The Greatest Directors' Best Films Part II
Submitted by ash_campbell on Mon, 07/28/2003 - 03:12
Tags:
- 11. John Ford: The Quiet Man (1952)
- A great film that, though not a Western per se, encapsulates the same themes, and coincidentally, includes John Wayne’s best work as an actor.
- 12. Howard Hawks: To Have and Have Not (1944)
- Hawks worked across a bunch of different genres effectively, but this standout with Bogart and Bacall is truly amazing.
- 13. Federico Fellini: La Dolce Vita (1960)
- A truly inspired film from a great director and actor (Marcello Mastroianni) combo, Fellini has great imagery in his films. Besides, the term paparazzi comes from the name of the main character.
- 14. David Lean: Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
- The king of the epic, Lean was exact and demanding of those who worked with him. The results, like this film and The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957), are proof positive that it was worth the effort.
- 15. Elia Kazan: On the Waterfront (1954)
- His filmography is not very long, and his actions during the McCarthy hearings are suspect, but he still made some classic films. Besides, Brando’s performance is haunting and impressive.
- 16. Francis Ford Coppola: The Godfather (1972)
- No director has ever owned a decade like Coppola. His four films from the decade, which also include The Godfather II (1974), The Conversation (1974), and Apocalypse Now (1979), are all required viewing.
- 17. Martin Scorsese: Raging Bull (1980)
- Strangely, he’s an under appreciated director among the general public, while at the same time, an overrated director among critics. By the way, this film barely beats out Last Temptation of Christ (1988).
- 18. Roman Polanski: Chinatown (1974)
- Like, Kazan, he’s got some well-documented personal troubles. He also has some really cool films, none more so than this noirish thriller.
- 19. Joseph L. Mankiewicz: All About Eve (1950)
- If Sunset Blvd. is the movie that reveals the underbelly of the movie world, this is the stage world’s equivalent movie. Bette Davis may never have been better, and Ann Baxter is tremendous.
- 20. Ingmar Bergman - Wild Strawberries (1957)
- Just better than The Seventh Seal (1957), Bergman shows his empathy and understanding of human nature.
A continuation of this list. More here.