Are there any more truly great directors?

[JBStephens]

In the past a great movie was made by a great director, obviously. Used to be the director was the most important person on a film. But are the days of excellent directing behind us? Will there ever be another Stanley Kubrick or David Lean or Cecil B. DeMille or Alfred Hitchcock? I can't think of any current or recent directors that are really making a name for themselves as directors, with the possible exception of Tim Burton. Can you?

[Plan9]

Michel Gondry.
Wes Anderson.

Maybe not in the same league as Hitchcock or Kubrick, but they have a very distinct AND original style as directors.

Tim Burton is not anymore IMO... His style hasn't evolved for 10 years or more...

[LEONPROFF]

I'd choose David Fincher. "Seven" and "Zodiac" were great, "The Game", "Alien 3" and "Panic Room" while not flawless were very good.

[Oatsdad]

I second Fincher.

And you have to count Spielberg - he's a "current" director...

[Jimbo]

I'll see anything by the Coen brothers.

[Digital-G]

Is Spielberg still directing?

What about Tarentino?

[charged up]

Ridlley Scott & Ron Howard also make excellent films as do Mel Gibson & Clint Eastwood.

I also like the style of Christopher Nolan and his work with Christian Bale.

[PreciousRicky]

The movie industry still has great directors of English language films, some of which were previously mentioned. Directors of foreign language films aren't part of the fraternity of current great directors as they used to be in the past. Kurowsawa, Truffaut, Malle, Bergman, Herzog, Polanski, Fassbinder, Bunuel, etc. Off the top of my head, I can't think of any except Ang Lee who now directs English language films.

[James RD]

Some of you seem to be confusing the term "great" with "able to get work". Common mistake.:laugh:

[AndrewS]

Assuming you're not excluding directors that have been around for a while, but that are still making great films:

Martin Scorsese
Werner Herzog
Ridley Scott
Joel and Ethan Coen
Ken Loach
Spike Lee

[JoelDF]

Fincher has definitely developed his own style and elevated it. But I think there are a good number of directors who know how to get out of the way of their own films the way Lean, John Ford, Elia Kazan, or Frank Capra did while still maintaining their own distinctive style.

As much as I like a lot of Kubrick's films, he often could not get out of his own way.

DeMille and Hitchcock were as much showmen in front of the camera as they were behind the camera. Today we have the likes of Steven Spielberg and Martin Scorsese, both of whom I think are also today's great directors. Especially Spielberg who knows how to work a film and make popular movies - much the way DeMille, Hitchcock, and Capra did in their day.

[JBStephens]

Man, you're right, I plumb forgot about Martin Scorsese! That's embarassing, since I love The Aviator. I like the Coen brothers, too. But all I can say about Ron Howard is... I saw the DaVinci Code. I need say no more. :D

[Derek Gee]

Is Spielberg still directing?

Yes, he's directing the new Indiana Jones movie coming out in May.

Derek

[Dudley Morris]

I'd choose David Fincher. "Seven" and "Zodiac" were great, "The Game", "Alien 3" and "Panic Room" while not flawless were very good.I third this - he's one of the few major directors you could cite these days who has a fairly recognizable style. I should add that Fight Club was great too.

[ATR]

I guess not, since I haven't seen a truly great movie in years.

I don't want to sound like a depressed Beatlemaniac, though, so I'll give some limited support to the idea that P.T. Anderson, David Fincher, and Christopher Nolan of the current crop of young directors have the talent and moxie to make edgy eccentric movies that are widely distributed and have significant commercial appeal.

Having said that, I've only seen Zodiac and Seven of Fincher's work, and only Zodiac impressed me. Can he successfully make movies that aren't about serial killers? And of P.T. Anderson's work I thoroughly enjoyed Magnolia and Boogie Nights, but There Will Be Blood was disappointing except for the visuals and a few good scenes, and his other movies left me scratching my head. I wasn't impressed by Memento particularly, but I liked The Prestige (no Citizen Kane, though) and haven't seen Batman Begins.

I'm looking forward to the next Sofia Coppola movie...

And if there's no age limit, you have to consider that Cronenberg, Lynch, Eastwood, and Scorsese are still making movies. Shoot, even Sidney Lumet is still out there.

[Downsampled]

I second the Coens, Ang Lee and Fincher.

I'm pretty convinced by now that Paul Thomas Anderson is one of the greats. Also Pedro Almodóvar.

I wish Tarantino would produce more. Less "new" is Clint Eastwood.

[lasvidfil]

Never been dissapointed with a Quentin Tarantino film. Love all his work.

[vinyl anachronist]

Paul Thomas Anderson
Wes Anderson
The Coen brothers
Martin Scorsese
Steven Spielberg (still has a unique style)
Guillermo Del Toro
Alfonso Cuaron
Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu
Julian Schnabel
Gus Van Sant
Pedro Almodovar
Alexander Payne
Quentin Tarantino
Mike Leigh
Paul Greengrass
Atom Egoyan
Spike Jonze
Michel Gondry
David Fincher
Richard Linklater
Cameron Crowe
David Lynch
Sofia Coppola
Clint Eastwood
Terry Zwigoff
Terry Gilliam
Nick Park
Steven Soderbergh
David Cronenberg
Jane Campion
Todd Field
Judd Apatow
Jonathan Demme
Brad Bird
Todd Haynes

[Jerry]

Terry Gilliam.

[munson66]

In addition to many of those already names (Ang and Spike Lee, the Coens, the Andersons Wes and PT, del Toro and Almodovar), I'd throw Stephen Frears' name into the pot. And for sheer visual imagination, you can't do better than Julie Taymor. I'm always interested in what John Sayles is doing.

Closer to home, I'd offer Denys Arcand, though I don't know how active he is these days.

[Skip Reynolds]

I'll see anything by the Coen brothers.

Me too.

[Skip Reynolds]

Hope you don't mind, I'll pick and choose my entries from your list.

n

The Coen brothers
Martin Scorsese
Sofia Coppola
Clint Eastwood
Terry Zwigoff
Terry Gilliam


And add one more-

Ridley Scott

[jstraw]

Gilliam, for sure.

[reverber]

Is Emir Kusturica still directing?
IIRC, he is one of the few directors to score a Palm d'Or at Cannes twice.

Cody

[vinyl anachronist]

In addition to many of those already names (Ang and Spike Lee, the Coens, the Andersons Wes and PT, del Toro and Almodovar), I'd throw Stephen Frears' name into the pot. And for sheer visual imagination, you can't do better than Julie Taymor. I'm always interested in what John Sayles is doing.

Closer to home, I'd offer Denys Arcand, though I don't know how active he is these days.

I was going to add Frears, but forgot. I think he's more of a "chameleon" director, but the level of his work is still consistently high. He does address the subject of immigrants and how they integrate (or not) into their adopted cultures.