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In Reply to: RE: AS each and every year I watch that wonderful film- And each time I get closer of this wonderful film-- posted by patrickU on February 05, 2010 at 07:45:59
...by a master, a master who has lived fully and attained a certain wisdom.
When film fans discuss great American directors, and inevitably someone asks who's the "greatest", I always respond "John Huston". Some might say Ford, or Kubrick, or Coppola, or Scorsese (the French would no doubt say Hitchcock). But I say Huston, and The Dead is his masterpiece. It captures on the screen the way one feels reading the story on the page: all the texture, all the emotion, all the layers. It is an extraordinary film - something very, very rare.
Plus we have these films from the same gifted man:
The Maltese Falcon
The Treasure Of Sierre Madre
Key Largo
The Asphalt Jungle
The African Queen
The Misfits
Fat City
The Man Who Would Be King
Wise Blood
Under The Volcano
Prizzi's Honor
Huston had a flair for bringing novels to the screen (even, perhaps especially, the daunting ones), as the list above atests.
How many filmmakers can say that their first film (Maltese Falcon) and their last (The Dead) were truly great films? Since he worked mainly within the commercial Hollywood system in his long career, Huston had his share of misfires. And he also diected for hire several outright clunkers. But his list of great movies is unsurpassed IMO by any other American born director (yes, I know someone is going to say Stanley Kubrick).
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d
But for my money, Huston is the great American filmmaker.
For cinematic brilliance and technical innovation, Welles has no peer among his fellow American contemporaries. For sheer emotional content, mapping the truth of the human heart and sustained excellence over a long period of time, Huston surpasses Welles.
Just my (not so) humble opinion.
Agree with most of what you said about Houston, but I would not discount people like Billy Wilder, for instance.
fd
But there are so many.
Spielberg is the great loser, his films most of them are un-watchable by today ( my ) standard.
One can certainly make a case for Wilder, although he's not American born, not that THAT's particularly important, as Wilder certainly grasped the American ethos and qualifies as a great American director. I simply mentioned Huston as the greatest American born director but I think he's (arguably) the geatest American director period. And we musn't forget Hawks and Welles - Welles was a huge influence on filmmaking despite his small output.Spielberg is something else. He is unquestionably a gifted filmmaker.
However, I don't think anything he's ever made approaches the emotional depth and subtlety of The Dead, Wise Blood, The Misfits, Under The Volcano etc. I have famously recounted my Spielberg issues on this forum before. Just thinking about his place among his contemporaries, IMO SS comes behind Scorsese, Coppola, Lynch, the Coens and maybe a couple others.
Edits: 02/05/10
Wilder was an Austrian born director and his first films were like " Menschen in Berlin " somthing to reckon with.
On his way to exile he stayed in Paris where he made a not so good picture.
An old ( ! ) friend of mine now 102, learn to know him in Brussel, with his dog, she said he was a nice man, but he was also the scholar of the great Lubitsch, and never reach his class.
But who will ever forget " Sabrina ".
There are many great American directors, but Huston is outstanding.
I have now my third DVD of the Dead, looking for the best copy, still not out yet.
A shame for one of the best film ever.
d
nt
...last western, The Big Country.
And I truly enjoy the rather minor How To Steal A Million, mainly because of the enchanting performances of Peter O'Toole and Audrey Hepburn. Wyler made weightier films, better films - and more imoprtant films - but I adore the sparkle in O'Tool's eye. Wyler could be perfectly charming when he wanted - Mrs. Miniver is an example albeit in a completely different type of movie.
I also have a soft spot for the unsettling The Collector, again because of the great performance of Terrance Stamp. That was a gutsy pic for Wyler to make so late in his career.
I think his "best film" for me would be The Best Years Of Our Lives, followed by The Heiress. Ben Hur is too much of a muchness.
But gimme The Big Country for pure viewing pleasure.
But look at the first four American Wyler films, very good to great works:
1937 Dodsworth Best Director Nominated
1939 Wuthering Heights Best Director Nominated
1940 The Letter Best Director Nominated
1941 The Little Foxes Best Director Nominated
1942 Mrs. Miniver Best Director Won
1947 The Best Years of Our Lives Best Director Won
1950 The Heiress Best Director and Best Picture Nominated
1952 Detective Story Best Director Nominated
1953 Roman Holiday Best Director and Best Picture Nominated
1957 Friendly Persuasion Best Director Nominated
1959 Ben-Hur Best Director Won
1952 Detective Story
1965 (?) Funny Girl
And Detective Story is very, very good, too.
nt
I said I really like it.
Now I just saw " Miracle In Milan " and what did I heard.
The same leitmotiv!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I was baffled.
...Some Like It Hot. :-) But Ace In The Hole is also a favorite.
Another great one I always like to mention is William Wyler.
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