Tuesday 15 September 2015

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)

                  

6 comments:

  1. I enjoyed going through these lists. Having regard to the criteria for selection I can think of a number of French Directors I feel consideration might also be given to:-

    A. Astruc, B. Dumont, M. Gondry, A. Jessua, M. Linder, B. Schroder, M. Tourneur, R. Vadim, A. Kechiche, A. Guiraudie, C. Sciamma.

    Bruce I was hoping to see Seth Holt in the British list - at least in honour of the memories of the 1960s/Sydney/SUFG/Lodge Street/filmmees under the influence of MOVIE magazine. Cheers James Sabine

    ReplyDelete
  2. Seth Holt....oops another serious contributor overlooked....

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Max Linder is on Bruce's list. The others are not.

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    2. Max Linder is on Bruce's list. The others are not.

      Delete
    3. In that case can I substitute P. Etaix in his place!

      Delete
  3. Seth Holt....oops another serious contributor overlooked....

    ReplyDelete

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