Top 20 Directors Whose Filmography I Need to Explore More (20-11)

Like I said in my last post, this is a list of the directors whose movies I have not seen enough of (or in some cases any...).  These are filmmakers who are considered great or significant but I, for one reason or another, have not seen many of their movies.  Criteria includes: general importance/significance of the director, how many of his films I have seen, and how important I think it is for me to see more of their movies.

20. Takashi Miike

This man is insane and hilariously incredible.  I have seen three of his films and they could not be more different from one another.  They are, The Happiness of the Katakuris, Sukiyaki Western: Django, and Thirteen Assassins.  His range in tone and genre is exciting and I am always excited to see what he will do next.  I am greatly anticipating his next film, Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai. 

What I Need To See: Audition, Ichi the Killer

19. John Ford

His pipe alone is reason enough to watch his movies.  He is often ranked amongst the greatest American directors and he his mainly known for his westerns.  Of his films, I have seen The Searchers and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance.  If you look at his wikipedia page to see the list of directors he influenced you will see Akira Kurasowa and Ingmar Bergman among the names.  That is reason enough for me to watch his films.

What I Need To See: The Grapes of Wrath, Stagecoach

18. Kenji Mizoguchi

I am a big fan of Japanese cinema, just in case that was not already clear.  I have not seen a single film by Mizoguchi but I see his name thrown around a bunch on lists of great films and directors.  I don't actually know much about the guy, or his style.  I am mostly attracted to the movies he has directed, which are apparently some of the better ones in the history of film.

What I Need To See: Ugetsu, The Life of Oharu

17. Jean-Luc Godard

I have not seen nearly enough French films and Mr. Godard here is a pretty significant figure in the country's cinematic history.  I have seen two of his films but only one of them can I actually remember the title of...  The one I can remember, though, is Breathless and unfortunately, the other one I saw in a film class and since the title is in French, it was difficult to memorize.  The French New Wave was a pretty big deal, so the more I can see from that movement, the better.

What I Need To See: Le Mépris, Alphaville

16. Jean Renoir

Here is another director whom I have seen no films by.  He is another French director and he was active between 1924–1978.  His most famous, and often times cited as his best, film is La Règle du jeu or The Rules of the Game.  Just yesterday, The Rules of the Game was ranked as the 4th greatest movies ever made by Sight and Sound.

What I Need To See: The Rules of the Game, Grand Illusion

15. D.W. Griffith

D.W. Griffith is a pretty big deal when it comes to the history of cinema.  Although, it is disputed if he was actually the first to use certain techniques in films, but few would argue against the fact that he was the first to combine them in one film.  I am mainly referring to editing here.  He was one of the first directors to encompass close ups to get an emotional effect from the viewer.  That is just one of the many things he lent to cinema.

What I Need To See: The Birth of a Nation, Intolerance: Love's Struggle Throughout the Ages

14. Sergei Eisenstein

The father of the montage editing theory, Sergei Eisenstein is one of the most important Soviet filmmakers of all time. With montage, he uses juxtaposition in his films to create a third meaning from two different images.  I have seen his most famous film, The Battleship Potemkin, while many others have probably seen homages to the film's Odessa Steps sequence.  Potemkin is Eisenstein's most famous film, but his film October is the one that really demonstrates his theories on montage editing. 

What I Need To See: October: Ten Days That Shook the World, Alexander Nevsky

13. Terrence Malick

On my list of favorite movie trailers, Terrence Malick's The New World appeared at number five.  But like I said in that post, I have not seen the movie.  I had read much about this dude before I finally got to actually watching one of his films.  The only one I have seen is The Thin Red Line, a movie that is not considered to be necessarily one of his best, but it was still interesting and quite pretty.  His films may be a little light on story, but they are certainly visually satisfying.  From what I gather, that is... 

What I Need To See: Days of Heaven, The Tree of Life

12. Luis Buñuel

Here is another director who may or may not have been insane.  His early films, such as Un Chien Andalou, were collaborations with Salvador Dali, AKA, the greatest mustache in the history of art.  The other film of his I have seen is Los olvidados, or The Forgotten Ones, is more of a neo-realist work than most of his filmography.  His surrealist images are striking, but, unfortunately, I have only seen a fraction of his films.

What I Need To See: Viridiana, The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie

11. Charlie Chaplin

“Life is a tragedy when seen in close-up, but a comedy in long-shot.”  Interesting words spoken by The Tramp himself.  Chaplin is often hailed as the king of comedy for the silent era but with more of Buster Keaton's films being restored and watched, that title has become less absolute.  Nevertheless, Chaplin's films are timeless in their humor and their intimacy in their portrayal of humanity.  The only film of his that I have seen is City Lights.  At first, I did not like its ending scene, but with a second viewing I found it to be absolutely heartwarming.   

What I Need To See: Modern Times, The Great Dictator