Directors are like artists, who paint beautiful canvases with their art and vision. The world has seen several such geniuses who have thrilled the audience and thoroughly entertained them. They have not only brought their respective nations to the global forefront by means of art but also left an indelible mark on the minds of moviegoers by means of their masterpieces. They have patronized every genre, ranging from darker impulses of the human psyche to history and sci-fi to neo-noir, thereby greatly influencing world cinema. Here are 10 of such directors whose contribution to world cinema has brought a revolutionary change:
1. James Cameron:
A Canadian film-maker, Cameron has films such as ‘The Terminator’ (1984) and the magnum opus ‘Titanic’ (1997) to his credit. He also spellbound us with his last release ‘Avatar’ (2009). We experience the best 3D technology in his films and his area of expertise is science-fiction movies.
2. Christopher Nolan:
He is an English film director and producer who shot to limelight for his very first venture ‘Memento’ (2000). The movie also won him an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. His most notable work is ‘The Dark Knight Trilogy’ (2005-2012), in which Heath Ledger’s performance as Joker was a class apart. He has, until now, a total of 34 Oscar nominations and his notable films are ‘Inception’ (2000), ‘Interstellar’ (2014) and ‘Dunkrik’ (2017).
3. Pedro Almodóvar:
A Spanish film-maker and producer, Almodovar was one of the first to speak about sexual and political freedom. His comedy-drama film ‘Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown’ (1988) was nominated for the Academy Award for the Best Foreign Language Film. Further, dark romantic comedies are his forte. Some of his notable films are, ‘Hable con Ella’ (2002), ‘Volver’ (2006) and the psychological thriller ‘The Skin I live in’ (2011).
4. Quentin Tarantino:
Quentin Jerome Tarantino is an American filmmaker who brought satirical subject matter to life. He rose to popularity with the film ‘Pulp Fiction’ (1994) and then made ‘Kill Bill’, a revenge-flick belonging to the tradition of Kung-fu Japanese martial arts. His critically acclaimed film ‘Django Unchained’ (2012) was followed by ‘The Hateful Eight’ (2015).
5. Woody Allen:
Woody Allen is an American director who specializes in slapstick comedies. He greatly influenced European art cinema during the 1970s and was counted in the list of the New Hollywood wave of filmmakers of the mid-1960s to late 1970s. Some of his notable works are, ‘Annie Hall’ (1977), ‘Manhattan’ (1979), ‘Hannah and Her Sisters’ (1986), ‘Stardust Memories’ (1980), and ‘The Purple Rose of Cairo’ (1985). He has won four Academy awards to date.
6. Ingmar Bergman:
A Swedish director whose notable works such as ‘Smiles of a Summer Night’ (1955), ‘The Seventh Seal’ (1957), ‘Wild Strawberries’ (1957), ‘The Silence’ (1963), ‘Persona’ (1966), ‘Cries and Whispers’ (1972), ‘Scenes from a Marriage’ (1973), and ‘Fanny and Alexander’ (1982) helped him charm hearts of cine-goers. His films were a pure joy to watch and he was often compared with Virginia Woolf and James Joyce in literature.
7. Akira Kurosawa:
Akira Kurosawa was a Japanese Film Director and screenwriter who directed over 30 films that have been masterpieces. He is highly regarded for his influential film-making and in 1990, he accepted the Academy Award for Lifetime Achievement. He was also posthumously awarded “Asian of the Century” by American AsianWeek magazine and CNN in 1999. Some of his notable works are ‘Ikiru’ (1952), ‘Seven Samurai’ (1954) and ‘Yojimbo’ (1961). ‘Kagemusha’ (1980) and ‘Ran’ (1985) were his final two epics.
8. Satyajit Ray:
He was an Indian and Bengali filmmaker and music composer who was inclined towards independent film-making and was known for his humanist approach to cinema. Across his lifetime, he directed over 36 films that include feature films, documentaries, and short films. Among the many awards that he won are an Academy Honorary Award, 32 Indian National Film Awards, a Golden Lion, and a Golden Bear. ‘The Apu Trilogy’ is consistently rated as one of the greatest Indian films of all time.
9. Wes Anderson:
Wes Anderson is an American filmmaker whose films stand out for their distinctive visual styles. Some of his great films include ‘The Royal Tenenbaums’ (2001), for which he received the Academy Awards for Screenplay. Further, he directed ‘Moonrise Kingdom’ (2012) and ‘The Grand Budapest Hotel’ (2014), for which he won Golden Globe Awards for The Best Motion Picture.
10. Steven Spielberg:
He was one of the founding fathers of the New Hollywood era. An American director, Spielberg is highly lauded for his films such as ‘The Color Purple’ (1985), ‘Schindler’s List’ (1993), and ‘Saving Private Ryan’ (1998), ‘Lincoln’ (2012), ‘Bridge of Spies’ (2015), and ‘The Post’ (2017). He also directed the famous Indiana Jones series. He also bagged the Academy Awards for the Best Director twice.
The world cinema is enriched by the genius of these directors and we are more than thankful! Are there any other directors that you think have changed the world of cinema with their sheer brilliance? Do let us know!
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