Carné. All three of Carné’s archiveable films land in the top 100 of their respective decade. There isn’t much beyond that as far as resume. I’ll get to it below but the disconnect I have with the critical consensus on Children of Paradise is reason why Carné has fallen to the #132 slot here. Best film:  Children of Paradise. Immaculately curated production design—Carné successfully builds the world of 19th century Paris. total archiveable films: 3 top 100 films:  0 top 500 films:  1 (Children of Paradise) Children of Paradise. Immaculately curated production design—Carné successfully builds the world of 19th

Romero. Genre diehards will hate that’s it has taken me this long to get to Romero and vice-versa for those who view horror as some sort of lower art-form (which it isn’t—in the hands of the right auteur). Romero is a style-minus director, I don’t think that can be argued- the visuals just aren’t overly remarkable and it’s not the framing or the editing. But there’s a consistency in his work (beyond working mostly in the same genre, and sub-genre (zombie horror). There’s the strong black protagonists. There’s a razor sharp social commentary that is a little different for

Cimino. Cimino is probably as well known for killing the fertile artistic period of American cinema of the 1970’s with expensive economic (but certainly not artistic) failure of Heaven’s Gate as he is for his 1978’s best picture winning Deer Hunter. Cimino only has three archiveable films and although I think Thunderbolt and Lightfoot is a fine film—it doesn’t sniff the top 10 of 1974 so his case really rests on The Deer Hunter and Heaven’s Gate. That is a remarkable 1-2 though--- and they are certainly clear companions (long films, immaculate visuals, sagas/opuses/portraits) and look at the compositions

Donen. Donen has a unique case here. He has one bright shining star of a film (Singin’ in the Rain- just missing my top 100 by an eyelash) that he wouldn’t be here without. The resume is a little light after that in some respects. He does not have another top 500 film of all-time or a top 100 film the decade in fact. However, he has a trademark look (vibrant use of color) and genre (usually musicals—6 of the 9 archiveable movies) – so there is an undeniable trademark and consistency there. Best film:  Singin’ in the Rain.

Minghella. Minghella is a classical British auteur who died too early (at age 54) and made literary adaptation epics: The English Patient, The Talented Mr. Ripley and Cold Mountain. His strength, for the purposes of this list, is that he’s the only director left with two top 500 of all-time films (English Patient, Mr. Ripley). There is no misidentifying his work either—they all have radiant David Lean-like photography. His weaknesses are apparent as well. Even at director #128 on this list four films in the archives, and two films in the top 100 of their respective decade is a

Clair. For a very small window of time Clair was the greatest director in the world along with von Sternberg. From 1930 to 1931 he made three of the best 1000 films, and three of the best 100 films of the decade—Under the Roofs of Paris, Le Million, and - À nous la liberté.  He would add a few solid Hollywood films to his resume in the 1940’s but it’s really the basis of these three films that he’s here at #127 above others. They all bare the stamp of his unique visual style. Best film:  Le Million. I

Stevens. Stevens could do it all—a genius with genres. Over the course of his career he made a legit top 500 all-time film western, perhaps the best musical from Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, a superb 1930’s swashbuckling adventure, and a 1950’s anti-television Texas epic, a harrowing romance drama adaptation, and a winning Katharine Hepburn/Spencer Tracy vehicle. Those are his six best films. He’s not a style-plus director but the filmography is hard to argue with and he always elevated the material he directed. At this point to have 2 films in the top 500 and 4 films in

Malle. Malle made 12 archiveable films and they’re all directed with ambition and intelligence. Malle is here because of that (12 archiveable films this far down at #125 is a clear strength) and he has two films in the top 500 films of all-time. Almost all of the other directors with 2+ films in the top 500 have been named already. The reason Malle has fallen this far down the list may, largely, have to do with his #1 (Elevator to the Gallows) and #2 film (My Dinner With Andre) having so little in common visually and stylistically. They

Arthur Penn. Throwing the first name in here as well because Sean Penn (no relation) has also directed a few archiveable films. Arthur Penn was choosy in his projects- he directed only 13 films—but 9 of them landed in the archives (even if some cinema enthusiasts will object to me including a couple of his Brando collaborations like The Chase and The Missouri Breaks). He’s not a style-plus director, but Bonnie and Clyde exceptionally well directed. He only has two films in the top 100 of their respective decade (which is a weakness) but even his 5th best film

Tourneur. French-born Jacques Tourneur did his best work in the US. He’s the son of director Maurice Tourneur (who co-directed the 1920 The Last of the Mohicans which is really good amongst other things). Jacques’ 75 IMDB credits include a lot of TV and shorts--- really his work comes down to four films—and that’s a weakness—even at slot #123 here on the best director of all-time list. However, all four of those films land in their decades’ top 100 --- and they include some of Val Lewton’s best horror films and a masterpiece of film noir- Out of the

Del Toro. It may take another 10-15 years for everyone else to catch up but we’re witnessing something here with Cuaron, Inarritu and del Toro. These three Mexican auteurs are Truffaut/Godard/Varda or Herzog/Fassbinder/Wenders for the 21st century. They won 5 of the 10 best director Oscars in the 2010’s. Del Toro’s strengths are that he’s a style-plus auteur and has a one of the best films in back to back decades- the 2000’s and 2010’s. The images below would indicate I owe both Crimson Peak and The Devil’s Backbone a closer look and reconsideration as well. art that should

Lucas. You have to isolate Lucas the director from the rest--- he only directed six total films. Three films in the 1970’s (all below and in the archives) and the Star Wars prequels in 1999, 2002 and 2005. I owe the prequels another watch (I actually enjoy watching them) and a proper evaluation – but for now, it’s really just the three films in the 1970’s (featuring principally the blockbuster masterpiece of narrative – 1977’s Star Wars) in the archives. That’s a weakness—only 3 archiveable films. But those three films are extremely impressive and both Star Wars and American