Who will keep their promise? (A New Hope)

Unless you've been deported to the burmuda triangle your sure to have noticed the influx of new, ambitious directors of the likes that the film industry has not seen since it's renaissance in the 70's? Many of the directors from this generation appear to hold the same promise as their forefathers like Spielberg and Scorcese did for theirs.

IMO, the 90's felt like one big cinematic failure with only a few new directors like Bryan Singer and Tarentino to make their debuts. In this millenium, we have a new hope.

Now let's take a look at all of these filmmakers that are currently on the frontiers of the medium like Christopher Nolan, Darren Aronofski, Peter Jackson, M. Night Shymalyn, Alejandro Amenabar, and more to discern their body of work. They could very well lead us into our next film renaissance.

~PAd

 

I'm especially impressed with the ambition of Peter Jackson. He took on an unprecedented challenge and seems to be pulling it off. I don't think there's much in his earlier work to show that he could have done the incredible job he did with LOTR. Or at least I didn't detect it. Maybe others did. Certainly New Line Cinema did.

I'm not much of a fan of M. Night Shymlyan (or however you spell it) not so much due to his films as much as his arrogance. I've heard some stories that after the SIXTH SENSE, the guy that he'd become GOD.

Everyone knows STANLEY KUBRICK is GOD.

 

Well, if no one else will recognize it, at least you and I know he is!

As for Shymal-whatever-his-name-is, I did not sense an arrogance so much in himself but in the way that his stuff was being marketed. In a way it almost felt contrived how the media was trying to pass him off as some prodigy.

As for Jackson, I agree. Who would have known that this unsuspecting New Zelander had so much to offer. (To qoute his film: "I think there is more to this hobbit than meets the eye!" ) Kudos to New Line cinema for taking such a chance on a relative unknown. More studios could learn from their example, I think.

Basically, I see the studio situation as this. Sure, first and foremost, film is a business and any artistics achivements must come as a second priority otherwise no studio would ever back the film. Yet, if these bankers refuse to be artists they can at least be good business men. That is, do not make the same carbon copy of a sucessful film over and over again. Fact: your audience will get tired of its predictability. Since there is no suching as a "sure shot hit," any film is thus a risk. Might as well take smart risks.

~PAd

 

I don't view the 90's as a cinematic failure. There are quite a few competent directors that came out of the 90's. Of course, this is personal opinion, but here are a few directors that I thought were a bright spot of 90's cinema.

Quentin Tarantino - "Pulp Fiction" (Soon: Kill Bill)
Robert Rodriguez - "El Mariachi" (Soon: Once Upon a Time in Mexico)
David Fincher - "Seven" (Recent: Panic Room)
Peter Jackson - "Heavenly Creatures" (Recent: Lord of the Rings)
Tarseem - "The Cell"
Darren Aronofsky - "Pi" (Recent: Requiem for a Dream)
M. Night Shymalyn - "The Sixth Sense" (Soon: Signs)
Bryan Singer - "The Usual Suspects"
Sam Mendes - "American Beauty"
Doug Liman - "Swingers" (Recent: The Bourne Identity)
Guy Ritchie - "Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels" (Recent: Snatch)
Todd Solondz - "Welcome to the Dollhouse" (Recent: Storytelling)
Alex Proyas - "Dark City"
Wes Anderson - "Rushmore" (Recent: The Royal Tenenbaums)
Baz Luhrman - "Romeo and Juliet" (Recent: Moulin Rouge)
Luc Besson - "The Professional"
Danny Boyle - "Trainspotting"
The Wachowski Brothers - "Bound" (Soon: The Matrix 2)

I'm probably missing quite a few, but these are all directors from the 90's that I feel have the potential to have long lasting and successful careers. Peter Jackson may have even made his first movie in the late 80's.

A few of the directors that I've listed have made great movies recently, but they got thier start in the 90's with some totally decent movies. I think it's too early to tell what the new decade has in store as far as new directors. This decade will probably give birth to great directors. Just like the 90's did.

 

IMO, this decade isn't going to be any better. I mean, look at what we have, sequels outnumbering original movies 2 to 1, and the number keeps going higher.