Hollywood has been at the forefront of world cinema since production first set up home there in the early 1900s. There have been many great film directors from D. W. Griffith through to Billy Wilder and Alfred Hitchcock and John Ford. In modern cinema what directors can add themselves to this illustrious history of genius filmmakers?
10. James Cameron
James Cameron announced his return to filmmaking with, what has quickly become, the most successful movie ever made. The movie, Avatar, took over four years to make. With Titanic under his belt twelve years earlier, Cameron finally solidified himself as the most commercial filmmaker in the history of Hollywood. His other classics include The Terminator and The Terminator 2, The Abyss, and True Lies.
9. Peter Jackson
Peter Jackson is now known for his three-hour epic fantasy films – his remake of King Kong, and the Lord of the Rings trilogy, clocking in at nearly fifteen hours of entertainment. Before he became a household name he did make quirky and often dark comedy-horror films such as The Frighteners and Braindead.
8. George Lucas
Everyone knows who George Lucas is. The interesting fact: even though he’s more recognisable than Wes Anderson or Danny Boyle, he’s made far fewer films than any of the filmmakers on this list. The reason he’s so well known is, of course, the Star Wars series of movies. He directed the original Star Wars film and the new prequels. He is also behind THX 1011 and American Graffiti.
7. Danny Boyle
Danny Boyle never expected Slumdog Millionaire to be such a big hit. It was made on a small budget and was expected to have a limited cinema release in the UK, and then head straight to television. The film actually became one of the most critically acclaimed and commercially successful films of 2008. Boyle is also the director of some other great movies including 28 Days Later, Trainspotting, and Shallow Grave.
6. Paul Thomas Anderson
Paul Thomas Anderson, is another, like Peter Jackson, who likes to makes movies that breech the three-hour mark. The difference is that Anderson sticks to less mainstream storylines, preferring to practice his art over commercial viability. He made the superb There Will Be Blood in 2007, but is more recognised for his ensemble films Boogie Nights and Magnolia.
5. Alexander Payne
Alexander Payne is the best character-driven director on this list. His films are beautifully constructed character pieces, usually concerning oddball or quirky men and women who seem alienated from their social circle. His greatest achievement is the brilliant Sideways, but he’s also made the equally impressive About Schmidt and Election.
4. Wes Anderson
Wes Anderson (no relation to Paul) is a director of black comedies about strange but wonderful characters often in an almost surreal setting. His debut film Bottle Rocket became a huge cult hit while Rushmore and The Royal Tenenbaums earned him critical success. He has now achieved massive commercial success with George Clooney-starring stop-motion animated film Fantastic Mr. Fox.
3. David Fincher
David Fincher’s films Fight Club and Seven are two of the most popular films in best-of film polls made around the world. These films alone make him one of Hollywood’s best directors but he has achieved high-quality consistency throughout his films. Even the once derided Alien 3 has turned critics around as its aged, becoming one of the best science-fiction films of the 1990s. He most recently made Zodiac and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.
2. Martin Scorsese
There’s no denying Martin Scorsese is one of the world’s best auteur directors. Since he burst onto Hollywood’s radar with the Robert De Niro/Harvey Keitel-starring Mean Streets, he has consistently turned out original and provocative work. Some of his most notable films include Goodfellas, The Departed, Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, Gangs of New York, and Casino.
1. Steven Spielberg
Commercial success and critical acceptance is something every filmmaker wants but few receive. Steven Spielberg achieved both. Learning his trade making television drama, he caught people’s attention with the TV movie Duel. The film was so well received it was given a theatrical release. This allowed him to make his first fully-fledged feature film The Sugarland Express. What followed was a string of commercial and critical successes – Jaws, Close Encounters of The Third Kind, Raiders of the Lost Ark, E.T., Jurassic Park, Schindler’s List, A.I. Artificial Intelligence, and War of the Worlds, amongst many others.
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