NationStates Jolt Archive

This is inspired by the best 5 films thread.
I think that Stanley Kubrick is by far and away the best film director in history. There have been directors that have been more commercially sucessful and more intellectual but he is the only one that consistantly makes perfect films. For example:

2001
Dr Strangelove
Barry Lyndon
Spartacus

To name but a few...

I'd go with Kubrick, definately.

Kubrick was brilliant and certainly deserves mention near the top of any best director list, but I wouldn't go so far as to say he was perfect. Kubrick was choosy enough, however, that he was successful far more often than not, and a couple of his movies kept making the top 5 lists--Dr. Strangelove and 2001.

I also think that any discussion of great film directors has to include Orson Welles, although not as much for Citizen Kane as for his production of Othello. Othello is an example of a master at the height of his powers as a director.

Other Directors of note, Charlie Chaplin, David Lynch, David Cronenberg,

For current work, I like Ron Howard, Tim Burton and Clint Eastwood.
For animation, Hayo Miyazaki