Thursday 6 February 2014

My Top 10 Directors

Tom from At The Back created a list of his Top 10 Director's by averaging all the scores of the movie's they made. It was a riveting read, which has inspired me to do the same! Without any further delay, here is my Top 10 Directors (based on their average movie scores).

To be included in the Top 10, I must have seen a minimum of 5 films from the director. 

Honourable Mentions


Stanley Kubrick
Paths of Glory (1957) - 10/10
Spartacus (1960) - 8.5/10
Dr. Strangelove (1964) - 10/10
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) - 10/10
A Clockwork Orange (1971) - 5/10
The Shining (1980) - 5/10
Full Metal Jacket (1987) - 9/10
Average Rating - 8.2/10

Career Highlight: 2001: A Space Odyssey is an outstanding masterpiece of its time, but Paths of Glory remains his greatest film in my eyes. 


Martin Scorsese
Taxi Driver (1976) - 9/10
Raging Bull (1980) - 7.5/10
Goodfellas (1990) - 10/10
Casino (1995) - 8/10
Gangs of New York (2002) - 8/10
The Departed (2006) - 9/10
Shutter Island (2010) - 7.5/10
Hugo (2011) - 8/10
The Wolf of Wall Street (2013) - 9/10
Average Rating - 8.4/10

Career Highlight: Goodfellas, in my opinion, is the greatest gangster film ever made. 


Peter Jackson
Heavenly Creatures (1994) - 10/10
The Frighteners (1995) - 8/10
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) - 10/10
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002) - 9.5/10
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) - 9.5/10
The Lovely Bones (2009) - 8/10
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012) - 8.5/10
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013) - 5/10

Career Highlight: The LOTR's trilogy is his greatest triumph, though Heavenly Creatures is in my opinion his greatest film.


John Ford
The Informer (1935) - 8.5/10
The Grapes of Wrath (1940) - 10/10
How Green Was My Valley (1941) - 7/10
The Searchers (1956) - 9.5/10
Average Rating - 8.8/10

Career Highlight: The Grapes of Wrath stands out as a masterpiece for the ages. A timeless classic.


Francis Ford Coppola
The Godfather (1972) - 9/10
The Conversation (1973) - 9/10
The Godfather Part 2 (1974) - 10/10
Apocalypse Now (1979) - 9/10
Average Rating - 9.3/10

Career Highlight: While The Godfather is the heavy favourite, I preferred the riveting sequel.


Yimou Zhang
Raise the Red Lantern (1991) - 10/10
Hero (2002) - 9.5/10
House of Flying Daggers (2004) - 9/10
Curse of the Goldenflower (2006) - 9/10
Under the Hawthorn Tree (2011) - 9.5/10
Average Rating - 9.4/10

Career Highlight: Raise the Red Lantern is arguably the greatest film to ever come from China.


Wong Kar Wai
Days of Being Wild (1990) - 9.5/10
Happy Together (1997) - 9.5/10
In the Mood for Love (2000) - 10/10
2046 (2004) - 9.5/10
Average Rating - 9.6/10

Career Highlight: In the Mood for Love, for it is one of the most subtle, intelligent films ever made.


David Lean
Blithe Spirit (1945) - 8.5/10
Brief Encounter (1945) - 10/10
The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) - 10/10
Lawrence of Arabia (1962) - 10/10
Dr. Zhivago (1965) - 9.5/10
Average Rating - 9.6/10

Career Highlight: Lawrence of Arabia, the greatest epic in the history of cinema.

My Top 10 Directors



Steven Spielberg
Duel (1971) - 9.5/10
Jaws (1975) - 10/10
Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) - 10/10
E.T. The Extra Terrestrial (1982) - 8.5/10
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984) - 9.5/10
The Color of Purple (1985) - 8/10
Empire of the Sun (1987) - 9/10
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) - 10/10
Hook (1991) - 7.5/10
Jurassic Park (1993) - 8/10
Schindler's List (1993) - 10/10
Saving Private Ryan (1998) - 9.5/10
War of the Worlds (2005) - 7/10
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008) - 8.5/10
The Adventures of TinTin (2011) - 9/10
War Horse (2011) - 8/10
Lincoln (2012) - 6/10
Average Rating - 8.7/10

Career Highlight: Schindler's List, for it's arguably the most moving film ever made.


Quentin Tarantino
Reservoir Dogs (1992) - 10/10
Pulp Fiction (1994) - 9.5/10
Jackie Brown (1997) - 8/10
Kill Bill Vol. 1 (2003) - 10/10
Kill Bill Vol. 2 (2004) - 9/10
Inglourious Basterds (2009) - 7/10
Django Unchained (2012) - 9/10
Average Film Rating - 8.9/10

Career Highlight: Reservoir Dogs stands out as the greatest to me. 


Michael Curtiz
Captain Blood (1935) - 9.5/10
The Charge of the Light Brigade (1936) - 6/10
The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938) - 10/10
The Sea Hawk (1940) - 9/10
Casablanca (1942) - 10/10
Mildred Pierce (1945) - 9/10
Average Rating - 8.9/10

Career Highlight: Directing the film Casablanca (1942), which I consider the greatest film ever made. 


James Cameron
The Terminator (1984) - 9/10
Aliens (1986) - 9.5/10
Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1992) - 9.5/10
True Lies (1994) - 8/10
Titanic (1997) - 10/10
Avatar (2009) - 8/10
Average Rating - 9/10

Career Highlight: The triumph that is his film Titanic.


Hayao Miyazaki
Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind (1984) - 9/10
Laputa, Castle in the Sky (1986) - 9.5/10
My Neighbor Totoro (1988) - 10/10
Kiki's Delivery Service (1989) - 8/10
Porco Rosso (1992) - 9/10
Princess Mononoke (1997) - 10/10
Spirited Away (2001) - 10/10
Howl's Moving Castle (2004) - 10/10
Ponyo (2008) - 8.5/10
Average Rating - 9.3/10

Career Highlight: Miyazaki has made many masterpieces, but Spirited Away remains his greatest.


Alfred Hitchcock
Rebecca (1940) - 10/10
Shadow of a Doubt (1943) - 10/10
Notorious (1946) - 9/10
Rear Window (1954) - 9/10
Vertigo (1958) - 10/10
North By Northwest (1959) - 9/10
Psycho (1960) - 10/10
The Birds (1963) - 8/10
Frenzy (1972) - 9/10
Average Rating - 9.3/10

Career Highlight: It's no surprise that Psycho is his greatest achievement, but Rebecca is my personal favourite from his repertoire of films. 


Ang Lee
Sense and Sensibility (1995) - 10/10
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000) - 9/10
Brokeback Mountain (2005) - 10/10
Lust, Caution (2007) - 9.5/10
Life of Pi (2012) - 9.5/10
Average Rating - 9.6/10

Career Highlight: Brokeback Mountain is the greatest LGBT film ever made, and a life-changing film for many people.


Billy Wilder
Double Indemnity (1944) - 10/10
The Lost Weekend (1945) - 10/10
Sunset Boulevard (1950) - 10/10
Stalag 17 (1953) - 9/10
Witness For the Prosecution (1957) - 10/10
Some Like It Hot (1959) - 10/10
The Apartment (1960) - 8.5/10
Average Rating - 9.6/10

Career Highlight: Double Indemnity, Some Like It Hot, and Sunset Boulevard are three perfect films, three classic masterpieces, and all very worthy of the being called Billy Wilder's greatest achievement.



Charlie Chaplin
The Kid (1921) - 9.5/10
The Gold Rush (1925) - 10/10
City Lights (1931) - 10/10
Modern Times (1936) - 9.5/10
The Great Dictator (1940) - 9.5/10
Average Score - 9.7/10

Career Highlight: I personally think City Lights is his greatest film, but the highlight of Charlie Chaplin's illustrious career would be the speech he made in The Great Dictator. Simply moving.


Akira Kurosawa
Rashomon (1950) - 10/10
Ikiru (1952) - 10/10
Seven Samurai (1954) - 10/10
Yojimbo (1961) - 9.5/10
Ran (1985) - 9/10
Average Rating - 9.7/10

Career Highlight: Seven Samurai is considered his greatest achievement, but I personally feel that Kurosawa's masterpiece was Ikiru. That film truly has the power to change a person's life for the better. It gave me a new outlook on life, which is something I will always be thankful for. 

7 comments:

  1. Very very good list Ben. I of course like to see Steven and James here. I also like Ang Lee, Brokeback and Life of Pi are in Top 100 of my of all time favorites, but I dislike Crouching Tiger and Hulk a lot )) So, he could not make my list.

    I need to see more movies of Hitchcock and Billy Wilder, I've already bookmarked The Lost Weekend and Sunset Blv. I think Wilder will become one of tops, because I admire Some Like it Hot.

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    1. Thanks Nika! I'm glad you like Ang Lee too, even if you weren't the biggest fan of Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon. I haven't seen Hulk yet (thank God), but that will probably bump him down a few notches once I do.

      I think Wilder is one of the most underrated directors of all time. When you hear "great directors," it's mostly talk of Kubrick, Scorsese, Spielberg, Hitchcock etc. To me, Wilder trumps them all with his unbeatable array of perfect films :) The Lost Weekend and Sunset Bld. should not disappoint you :)

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    2. It was unfair that Crouching Tiger won Original Score over Gladiator.

      I hope to enjoy Wilder's movies. The Apartment should be on my watch list too, I guess))

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    3. I know! Gladiator had by far the best score of 2000. It was Hans Zimmer's masterpiece... well, along with The Lion King and The DaVinci Code.

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  2. Nice list. There's a lot of great movies and directors here which I haven't seen yet. I look forward to catching up!

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  3. Great read! We don't agree on everything, but I can't argue with 2001: A Space Odyssey, Titanic, City Lights, and Law of Arabia as the best by those directors.
    Peter Jackson, I see you don't mention Dead Alive (1992). That was in my top 3 when I did a horror marathon last year. I think I gave it 9/10. It's sometimes referred to as the best "splatter" film ever made.

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