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Recently I was talking to @chickenluver and I mentioned that I thought Steven Spielberg just might be the GOAT director.
My exact comment was:
And he responded with:
It seems to me that if we're going to try to determine the GOAT, then we have to look beyond merely the artistic qualities of the films. After all, if we're just judging on artistic quality then anyone can say any director is the greatest. I mean, I'm sure @Cint will be in here shortly to tell us that Nicolas Winding Refn is the the greatest director of all time, and there's no clear refutation if we're only judging by subjective qualities.
So what do you guys think? How exactly should we determine the GOAT director? What factors should we consider? And if you'd like to toss out a name, who do you think is the greatest director of all time and why?
Edit: AegonSpengler and I have worked on a list. Here are some of the criteria we've come up with:
My exact comment was:
Frankly, I think he's the GOAT. When you look at profitability, popularity, reliability, longevity, and industry power, I just don't know who can touch him.
And he responded with:
Most of those categories aren't artistically meaningful. If by reliability you mean consistent quality, Kubrick absolutely crushes Spielberg in that regard IMO. As does Scorsese and a handful of others.
It seems to me that if we're going to try to determine the GOAT, then we have to look beyond merely the artistic qualities of the films. After all, if we're just judging on artistic quality then anyone can say any director is the greatest. I mean, I'm sure @Cint will be in here shortly to tell us that Nicolas Winding Refn is the the greatest director of all time, and there's no clear refutation if we're only judging by subjective qualities.
So what do you guys think? How exactly should we determine the GOAT director? What factors should we consider? And if you'd like to toss out a name, who do you think is the greatest director of all time and why?
Edit: AegonSpengler and I have worked on a list. Here are some of the criteria we've come up with:
- Quality of the director's best work - How good are his very best films?
- Quality of the director's work over time - Did he just have a few big hits and then a lot of mediocre films or has he been able to sustain a high level of quality over several years?
- Profitability - How well have his films performed at the box office?
- Popularity - How well known is the director? How beloved are they by the public? How large and devoted is their fan base? Could they be called an "icon?" Have they penetrated pop culture in any way?
- Longevity - How long have they stayed relevant? Did they have a brief prime and then fade into obscurity or have they had a career that has remained notable across decades?
- Awards - What notable awards have they won? What other industry recognition have they received?
- Range - How varied is their output? Do most of their films "feel" the same? What genres have they worked in?
- Are they story creators or only directors? - Do they usually write their own screenplays in addition to directing? Are those screenplays usually original ideas or adaptations of others' ideas?
- Impact on other filmmakers - What impact did they have on other filmmakers? How have they influenced the way that movies are made?
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