“A film director is not a creator, but a midwife. His business is to deliver the actor of a child that he did not know he had inside him.” – Jean Renoir
“There are directors who desire to be artistic. It is pathetic to compare the seriousness of their aim with the absurdity of their attainment.” – W. Somerset Maugham
“The director is the most overrated artist in the world. He is the only artist who, with no talent whatsoever, can be a success for 50 years without his lack of talent ever being discovered.” – Orson Welles
Oh, Orson: you always were rather grumpy.
One of the most repeated show-business punchlines of all time involves someone rich, powerful or famous being praised for their myriad of achievements, only to respond by saying, “Well, yes, but what I really want to do is direct.” It’s such a cliché, in fact, that you really can’t help but laugh when you hear it…and, yet, the ability to direct a good film is not something that comes naturally, nor is something that one can necessarily learn, even if they’ve worked in front of the camera for decades.
An exemplary director has to be able to look at a scene and sense what’s going to work and what isn’t. They need to have their own style, their own vision, and the ability to present that vision to an audience in such a manner that, upon leaving the theater, they’ll say, “Oh, you could totally tell that was one of their films.”
It’s a little too easy to create an Actors Hall of Fame – those people grow on trees – but it’s far more of a challenge to come up with a collection of directors whose work will stand the test of time. Now, mind you, just because it’s more of a challenge doesn’t mean there aren’t still plenty of potential nominees, but, as with our Stand-up Comics Hall of Fame, we’re keeping the inaugural class down to five inductees. After all, if we start inducting 20 people every six months, it’ll feel like a hollow victory, and we wouldn’t want that.
With that, let the clap board drop and…hey, somebody yell, “Action!”
Class of 2010
Joel & Ethan Coen
The Coen brothers are like the weird uncles of Hollywood—wickedly smart, darkly funny, and totally unpredictable. One minute they’re making a bleak masterpiece like “No Country for Old Men,” the next they’re giving us a stoner bowling odyssey with “The Big Lebowski.” Nobody makes crime look this quirky or Midwestern accents sound this iconic.
Francis Ford Coppola
Coppola went from indie darling to studio god with “The Godfather,” then nearly lost his mind (and his fortune) making “Apocalypse Now” in the jungle. He’s basically the patron saint of glorious creative chaos—and somehow still insists “The Godfather Part III” deserves a second chance.
Stanley Kubrick
Kubrick didn’t make a lot of movies, but when he did, they rewired your brain. Whether it’s homicidal robots, creepy twins, or angry classical music, his films were slow burns that burrow into your soul. He was also famously obsessive, once making Tom Cruise walk through a doorway 95 times. For one scene.
John Landis
Landis gave us frat-party mayhem (“Animal House”), car chases that break the laws of physics (“The Blues Brothers”), and a werewolf transformation that still holds up. Oh, and he casually directed “Thriller,” making him the reason your dad moonwalked at weddings in the ’80s.
Quentin Tarantino
Tarantino showed up in the ’90s talking fast, referencing movies no one had heard of, and making blood look like art. From “Pulp Fiction” to “Inglourious Basterds,” he’s all about revenge, retro vibes, and somehow making five-minute scenes about foot massages unforgettable.
Class of 2007
Tim Burton
Tim Burton built a whole career out of loving Halloween too much. His movies look like Hot Topic fever dreams—in the best way possible—and he’s the only guy who could make Johnny Depp into a pastel-colored, scissor-handed heartthrob. Goth kids everywhere owe him big time.
James Cameron
Cameron doesn’t just direct movies—he conquers box offices and invents technology along the way. He sank a boat (“Titanic”), built a robot apocalypse (“Terminator”), and created a 10-foot-tall blue alien love story that somehow made billions. If it’s big, expensive, and probably underwater, it’s Cameron.
Alfred Hitchcock
Hitchcock was the king of suspense and made you terrified of showers, birds, and your neighbors. He showed up in his own movies just to remind you who was boss and delivered twist endings before M. Night Shyamalan was even born. Basically, he made anxiety an art form.
Martin Scorsese
Scorsese makes movies about gangsters, guilt, and guys named Tony who talk way too fast. He turned Ray Liotta’s cocaine-fueled descent into art (“Goodfellas”) and still finds time to lecture Marvel fans on what “cinema” really means. Also, he might be the only guy alive who can direct De Niro and DiCaprio in the same movie without imploding.
Steven Spielberg
Spielberg made us afraid of sharks, believe in aliens, and cry over a horse. He’s got the rare talent of making blockbusters feel personal—and making history lessons hit like thrillers. Also, he probably directed half your childhood without you realizing it.