Round 9 - Mikio Naruse “If they move even a little,” Naruse famously remarked of his characters, “they quickly hit the wall. I recently discovered Naruse and have only seen five of his films. But that’s enough to inform an opinion that among Japanese directors, he’s only rivaled by Ozu. He’s not as bold as Kurosawa, as flashy as Mizoguchi, or as formally rigorous as Ozu. He never gave his actors any instructions, never asked his cinematographer about camera set-up, never collaborated with his screenwriter. His movies are pure tour-de-force exercises in mise-en-scene: he knew what to film, where to film, and when to cut. Nothing else mattered. Recommended films: Repast Sound of the Mountain Flowing Floating Clouds A Woman Ascends the Stairs
I was going to choose Naruse in Round Seven, then round eight, and then I never did. Great pick. Although it does put a lie to your "dead white males" claim.
Agnieszka Holland Thug life ain't easy so I don't have time to post more now. I will when I get home.
Not an auteur, but I would have liked to see ******** ******** taken purely for her documentary work.
Ok... I'm up apparently. Time to throw everybody for a loop. For my next pick, I choose a man whose film career spanned SIX decades. Most of you will probably have never heard of him, but just look at this quote from an article: "He was one of the early filmmakers to realize the efficacy of the film medium as an instrument of social change and used it successfully to advocate humanism on one hand and expose bigotry and injustice on the other." Of course, you still have no idea who that is! V. Shantaram! He was an Indian director. You can read up on him in a couple places: http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/mp/2002/05/02/stories/2002050200380100.htm What can I say? I like a lot of Bollywood movies! I have no idea why! But V. Shantaram was a pioneer in the industry and brought a lot of artistic value to it.
Atom Egoyan, OC (Armenian: Ադոմ Էկոյան) WA (born July 19, 1960) is a critically acclaimed Canadian filmmaker of Armenian descent. His work often explores themes of alienation and isolation, featuring characters whose interactions are mediated through technology, bureaucracy or other power structures. Stylistically, Egoyan's films often follow non-linear plot-structures, in which events are placed out of sequence in order to elicit specific emotional reactions from the audience by withholding key information. My favorite is one that was not particularly well received - Ararat. It was way to strident and too obvious for most I guess. I liked it and took to the characters immediately and strongly. [youtube]FgUqfnrqrsc[/youtube] Also recommend Exotica, The Adjuster. The Sweet Hereafter is really well reviewed, but I actually didn't get into it. But a movie with much atmosphere. This guy may have fooled me and he might not have much. But I like what has done to date, and I think he has something left in the quiver.
I really never thought I would pick this guy, but in the end, I decided to reject the notion that he wasn’t serious (or dreary) enough to be a good director. Also, I had my write up of Atom Egoyan ready to go, until Oman grabbed him. Plus I noticed I did not have an Italian in my studio. 9th Round Selection (133rd overall): Vincente Minnelli As Andrew Sarris said, "If he has a fatal flaw as an artist, it his his naïve belief that style can invariably transcend substance and that our way of looking at the world is more important than the world itself. Critic-film-makers like Godard and Truffaut pay lip service to these doctrines, but they don't really believe them. Only Minnelli believes implicitly in the power of his camera to transform trash into art, and corn into caviar. Minnelli believes more in beauty than art." Although I’ll list some of his more accomplished movies below as my 3 recommended films, Minnelli is probably first and foremost remember for his musicals, including Gigi, Brigadoon, Kismet, An American in Paris and Meet Me in St. Louis. He also directed Father of the Bride. If you don't like musicals, of course, just skip them and watch the movies below. Three Recommended films: Some Came Running The Bad and the Beautiful The Band Wagon My Film Studio Stable of Directors: 1. Ingmar Bergman 2. Howard Hawks 3. Fritz Lang 4. Sam Fuller 5. Zhang Yimou 6. George Cukor 7. Carol Reed 8. Louis Malle 9.Vincente Minnelli Up next: Ghost. On deck: bojendyk. In the hole: Via Chicago. PMs are being sent.
If you still have it, share it. This isn't just about me making the best and most intelligent picks. This is also about others writing about them. My Film Studio Stable of Directors: 11 Living and Dead Men. At least four of whom enjoy eating "capa*gol" out of the fridge in their undershirts.