Directors Cut

In the film industry there are many titles associated to those who take participation within the film or behind the scenes. One of the most important roles is the filmmaker or most commonly known director. Some of the most legendary directors include Steven Spielberg, James Cameron, John Hughes and Tim Burton. I have chosen these specific directors as each have a memorable movie to their names and multiple box office hits. Their visions for films and the final product are what make the study of films great.

Steven Spielberg is an unforgettable name in Hollywood and the film industry creating such film as Jurassic Park, Jaws and the Indiana Jones character. His adventures have introduced the world to the phenomenon of aliens and the further decent into the relationship between those on earth and those who are yet to be proven to exist. His explanation of this is that his father was very interested in science fiction and as a child he fixated on his alienation and through films has transformed the odd presumptions of the fear portrayed towards aliens as a meaningful introduction to a new life form which ET shows. Not only has he succeeded in genres such as science fiction but drama with the cleverly done film called Schindlers List which is a heartbreaking tale about war and the simplistic value and heart wrenching symbolism of a little red jacket. In a career spanding more than four decades he has received credits such as best director for the 1993 release of Schindlers list and the 1998 release of saving private Ryan. Although the awards speak for themselves so does money. The following were box office hits causing his career to take momentum: Jaws (1975), Indian Jones: Raiders of the lost ark ?(1981), ET (1982), Jurassic Park (1993) and many more.

Just like Spielberg, James Cameron is a well known directore famously for his re-telling of Titanic which despite it’s criticisms it is to date the highest grossing film with a total of 1.8 billion to its name and the winner of eleven academy awards including best picture. Titanic is the best example to use when describing the work of James Cameron who really goes after blocklbusters. His latest endevour is the acclaimed Avatar starring Australian Sam Worthington which delves into CGI and a battle between normality and the imagination. Avatar which is estimated to have cost over 300 million has been at the top in America for two weeks. Other works of Cameron that readers might have seen is Terminator which famously has Arnold saying no more than around 11 words and the unprecendented techniques of the elaborate animatronics to create robots with the level of skill and animation that created the war which stands between Sarah and her son. Like Spielberg there are certain themes that can be seen in the film of James Cameron including the relationship that develops between humans and technology which is shown in terminator particular judgment day and Aliens but this may be predicated on the fact he prides himself off showing the latest techniques and elabprating on technology to showcase the imagination that films hold and giving audiences the experices they deserve when seeing one of his films.

Speilberg and Cameron both have careers that have spanded over many decades and evolutionary techniques within the film industry but John Hughes is to be thanked for his inspirational and outlandish films in the 1980’s and 1990’s. Hughes who died last year in August gave the world some of the best teenage dramas with Pretty in Pink, Sixteen Candels, Ferris Bullers Day Off, Weird Science, The Breakfast Club, Home Alone and Home Alone 2: New York. Through his films John Hughes summed up an entire decade with the fashion and songs which where used in the films. There isn’t one girl who wouldn’t be able to relate to the tragic and desperate character of Andie and her best friend Duckie in Pretty in Pink (1986). One of his best films is Ferris Bullers day off which follows Ferris, his girlfriend and best friend around the city as they wag school, the character of ferris does make reference to the fact his speeking to the audience which was nearly unheard off before John Hughes, it allows for the audience to feel as though they see the problem Ferris has through his dialogue. One scene that shows this well is in the beginning when talking about his friend Cameron saying to the audience that “Cameron is so uptight that if you shoved a piece of cole up his ass in two weeks you have a diamond”. This one quoute also written by Hughes gives the audience a valid chance to understand the restraint and strictness that Cameron portrays. Classic films which will last for decades to come.

The last director is Tim Burton who has created cult favourites like Bettlejuise, Sleepy Hollow, The Corpse Bride, Sweeny Todd and Ed Wood. Some of the most creative and haunting tales have been brought to life through the imagiantion of Tim Burton. Sleepy Hollow is a prime example with it being an American Folktale focused on the tellings of investigater Ichabod Crane who through extenuating circumstances is told to investigate the hideous murders occuring in a town called Sleepy Hollow, the film slowly reveals the tale of the headless horsemen and his summoning by the stepmother who by chance witnessed his glory days. Starring Johnny Depp and Christina Ricci it is a masterpiece of not only film genius but the haunting music is to be applauded. Another film which has inspired costumes fo Halloween and Much up day parties is the tale of Edward Scissorhands. Its perfect in plot and acting and shows the softness to a supposed hideous person who although is a master of sculpting and hairdressing goes through life with the people living in an unforgiving town persisting he is an unnatural being, but only one does not believe this and throught that window Burton creates a love story of compassion and caring. An honourable mention is Pee Wee’s Big Adventure which is possibly one of the funniest films ever made with creation of the Pee Wee herman dance. As abstract as some of his films may be he is nothing but a genius in his film endevours as he seeks to be different and invite audiences to seek that foundation.

There are many directors who can be considered to be the best such Alfred Hitchcock who revolutionised the film idustry with The Birds and the very popular Psycho. Alongside him are Woody Allen, Walt Disney, Charlie Chaplin and Clint Eastwood. These directors changed an industry that was conforming to a socially based idea of filming, presenting the world with the same, repetative technology and plot. These filmmakers changed that and elaborated on the imagination that films could give with the development and usage of ne technology, CGI and the further decent into abstract plots.