Terry Gilliam is one of the most unique and polarizing directors in the history of Hollywood. Perhaps best know for the dark cloud of bad luck that seems to follow him from production to production, Gilliam has earned a reputation amongst cinephiles as one of the last true mavericks of film making, as equally concerned with telling fantastical stories as he is in presenting them in the most surreal fashion possible. Gilliam got his start as the only American in the highly revered comedy troupe Monty Python, contributing to the Flying Circus with the shows very distinctive cartoons and eventually directing the troupes big screen ventures, ‘In Search of the Holy Grail’ and “The Life of Brian”. The almost Brechtian tone of the Python’s comedy has had a very obvious impact on Gilliam’s later work behind the camera. This is perhaps most apparent in his most critically acclaimed film, “Brazil”, but also, to a lesser extent in the cult classics, “The Adventures of Baron Munchausen” and “Fear and Loathing In Las Vegas”.
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Ethan (the writer) and Joel (the director) Cohen are pretty big names these days after their colossal success with No Country For Old Men and the massive cult following behind The Big Lebowski. The Coen’s are undoubtedly autuers as they often use the same actors in their films (John Goodman, Frances McDormand and Steve Buscemi), and their films, as distinctly removed from each other as possible, do have some recurring themes and images (stolen money, witless criminals and extreme violence marked by an undercurrent of dark humor). One thing that makes the Coen’s so intriguing is how eager they seem to be to jump from genre to genre. For instance: They followed the very somber crime drama Fargo with the zany, almost splapstick Big Lebowski, as well as making the surreal David Lynch inspired Barton Fink while filming Miller’s Crossing, their criminally underrated attempt at a Golden Era gangster film. Known as much for their amazing skill with actors as they are for their dark humor and eccentric private lives, the Coen Brothers are one of the few directors that have continuely surprised their audiences, nearly 20 years after they first burst onto the scene.
In my humble opinion Fargo, The Big Lebowski, Barton Fink, Raising Arizona and No Country For Old Men are five of the greatest American films released during my lifetime. Today the Coens are truly one of our greatest institutions.
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There isn’t much to say about Kubrick that hasn’t already been said a thousand times. He is technically one of the greatest directors to ever step behind the camera. Kubrick began his career as a photographer, which explains 1) the amazing cinematography found in all of his films and 2) the almost static feel of most of his films and most memorable scenes. After all, what is 2001: A Space Odyssey other than a brilliant collection of Hubble images?
Kubrick died during post-production for one of his lesser films, Eyes Wide Shut. Even still, the film succeeds in many ways that other similar films do not. Kubrick’s influence can be found in most of Spielberg’s work (Spielberg considered him a mentor), as well as Paul Thomas Anderson’s more recent efforts, namely the magnum opus There Will Be Blood. It’s also possible that Kubrick may have influenced Quentin Tarantino, although he has yet to admit this. However, consider this: Kubricks first film (The Killers) depicts the aftermath of a robbery, and is one of the first to do so without regard for chronology, it obviously must have influenced Tarantino’s debut Reservoir Dogs, which is alarmingly similiar in tone. Also, Kubrick was regarded as a master of matching music to images (2001 and A Clockwork Orange are perfect examples), long before Tarantino matched Steelers Wheelers “Stuck In the Middle With You” to Mr. Blondes excrutiatingly painful interrogation of a hapless one eared cop.
If you’re not familiar with Kubrick your either in for a treat or one of the more excruciatingly boring times of your life. Kubrick is known for making very slow-paced and arguably inaccessible films, making him the ire of many casual movie watchers. If you’d like to give him a chance, just know that his films are more novella than popcorn fodder. They are deep, long and thought provoking, but all will disappoint if viewed for pure entertainment purposes.
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Imagine if someone made a career off of Kinks, Talking Heads, and Pixies covers. Imagine this person became more famous for their cover versions than the bands who originally wrote these songs. In a way that’s what Tarantino has done his whole career. Make no mistake, Tarantino is a master at recycling cult properties and repackaging them as something entirely new to the unsuspecting masses. And yet this almost crude description does the mans genius a great disservice. Unlike DJ Clue (“Desert Storm! New Shit!”) or Pat “The Honky” Boone, Tarantino rises above intellectual theft by adding something intangible and extremely urgent into the films he steals. It’s as if Tarantinos’ whole career has been an homage to the kind of cult films he obviously champions (spqghetti westerns, French New Wave, Kung Fu and 70’s exploitation films, most notably). Even at his best (Pulp Fiction, Jackie Brown), this former video store clerk turned infamous auteur has made no reservations about his inspirations, often making it his mission to bring long overdue attention to the obscure films and directors who inspired him. Tarantinto is the quintessential film geek, and our greatest film resource since Marty Scorcese broke onto the scene in the late 80’s. Forget the shocking violence and the liberal use of profanity; Tarantino is the freshest and most imitated voice in American cinema to date. Despite all of his affection for the past, Tarantino is truly the front runner of the post-modern film movement. In fact his entire career could be described as an exercise in postmodernism. If imitation is the highest form of flattery then Quentin Tarantino is the biggest kiss ass in Hollywood history. And coming from a film nut like myself, that is a sincere compliment.
All of Quentin’s films are worth watching at least once, as none of them sacrifice entertainment value at the expense of art, and each one is an undeniable pop classic. It’s probably true that Tarantino shares more sensibilities with an Andy Warhol than he does with a Stanley Kubrick. Other films not directed by QT but written by him include “True Romance”, “Natural Born Killers”, “From Dusk Till Dawn” and 1/4 of the director’s exercise, “Four Rooms”. Quentin has actually said on more than one occasion that the best scene he has yet to write appears in “True Romance”, in a distinctly “Tarantinoized” interrogation between Dennis Hooper and a fantastic Christopher Walken. That scene alone is worth the rental.
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PTA has only recently slipped his way into my favorite directors. I’m not particualarly passionate about him except to say that his a thinking man’s Tarantino and stretches himself from film to film in a way few young directors would even consider. PTA grew up with money and contacts and as such, is known as sort of a “golden boy” within Hollywood. However, in only 5 films (Hard Eight, Boogie Nights, Magnolia, Punch Drunk Love and There Will Be Blood) PTA has tackled nearly every genre and decade, as well as emulating and in many ways building upon, countless aueteurs from the past. Like Tarantino, PTA seems to draw obvious influences from directors before him. “Boogie Nights” played like Scorcese circa “Goodfellas”. “Magnolia” felt intentionaly Altman-esque. And recently PTA admitted that “There Will Be Blood” is his attempt at making a Kurbick.
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7. Sergio Leone
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11. Michel Gondry
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12. David Lynch
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14. Danny Boyle
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15. Sidney Lumet
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