The 10 Most Influential American Directors Of The 21st Century
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The other day I volunteered with a friend for a Sundance short film festival at Fort Greene Park. Before the films started, I handed out flyers to promote the event while people arrived and sat on the grass. In front of everyone was a gigantic inflatable screen from which the films were to be shown. Later on, when the sun set, I sat down to work at the information stand. Looking past all the merchandise and water bottles on the table in front of me, 8 independent shorts by young directors started to play for all of us to see. Instantly, me, my friend I volunteered with and all the people watching became united for one night. I was amazed by what I saw as I reflected on cinema as a whole: how it has changed, what it means, and what it will bring. This event inspired me to write this post, so thank you to my friend who introduced it to me and to the great Robert Redford for founding the Sundance Institute.
Early cinema has been graced by some of the most innovative visionaries in history: Orson Welles, Alfred Hitchcock and John Ford to name a few. The older generation set up standards and criteria for future directors to break and make their own. Through experimentation in movements such as the French New Wave & New Hollywood, filmmaking has evolved into what we see today. Modern movie directors are creating films that inspire young students and revolutionize how people view cinema. It’s beautiful to see the progression of movies and how the people behind them help shape the world.
Here are 10 of the most influential American movie directors of the 21st century (so far):
Martin Scorsese
From Mean Streets to Casino, Martin Scorsese is most famous for making gangster films with Rolling Stones songs. However, his talents for storytelling as a whole are shown in Taxi Driver, The Aviator, Silence and more. Such films often have motifs of faith, loyalty and inner toxicity, but mostly have little “plot” and more so showcase lifestyles for the audience to judge. His use of freeze-frames, tracking shots and violence in Goodfellas is what solidified Scorsese as one of the most innovative directors of our time. Although, he is supposedly straying away from his 1990 classic while working on his new project The Irishman (see my first impressions here).
Joel & Ethan Coen
The Coen brothers are the driving duo in modern cinema. Due to their tremendous talent, they garnered 4 Oscar wins for No Country For Old Men and Fargo. In addition, The Big Lebowski started a cult following and a new lifestyle. Fargo was successfully adapted into a television series of the same name. Their films often follow characters with personal tragedies and unpredictable problems, much like real people.
Quentin Tarantino
A katana-wielding vengeful female in Kill Bill & 6 criminals donning matching black suits in Reservoir Dogs are only a few of the colorful characters in all of Quentin Tarantino‘s work. Tarantino’s films usually tell traditional stories but through flipped or nontraditional ways. For example, Inglourious Basterds is a WWII film about Nazi-killing Jews, and Django Unchained is a western film with a black protagonist. Pulp Fiction is the movie that put Tarantino on the map, featuring smart, engaging dialogue that discreetly tells a lot about the characters; his current project is a supposedly similar film titled Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (see details here). He remains one of the most creative minds to ever work for the big screen.
Paul Thomas Anderson
Making distinct films that value artistry over commercial appeal, Paul Thomas Anderson is a 21st century auteur. First, he gained critical acclaim in 1997 for Boogie Nights, a movie about a porn star who gets too cocky. Ever since, Anderson has branched out and made experimental movies which rallied a fan base of creative individuals. His films often show the protagonist becoming damaged by his surroundings. In particular, the vast land surrounding Daniel Plainview prompted his severe greed behind the oil business in There Will Be Blood, and Reynolds Woodcock’s lack of motherly figures around him caused his extreme obsession over his work and life in Phantom Thread. PTA’s unique vision and control are why we’re lucky to have him in the industry today.
Woody Allen
With 24 Oscar nominations, 4 wins and a career that spans over 6 decades, Woody Allen is one of the biggest names in Hollywood. Most notably, Allen created love stories for the big screen in Annie Hall and Midnight in Paris, both of which he won Best Original Screenplay for. With Manhattan and Hannah and Her Sisters being other stellar examples, Allen makes his characters breathe life through the screen, making us feel how they feel and hence controlling our emotions.
David Fincher
David Fincher is known for making stylized movies with complicated plots, with his best films arguably being Seven and Fight Club. His films have great ensembles and clear aesthetics. He tells compelling tales of compelling people, yet he makes the audience empathize with the protagonists and essentially embody them.
Steven Spielberg
In 1975, Jaws became the first movie to hit $100 million at the box office. From then on, the world of cinema has changed for the better. Steven Spielberg has created some of the most iconic movie moments of all time: the girl in the red coat in Schindler’s List, E.T.’s departure in E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial and the park introduction in Jurassic Park. Thus, Spielberg is the highest-grossing filmmaker of all time, and he won’t be dethroned any time soon.
Spike Jonze
Spike Jonze makes his audience see the world in ways which they never have before. Adaptation is a satire that shows the obscurity behind obsession and the mad artist. In addition, Jonze’s biggest commercial and critical success, Her, is a tale about love in the modern age. Her is Jonze’s masterpiece that garnered him his first Oscar win for Best Original Screenplay, and deservedly so. His writing beautifully captures how the characters feel, being simple yet so complex at the same time.
Christopher Nolan
Christopher Nolan is known for making films with complex plots and dark tones; Memento and The Dark Knight are great examples respectively. Additionally, Nolan’s movies have proper pacing, interesting shots and amazing storytelling. He deals with broad themes – such as reality in Inception and survival in Dunkirk – through the use of ambiguity to make audience members think for themselves.
Wes Anderson
Wes Anderson has a very unique style that is easily recognizable. For instance, his use of symmetry in frames gives his movies a dream-like quality and his camera movements are strikingly non-traditional. He is known for world building and constructing settings that are visually appealing for the audience to be immersed in. The Grand Budapest Hotel and Moonrise Kingdom showcase Anderson’s utmost talents to date.
It’s great to see that modern filmmakers are breaking the rules and reinventing them. With all these talented people, our generation of audiences is fine. When the next century arrives and movies continue to be great, it’ll be these 10 directors that we thank.
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