People often discuss the merits and flaws of their favorite movies. Which actor nailed their role and which ones ruined a scene. Perhaps the dialogue was especially memorable and if frequently quoted between groups of friends. Other times it is the musical score that really stays with the audience long after the closing credits have faded from view. But what pulls all of these components together into the coherent format known as a movie? The director.
Instead of basing the choice of what movie to see this weekend on who the actors are, take the time to find out who the directors are. Find out if their past creations are amongst your favorites and give their newest works a view. If they don’t have a new release out, one of the benefits of finding the Best DIRECTV package is easy access to all your favorites.
Steven Spielberg
Steven Spielberg is a prolific director with a string of box office blockbusters, including Jaws, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Raiders of the Lost Ark, E.T., The Color Purple, Jurassic Park, Schindler’s List, and Saving Private Ryan.
One of his techniques is so unequivocally identified with his work, it was named after him. The Spielberg Face references the director’s use of facial close-ups to convey the emotion of a scene to the audience before identifying the catalyst. This is one of the reasons his movies are identified as being people centered.
Another common with Spielberg films is a conflict between the main character and a parental figure, usually the father. It is part of what makes his films so relatable and again what brings the focus back to the human experience.
Another important component in all of Spielberg’s films is the musical score. It is almost impossible to tell an effective and evocative story without music to propel the plot forward and facilitate an emotional connection with the audience. Because of this, many of his most famous films have been completed with the help of composer John Williams.
Martin Scorsese
Films by Martin Scorsese are among the most well-known of the 20th century. Some of his most popular movies include Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, Goodfellas, and the Wolf of Wall Street.
Some of the distinguishing features of a Scorsese directed film include beginning films with scenes from the middle or end of the story, the use of slow motion techniques, and long tracking shots. Musical choices in his films are distinctive. He often portrays the sources of the music within the frame, a technique known as diegetic music. Off screen music frequently features The Rolling Stones.
Quentin Tarantino
Quentin Tarantino has a loyal following for his unorthodox style and unusual storylines. Some of his most famous movies include Pulp Fiction, Reservoir Dogs, and the Kill Bill franchise.
One of the key features in virtually all Tarantino films is the unmitigated violence. His dark films are well-known for graphic violence that are almost overly theatrical. Some are artistic such as in Kill Bill while others are more realistic in nature such as the scenes depicted in Reservoir Dogs. Films are progressed through the use of personal violence perpetrated with a blade or firearm.
Unparalleled levels of profanity are another trademark of Tarantino. Language is played with, stretched and manipulated, into a dark extension of the visual violence on the screen. Unexpectedly, much of this is used in extended dialogue scenes which are otherwise absent from the vast majority of action films with high levels of violence.
Tim Burton
Films directed by Tim Burton have a feeling of gothic romance. Some of his most famous creations include Beetlejuice, Batman, Edward Scissorhands, Sleepy Hollow, Planet of the Apes, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and Alice in Wonderland
The gothic visual aspects of Burton films in easily identifiable. Nearly all of his films use gothic imagery in the scenes, costumes, and lighting effects that create an even darker visual depth.
Another characteristic of Burton films are the misfit main characters. Sometimes they are social outcasts or underdogs, but almost always they will have something that sets them apart from the rest of society.
Throughout there have been some truly spectacular directors. Ultimately, the preferences of each movie viewer will determine which director ranks at the top of their own personal list.