Bruce Hodsdon's list of the Great European Directors

                                                    European Directors : a select checklist

In proposing something of an extended canon of 256 European directors I am attempting to bring together the criteria of art (critical weighting) and information (including a history of the form), as it coalesces in fictional narrative films. It is in the form of a basic non-alphabetical index to national (industry and cultural) connections while also forming the beginnings of a continental (cross cultural) complexion.

In the simplest terms, I have chosen directors for inclusion whom, from available information, I perceive to be working or have worked at the cutting edge, or are otherwise exploring or have explored the potential of fictional film narrative to convey meaning from somewhere across the spectrum of human experience. The lists are in approximate chronological order from silent cinema to the present. Women directors are in italics. In a few cases I have identified by hyphenation and bolding creative director-(non) director collaborations which have been, in an on-going sense, known to have been especially significant. This is in addition to the well known collaborations of the Taviani and the Dardenne brothers.

                                                                                                                                                               B.H.  15/9/15

Louis Feuillade

 France       A. Guy Blache, L.Feuillade, M.Linder, A.Gance, J.Epstein, M.L'Herbier,

    (60)        R.Clair, J.Feyder, J.Duvivier, J.Renoir, J.Vigo, J.Gremillon, M.Carne´-J.Prevert, C.Autant-Lara,

                   J.Cocteau, J.Tati, Y. Allegret, S.Guitry, H-G.Clouzot, M.Ophuls, R.Bresson, J.Becker, R.Clement

                   R.Leenhardt, J-P.Melville, G.Franju, L.Malle, J-LGodard, C.Chabrol, F.Truffaut, J.Rivette,

                   E.Rohmer, J.Rozier, A.Resnais, A.Varda, C.Marker, J.Rouch, J.Demy, M.Duras,

                   A.Robbe-Grillet, R.Allio, N.Kaplan, C.Sautet, B.Tavernier, R.Ruiz, P.Garrel, J.Eustache, M.Pialat,

                   B.Blier, C.Denis, T.Gatlif, J-P.Jeunet, L.Besson, A.Techine´, O.Assayas, L.Carax, A.Desplechin,

                   J-J.Beineix, C.Breillat, L.Cantet

Alberto Cavalcanti

Britain        A.Asquith, A.Hitchcock     

    (39)         A.Korda, M.Powell-E.Pressburger, A.Cavalcanti, H.Jennings,T.Dickinson, R.Hamer,

                   A.Mackendrick, C.Reed, D.Lean, J.Losey, T.Fisher, T.Richardson, K.Reisz, L.Anderson, J.Clayton,

                    J.Schlesinger, K.Russell, P.Watkins, K.Loach, J.Boorman, M.Reeves, B.Forsyth, M.Leigh, D.Jarman,

                   T.Davies, P.Greenaway, R.Lester, A.Clarke, N.Roeg, T.Gilliam, S.Frears, A.Cox, S.Potter, L.Ramsay,

                   A.Arnold, M.Winterbottom, J.Glazer

               

Michelangelo Antonioni

Italy          E.Guazzoni, G.Pastrone, N.Martoglio, E.Notari   

   (31)        A.Blasetti, M.Soldati, R.Rossellini,V.De Sica-C.Zavattini, G.De Santis, A.Lattuada, F.Fellini,

                  M.Antonioni, L.Visconti,V.Zurlini, E.Petri, V.De Seta, F.Rosi, E.Olmi, G.Pontecorvo, M.Ferreri,

                  P.P.Pasolini, P.&V.Taviani, B.Bertolucci, M.Bellocchio, S.Leone, D.Argento, L.Cavani,              

                  G.Tornatore, G.Amelio, N.Moretti, L.Wertmuller,

 

Sergei Eisenstein

Russia/     Y.Bauer, S.Eisenstein, V.I.Pudovkin, Z.Vertov, A.Dovzhenko-J.Sointsev, B.Barnet,

 USSR       G.Kosintsev-L.Trauberg

  (20)         M.Donskoi, K.Muratova, A.Konchalovsky, M.Kalatozov, A.Tarkovsky, E.Klimov,

                  N.Mikhalkov, A.German, L.Sheptiko, A.Sokurov, A.Zvyagintsev

                  Georgia: S.Paradjanov, O.Iosseliani

Margarethe von Trotta

Germany   F.Lang, E.Lubitsch, J.May, F.W.Murnau, E.A.Dupont, G.Pabst, P. Leni

   (25)         J.von Sternberg, D.Sierck, H.Kautner, B.Wicki

                   A.Kluge, R.Hauff, R.W.Fassbinder, J-M Straub-D.Huillet, H. Sanders-Brahms,

                   J.Bruckner, H-J Syberberg,V.Schlondorff, M.von Trotta, W.Herzog, W.Wenders

                  GDR: W,Straude, K.Wolf, F.Beyer

Poland      A.Wajda, W.Has, J.Kawalerowicz, A.Munk, R.Polanski, J.Skolimowski, K.Zanussi, K.Kieslowski,

     (9)        A.Holland

  

Vera Chytilova

        

Czech.      G.Machaty,   

    (9)        M.Forman, I.Passer, E.Schorm, J.Menzel, J.Jires, J.Nemec, V.Chytilova, J.Svankmajer

Spain       J.A. Bardem, L.G.Berlanga, L.Bunuel, V.Erice, P.Almodovar, C.Saura, A.Amenabar, J.Medem

    (8)

Sweden      M.Stiller, V.Sjostrom

    (8)          I.Bergman, V.Sjoman, J.Troell, L.Ullman, L.Moodysson, R. Andersson

Denmark   B.Christensen, C.Dreyer

    (7)          Gabriel Axel, L.von Trier, T.Vinterberg, Bille August, Susanne Bier

Hungary   M.Jancso, I.Szabo, K.Makk, M.Meszaros, B.Tarr

    (5)

Portugal    M.de Oliveira, J.Monteiro, P.Costa, M.Gomes

    (4)

Belgium     H.Kumel, A.Delvaux, J-P.& L. Dardenne, C.Akerman, J.Van Dormael, L. Belvaux

    (6)

Former       A.Petrovic, Z.Pavlovic, D.Makavejev, M.Klopcic, E.Kusterica, D.Tanovic

Yugoslavia

    (6)

Netherlands  F.Rademakers, P.Verhoeven

     (2)

Ireland          N.Jordan, J.Sheridan

     (2)

 

Romania       C.Puiu, C.Mungui, C.P.Netzer

     (3)

Greece          M.Cacoyannis, T.Angelopoulos, N.Panayotopoulos

     (3)

Turkey          Y.Guney, N.B.Ceylan, F. Akin   

     (3)

Other            M.Haneke, A.Kaurismaki, A.Tanner, C.Goretta, W.Borowczyk, C.Costa-Gavras

    (6)