Who is the GREATEST DIRECTOR of ALL TIME??

[STASHONE]

I never said you can't like Star Wars.

I like Star Wars.

I like Louis Malle's films and Sam Raimi also... I think I even own a couple Ernest movies.

I really don't care what you like, but if you have any insight into the process of making a film, and understand the role of a director, than regardless of how much you might enjoy Star Wars or appreciate George Lucas, that still doesn not make him good at what he doesn't really do... if that makes any sense.

Natural Born Killers is a semi-enjoyable if heavily flawed movie. I like Oliver Stone, I like Terrantino. but just because he's got screen credit doesn't mean Quentin had anything to do with the scripting of that movie whatsoever.


...I feel like I'm coinfusing myself now.


the role of the director accounts for a lot of things. It's more than just bringing vision to the screen, it's the process of going about transferring that vision and making it a reality. Being able to instill the confidence and efficiency to recognize what works and than to be able to express that to others in order for them to understand and hopefully be able to deliver. Not just directing actors, but lighting and gaffers and sound men and dp's, assistant camera men and whole production units making sure all these people have a clear sense of that same vision and are confident in your assurance that they can set up each shot to capture that brief moment in time that relates to what you see in your head and mirror that on screen, but in a way that it transcends the 2 dimensions of cinema as a medium and becomes real to the viewer. It's a painstakingly strenuous process and there are so many other unforseen elements on top of that like accounting for offset issues such as timing and weather, etc. and being able to tackle the many obstacles that are thrown at you. These are all things that directors are responsible for. They are essentially assembling and training an army to lead to the battlefield and than based on exact plans and specific blueprints, handing the reigns over to these soldiers to fight and conquer.

You can go out tomorrow and shoot a film and receive directing credit, but that doesnt make you an able director.


I don't know, rent "Lost In La Mancha" to get a vague idea of what I mean.


That's what I was pointing out.

well actually that wasn't what I was pointing out at all, but I am now.

[Prince Eric]

It's questionable how much "directing" he actually assumed with the past 2 or 3 star wars movies. Not surprisingly, they all pretty much blowed.

Well, to each his own. You might think they blow (I can see why) but these are among the most beloved movies on my list... Saying who can and can't direct is a matter of opinion. I think he can, you think he can't... Can't we just leave it at that?

Then if that's the case, this whole thread is pointless. We're trying to approach this from an objective standpoint and pinpoint the best directors, and you're saying just because you like a director's movies, that makes him a great director. I love Gurinder Chadha's line of movies (Bend It Like Beckham, Bride and Prejudice), but I'm not saying she's the mother of all directors, although I'm willing to argue she has more skill and precision of the craft of filmmaking than George Lucas does. She's able to make great entertainments for less than eight million dollars, while Lucas seems to have a limitless supply of resources and he can't even elicit one super-positive review (except from Star Wars junkies).

[Escapay]

Two directors come to mind as "GREATEST": Cecil B. DeMille and Steven Spielberg.

Escapay

[2099net]

It's questionable how much "directing" he actually assumed with the past 2 or 3 star wars movies. Not surprisingly, they all pretty much blowed.

Well, to each his own. You might think they blow (I can see why) but these are among the most beloved movies on my list... Saying who can and can't direct is a matter of opinion. I think he can, you think he can't... Can't we just leave it at that?

Well, if you watch The Beginning documentary on the Episode I disc, he doesn't come across as being in-control of his own film or even his own media empire. He also doesn't seem to have much of a rapport with the actors, and a lot of the credit he gets can be attributed to his extensive creative staff. Just how much of Star Wars is his?

I have the same problem with Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings films. How much is down to Jackson?

These days, for most Hollywood epics, the role of the director is changing from having a vision, to managing an enormous project. Visual effects are mainly to blame. How much credit can a director get for something created by others? I know the director has the ultimate say and offers extensive input, but when a script comes with a 2 line description of a vehicle, creature or event, how much credit can a director actually take? Should a director get less credit if the films budget is smaller and the effects are less innovative or impressive as a result?

These days, you'll find most of the summer action blockbusters don't have early reviews available. Why is this? Because the effects people are constantly tweaking and altering the effects until the very last minute. Does this make a good director, one who has the extra couple of weeks in the schedule to allow for more effects polishing to deliver the ultimate "wow" to the audience?

The "old school" directors had none of this. They directed the action, they framed the shots. They worked with absolutes and created fantasy, or a different reality. Orsen Wells, just like Sam Rami or Alfred Hitchcock created many innovative effects simply by framing scenes differently or experimenting with the lenses.

(But thumbs up to Lucas for putting a proper documentary on the disc instead of the usual fluff you get on most DVDs, even if it does cast him in a rather unflattering light some of the time. I give him huge credit for this.)

The point is, Lucas has money. He has armies of creatives working for him. But he still created two underwhelming films in Episode I and II.

To cut a long rant short, he's become surrounded by "Yes, Men" and, just like Michael Jackson, he became divorced from reality. I'm convinced it's only the critisisms of I and II that made him pull out the stops for Episode III.

But I don't want this to be a Lucas bashing post. I do have respect for the "bearded one" in many areas - he pushed the boundries of film presentation, both physically and artistically. He was behind a number of innovations that have benefited everyone in the industry, from filmmakers to film viewers. He is also (from what I can see) an excellent editor. I believe he edits all of his movies himself, and he seems to have a talent for it. I wasn't joking when I said he makes great trailers. He really does. And the trailers are so great because the editing in each is flawless.

And now he's even talking about making a new non-Star Wars film that I am looking forward to enormously (It's about native American fighter pilots in World War II).

[tu]

KRZYSZTOF KIESLOWSKI
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001425/


The Decalogue
The Double Life of Veronique
the three colros trilogy
i hope more people can know about he and his great work!
for sure he is the master that no one can ever replaced!

[Disney-Fan]

Then if that's the case, this whole thread is pointless. We're trying to approach this from an objective standpoint and pinpoint the best directors, and you're saying just because you like a director's movies, that makes him a great director. I love Gurinder Chadha's line of movies (Bend It Like Beckham, Bride and Prejudice), but I'm not saying she's the mother of all directors, although I'm willing to argue she has more skill and precision of the craft of filmmaking than George Lucas does. She's able to make great entertainments for less than eight million dollars, while Lucas seems to have a limitless supply of resources and he can't even elicit one super-positive review (except from Star Wars junkies).

Yes, if that's the case it is pointless. You cannot say objectively who is the greatest director of all time, it all comes down to opinion. Of course I'm going to say I think a director is good because I like his movies. How else can I judge him? By how nice he is? Come on, everyone here is voicing their opinion based on the creations of the director, and I believe his creations were far better than some claim they are, thus making him in my eyes a good director.

Frankly I couldn't care less how many positive reviews a film has collected otherwise I wouldn't even bother with movies such as Brother Bear, Atlantis, Hunchback and Star Wars... I'm no so-called "junkie". I hardly know the names of the characters, I'm just a person who really likes those movies. You can or can't accept this, but you must realise this whole thread can't be objective and most here are judging based on the productiveness of the director and the outcome of his/her movies.

I don't get why everyone gets so worked up when someone actually enjoys what Lucas creates... And I'm not alone on this either.

The point is, Lucas has money. He has armies of creatives working for him. But he still created two underwhelming films in Episode I and II

Again, it all comes down to opinion. In my eyes those movies were overwhelming. Who is anybody here to say I'm wrong and that I can't judge what a 'good' director is? And in all fairness, how can anyone here (myself included) judge how much a director is involved? None of us were a part of this production so none of can really comment how much Lucas is involved with his creations.

[Prince Eric]

Then if that's the case, this whole thread is pointless. We're trying to approach this from an objective standpoint and pinpoint the best directors, and you're saying just because you like a director's movies, that makes him a great director. I love Gurinder Chadha's line of movies (Bend It Like Beckham, Bride and Prejudice), but I'm not saying she's the mother of all directors, although I'm willing to argue she has more skill and precision of the craft of filmmaking than George Lucas does. She's able to make great entertainments for less than eight million dollars, while Lucas seems to have a limitless supply of resources and he can't even elicit one super-positive review (except from Star Wars junkies).

Yes, if that's the case it is pointless. You cannot say objectively who is the greatest director of all time, it all comes down to opinion. Of course I'm going to say I think a director is good because I like his movies. How else can I judge him? By how nice he is? Come on, everyone here is voicing their opinion based on the creations of the director, and I believe his creations were far better than some claim they are, thus making him in my eyes a good director.

Right, you can't precisely be objective, but you can try your best to be. This thread is NOT good directors that we like, this is the greatest directors of all time. I never said I didn't enjoy the Star Wars movies, but saying George Lucas is the greatest director of all time is a stretch. Greatest Director doesn't constitue four movies from the same franchise, plus two more seperate entities.

Another thing about reviews and reviewers, I think they're disrespected a little too much. At the end of the year, when the complete compilation of Top 10 movies is released, and Star Wars: Episode III is not there, how are you going to possibly ignore and write off the films that are making the lists on a regular basis. It's a two-way streak. You can have an opinion, but the people who have trained their whole lives to judge an art form are just foggies whose opinion can be dismissed. You can disagree, but you can't dismiss them.

[AwallaceUNC]

...I feel like I'm coinfusing myself now.

Ditto. My point was that Lucas doesn't belong on this list and you agree, so we shouldn't be arguing... except that I do think that Lucas deserves a lot of credit in other arenas and you apparently don't, which is fine, but that's not the topic of this thread.

-Aaron

[Disney-Fan]

You can disagree, but you can't dismiss them.

Yes I can, and I think you give them more credit than they deserve. The bottom line is all opinion, it doesn't matter that they're "trained" to earn their opinion. I've gone to an endless amount of films no critic recommended yet I enjoyed quite a lot! What I meant was that if I managed to enjoy the way the movie was filmed, the way it sounded and the acting I can say I enjoyed the directing and that he did a good job. That's what I'm trying to say...

[Lord Yupa]

Walt Disney

Walt Disney was a producer, not a director .

[Maerj]

You can disagree, but you can't dismiss them.

Yes I can, and I think you give them more credit than they deserve. The bottom line is all opinion, it doesn't matter that they're "trained" to earn their opinion. I've gone to an endless amount of films no critic recommended yet I enjoyed quite a lot! What I meant was that if I managed to enjoy the way the movie was filmed, the way it sounded and the acting I can say I enjoyed the directing and that he did a good job. That's what I'm trying to say...

Let us not fight, yea, let us enjoy all movies equally without fear of ridicule. Yeah and I sayeth unto you all that there truly is no greatest director than which director's films hath moveth you personally. So goeth and watcheth more movies and sin no more. Amen.

[AwallaceUNC]

Don't even bother trying to explain yourself, you won't get anywhere with people blinded by the hatred and cynicism of their own movie snobbery.

Walt Disney was a producer, not a director

Well, he did direct, but you're essentially correct, in that he didn't do much of it (well, relatively speaking, as IMDb lists 112 titles with him as director) and it's not what he's known for.

Off subject, but interesting: IMDb credits him as producer of a whopping 635 titles! And 124 acting credits too (plus another 40 as "himself")... that's more than many A-list actors!

-Aaron

[Lord Yupa]

Favorite Directors:
1) Yasujiro Ozu
2) Alfred Hitchcock
3) Hayao Miyazaki
4) Frederico Fellini
5) Isao Takahata
6) Mamoru Oshii
7) Jean Cocteau
8 ) Akira Kurosowa
9) Katsuhiro Otomo
10) Jean Renoir

[memnv]

My Fav Directors would be

George Lucas
Steven Speilberg
Tim Burton
M. Night Shyamalan

[Maerj]

Velveeta Light Chicken & Vegetable Skillet


Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Makes: 6 servings



4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (1-1/4 lb.), cut up

2 Tbsp. Kraft Light Done Right! House Italian Reduced Fat Dressing

3 cups fresh broccoli florets

1 medium red pepper, cut into strips

1 medium yellow squash, cut into slices

6 oz. Velveeta Light Reduced Fat Pasteurized Prepared Cheese Product, cut up

1 Tbsp. fat free milk


COOK chicken in dressing in large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat 5 to 7 minutes or until chicken is cooked through, stirring occasionally.

ADD vegetables; stir. Reduce heat to medium; cover. Simmer 5 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Meanwhile, mix Velveeta Light and milk in small microwavable bowl. Microwave on HIGH 2 to 3 minutes or until Velveeta is melted, stirring after 2 minutes.

PLACE chicken mixture on serving plate; top with Velveeta sauce.

Nutrition (per serving): Calories 200, Total Fat 6 g (Sat 2.5 g),
Chol 70 mg, Sodium 530 mg, Carb 9 g, Fiber 2 g, Sugars 4 g,
Protein 27 g, DV Vit A 50%, DV Vit C 60%, DV Calcium 20%, DV Iron 8%

[Prince Eric]

Don't even bother trying to explain yourself, you won't get anywhere with people blinded by the hatred and cynicism of their own movie snobbery.

Well, I've been absent a few days, so I wasn't privileged ( ) to read the post you edited. I can't help but think I am one of the people your above post was targeted. Response:

I won't even bother trying to explain myself, because I won't get anywhere with people blinded by the fanaticism and unbalanced view of their own movie dumbness.

[AwallaceUNC]

I won't even bother trying to explain myself, because I won't get anywhere with people blinded by the fanaticism and unbalanced view of their own movie dumbness.

Oh snap!

-Aaron

[Little Red Henski]

Don't let the people on this forum get to you Eric. I think most of the people on this forum are fans of popcorn flicks instead of film.

[Maerj]

Sorry, me no have movie smartness like you. You so movie smart! Me wish me could be movie smart too.


Seriously, though, it was a stray, knee-jerk remark, which I quickly changed. Constant SW bashing online can cause a person to do that. Perhaps it went to far, which is why it was quickly removed and changed to something less offensive, unfortunately our pal quoted it too soon.

Many people on this board probably are fans of 'popcorn flicks' as they are referred to. Why? It's a DISNEY message board. They produce many family movies that could be considered popcorn flicks. Everything can be considered art in its own way, whether one likes it or chooses to see it as art is another matter.

Yes, I like popcorn flicks, there are some movies I loved that you could consider bad. On the other hand, I do love art cinema. I have a degree in illustration. I took film classes taught by Gerald Hirschfeld, cinematographer for many of Mel Brook's movies. I am familiar with 'film' and hope that I have proved my lack of movie dumbness. If not, oh well.

[Prince Eric]

We were not bashing Star Wars, especially me, since I have said plenty of times the new titles are adequate entertainment. However, I was just supporting an earlier opinion that it's sort of disconcerting when people arbitrarily name drop for the simple reason of liking a film or because of sentimental value. I adore the work of Mira Nair and Curtis Weitz. Greatest directors of all time? Hardly.