List is in alphabetical order.
Part III – The Modern Director (A.K.A. Blockbusters or Small Indies)
Style/system: American;
works in American independent film; flawed characters, stylized moving camera,
memorable use of music, an overall aesthetic flare
Active: 1988-Present
Style/system: American;
works in American independent film; highly stylized aesthetics (down to the
smallest detail), wonderful and ambitious camera moves, stylized blocking,
youths with potential and adults not reaching their potential, memorable use of
music
Active: 1994-Presnet
Key films to see: Rushmore, The
Royal Tenenbaums, The
Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, The Darjeeling
Limited, and The
Grand Budapest Hotel
Jacques Audiard
Style/system: French;
works in France; an aesthetic flare, but also an actor’s director, flawed
characters looking for redemption, gritty settings, dramatically specific/effective
use of violence
Active: 1994-Present
Kathryn Bigelow
Style/system: American;
works in Hollywood; a terrific use of dramatic tension and suspense, gritty
action, strong performances despite films being plot driven
Active: 1978-Present
Style/system: English;
works in England, American independent film and Hollywood; frenetic/up-beat
editing, digital photography pioneer; leaves room for comedy in his dramas
Active: 1987-Present
James Cameron
Style/system: American;
works in Hollywood; big action movies and grand epics, pushing technology
forward (basically, singlehandedly resurrected 3D, for better or worse), an
explorer at heart (especially in documentary work)
Active: 1978-Present
Coen
Brothers (Joel and Ethan)
Style/system: American;
work in American independent film; highly stylized dialog and aesthetics,
masters of composition and camera movement, as well as narrative storytelling
that deviates from the norm (regardless of genre), oddball characters, leaders
of America’s resurgence of independent cinema in the 1980s/1990s
Active: 1984-Present
Sofia Coppola
Style/system: American;
works in American independent cinema; highly stylized aesthetics,
wandering/free form narratives that feel far more about character than plot,
great use of music
Active: 1996-Present
Style/system: Mexican;
works in Mexico, England and Hollywood; brilliant long-take tracking shots,
naturalistic feel to his work despite often making sci-fi, fantasy and actions
films
Active: 1983-Present
Key films to see: Solo
con tu pareja, Y
Tu Mama Tambien, Harry Potter
and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Children of
Men, and Gravity
Style/system: American;
works in Hollywood; prolific music video director, a master of the mystery
thriller, bleached out color schemes often on the cool side of the palate,
brilliant, specific and expertly used camera moves
Active: 1985-Presnet
Key films to see: Se7en,
Fight Club, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, The
Social Network, and The
Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Miyazaki Hayao
Style/system: Japanese;
works in Japan; the master of Japanese animation, highly influential for
today’s leading animation storytellers, an expert in narrative storytelling and
use of drama/comedy
Active: 1972-Present
Key films to see: Nausicaa
of the Valley of the Wind, My Neighbor Totoro, Princess Mononoke, Spirited
Away, and Howl’s Moving Castle
Todd Haynes
Style/system: American;
works in American independent film; subversive narrative structure, provocative
storytelling, complex eroticism, wonderful performances
Active: 1978-Present
Key films to see: Superstar:
The Karen Carpenter Story, Velvet Goldmine, Far from Heaven, and Mildred Pierce
(HBO Miniseries)
Jean-Pierre Jeunet
Style/system: French;
works in France; surreal narratives, exaggerated color palates, an aesthetic
flare, odd characters and locations yet also charming
Active: 1978-Present
Key films to see: Delicatessen,
The City of Lost Children, Amelie, A
Very Long Engagement, and Micmacs
Spike Jonze
Style/system: American;
works in Hollywood; a prolific music video director, narratives that push the
boundaries – feeling as they might exist in our world but also strange and
foreign, things are always just a bit off, elicits phenomenal performances
Active: 1991-Present
Krzysztof Kieslowski
Style/system: Polish;
worked in Poland and France; a magnificent use of color and sound (music),
deeply emotional narratives and performances, striking aesthetic, powerfully
moving storytelling
Active: 1966-1994
Key films to see: A Short
Film About Love, A Short Film About Killing, The Double Life of Veronique, Three
Colors: Blue, and Three Colors: Red
Ang Lee
Style/system: Taiwanese;
works in American independent film, Hollywood, England, and China; conflict
between tradition and modernity, repressed emotions, powerful dramatic
storytelling, superb performances
Active: 1982-Present
Key films to see: Eat
Drink Man Woman, The Ice Storm, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Brokeback
Mountain, and Life
of Pi
David Lynch
Style/system: American;
works in American independent film; bizarre narratives, creepy characters,
often surreal, violent, highly stylized aesthetics
Active: 1966-Present
Key films to see: Eraserhead,
The Elephant Man, Blue Velvet, The Straight Story, and Mulholland Drive
Michael Mann
Style/system: American;
works in Hollywood; a master of the crime drama, violent, stark, authentic,
highly stylized aesthetics (often featuring wonderful photography)
Active: 1968-Present
Steve McQueen
Style/system: English;
works in England and Hollywood; powerful, emotional dramas, wonderful long-take
shots (often employing a static camera), garners sensational performances, a
true artist
Active: 1993-Present
Style/system: English;
works in England, American independent cinema and Hollywood; the master of the
modern blockbuster/epic, psychological narratives, disjunctive narrative
structures, grand action sequences, practical effects (in a world of cgi), a
champion of film over digital
Active: 1997-Present
Park Chan-wook
Style/system: Korean;
works in Korea and American independent film; brutal, precise aesthetics, black
humor
Active: 1992-Present
Key films to see: J.S.A.:
Joint Security Area, Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, Oldboy, Sympathy for Lady
Vengeance, and Thirst
Quentin Tarantino
Style/system: American;
works in American independent film; violent, great dialog, highly stylized and
referential aesthetics, a film fan first, a leader of the revitalization of
America’s independent cinema, a champion of film over digital
Active: 1983-Present
Key films to see: Reservoir
Dogs, Pulp
Fiction, Kill Bill: Vol. 1, Inglourious
Basterds, and Django
Unchained
Thomas Vinterberg
Style/system: Danish;
works in Denmark, England and American independent film; co-founder of Dogme 95
(a movement to simplify film production), champion and pioneer of digital
photography, deeply dramatic narratives, character-driven films, an actor’s
director
Active: 1990-Present
Lars von Trier
Style/system: Danish;
works in Denmark, England and American independent film; co-founder of Dogme 95
(a movement to simplify film production), a minimalist, often makes provocative
narratives, pushes social boundaries, highly stylized aesthetics
Active: 1967-Present
Wong Kar Wai
Style/system: Chinese;
works in China, France and American independent film; a director’s director,
emotionally dramatic narratives, solemn tones, tragic romance, a wondrous use
of color, highly stylized aesthetics
Active: 1988-Present
Key films to see: Days of
Being Wild, Chungking
Express, Fallen Angels, In the Mood for Love, and 2046
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