, Resovoir Dogs, Kill Bill 2, most of Kill Bill 1 and large chunks of Jackie Brown. I've also seen Four Rooms and From Dusk 'till Dawn. That said, I stand by my statement.

    THe fact Kill Bill has coreographed fights doesn't change the fundamental content of the story. It just means he had to do different background work. You can watch all his films and most of them have the same features: amorality, random chaos, title cards, language of the characters, etc. It's all done very, very well and it's great entertainment.

    However, if you gave me Tarintino and some other director we've listed -- Spielberg, Ridley Scott, Coppola, Kubrick -- and said to the two of them "Guys, switch projects and make one person's work look like that of the other person" -- in other words, work out of your chosen idiom -- the other director would be able to function better than Tarintino. That is, although nothing would look like something from the orginal director, Kubrick imitating Tarintino would do a better job than Tarintino imitating Kubrick, or any of these other directors. Tarintino to me just seems to lack the patience to create films that work on other levels than what he's already shown.
     
  16. Nrf-Hrdr

    Nrf-Hrdr Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Aug 3, 2000
    I reckon part of the fun of internet debates is trying to figure out if people making some of the more 'out there' comments really mean what they're saying. That little discussion about my post was fun to read, so I think i'll keep my mouth shut. Maybe I've already said too much?!

    I agree with Tyrannus's comments on Almodovar (...or DO I?). I've seen almost all of his films over the last few months. I was kind of expecting to like his more tongue-in-cheek early stuff more, but most of it fell flat for me, while his more recent 'serious' work just feels so much more confident and assured, and actually more entertaining on the whole.

    I think the music might have something to do with it. On his recent films the soundtrack really 'glues' each film together, somehow. He really seems to know what he's doing now, whereas his early stuff made me think the opposite.
     
  17. GrandAdmiralPelleaon

    GrandAdmiralPelleaon Jedi Grand Master star 6

    Registered:
    Oct 28, 2000
    Rainer Werner Fassbinder
     
  18. LordSilvertouch

    LordSilvertouch Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Apr 19, 2003
    I'd also like to add Cameron Crowe for an honorable mention. Though not nearly with a shot at best filmmaker, i think he is worth noting.

    EDIT:

    On Tarantino - I think Pulp Fiction was quite a good film, but really i saw it as kind of a bridge to your David Fincheresque (he needs to be thrown in as well) type of directing. Reservoir Dogs was overrated, which seemed to have violence for no real reason. I'm not adverse to violence, i love a bit of gore :p but really, what did it actually achieve?

    This Emperor has no clothes. :p
     
  19. dragonmaster9

    dragonmaster9 Jedi Youngling

    Registered:
    Apr 13, 2005
    I would have to say(In no particular order.) Quentin Tarantino and George Lucas for forever changing the way films have been made with Pulp Fiction and Star Wars.
    Then I would say Robert Rodriguez for revitalizing independent cinema(El Mariachi) and for making the mother of all comic book adaptations(Sin City).
    Steven Speilberg, Martin Scorsese,M.Night Shyamalan, Peter Jackson,and Ridley Scott for all making some of the best films not just of modern cinema but of all time.
     
  20. Qui-Gon Zero

    Qui-Gon Zero Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Nov 26, 1999
    Yeah, it's very difficult to not mention the usual suspects (Spielberg, R.Scott, Scorcese). It seems that a lot of the contemporary directors that I like don't pump out movies at the consistency that Spielberg and Scorcese do, so that makes it difficult to compare a director that has under 5 flicks under their belt (and took their sweet time doing it) to one that has between 20 and 30. However, directors like Spielberg and Scorcese are deffinately one of a kind, and I guess it would be pretty silly to expect a similar kind of career from anyone else - Well, in my opinion anyway.

    There are quite a few directors that I enjoy and follow, but i can't really think of (at the moment) a director, that has made a name for themselves in the last 15 years, that can put up such a high quality, diverse, and rather large body of work that Spielberg has. I guess time will tell.




     
  21. JohnWesleyDowney

    JohnWesleyDowney Jedi Master star 5

    Registered:
    Jan 27, 2004


    My new favorite is John Gulager. He is definitely in a class by himself. ;)

    Spielberg, Lucas, Cameron, Burton, Shyamalan and Jackson reign supreme in my book, and that Scorcese guy is pretty good too.

    From days gone by, David Lean, William Wyler, Victor Fleming, and Stanley Kubrick are the greats, but this is a thread about contemporary greats...but these guys inspired today's current masters.
     
  22. DAR

    DAR Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jul 8, 2004
    Scorsese and Spielberg would be my top two. The only two directors whose films I have to see opening night. After that in no order my list would include:
    John Lassetter
    Brad Bird
    George Lucas
    David Fincher(I'm surprised he wasn't mentioned)
    Peter Jackson
    Bryan Singer
    James Cameron
    The Coen Brothers
    Steven Soderbergh
    Tony Scott
    Ridley Scott
    The last two always leave no doubt whose films you're watching.
    Robert Rodriguez
    And another guy I wouldn't say that is great but he's certainly had a diverse film career so far is Gore Verbinski. Here's a guy who's made a family film (Mouse Hunt) a pirate film(Pirates of the Carribean) and horror film(The Ring)
     
  23. StarDude

    StarDude Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    Nov 28, 2001
    How about the greatest next generation filmmaker? Shyamalan or Singer?
     
  24. Qui-Gon Zero

    Qui-Gon Zero Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Nov 26, 1999
    Between M.Night and Singer, I'd have to go with Singer. I personally like what I've been seeing from Danny Boyle (28 Days Later, Millions) lately and I'd like to see some more from Sam Mendes.
     
  25. Drew_Atreides

    Drew_Atreides Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    Apr 30, 2002
    Between Singer and Shyamalan, i'd have to say Shyamalan.

    Singer has had a couple of semi-clunkers in "Apt Pupil" and "X-men" (i'll probably be stoned for that, but i was honestly disappointed in the first one).

    However, if the question was who would i want to hang out with more, then i'd have to say Singer. (He's trying to bring Logan's Run back! That's just cool)


     
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