I don’t know about “best” but these are the ones that stick out in memory for me:
Fellini – 8 1/2
Bergman – Scenes From A Marriage
Kurosawa – Ikiru
Truffaut – 400 Blows
Renoir – Grand Illusion
Fassbinder – Ali: Fear Eats the Soul
Herzog – The White Diamond
Godard – Two or Three Things I Know About Her
Antonioni – Red Desert
Bresson – Au Hasard Balthazar
Hitchcock – Notorious
Bunuel – L’Age d’Or
Lang – M
Tarkovsky – The Sacrifice
Mizoguchi – Ugetsu
Rossellini – The Flowers of St. Francis
Altman – Short Cuts
De Sica – Bicycle Thieves
Polanski – Rosemary’s Baby
Rivette – La Belle Noiseuse (from what I’ve seen)
Wenders – Paris, Texas
Rohmer – Love in the Afternoon
Melville – Army of Shadows
Kubrick – 2001: A Space Odyssey
Fellini – La Dolce Vita
Bergman – Hour of The Wolf
Kurosawa – Ran
Truffaut – 400 blows
Renoir – Le crime de Monsieur Lange
Fassbinder – The Third Generation
Herzog – Where The Green Ants Dream
Godard – Les Carabiniers
Antonioni – L’ Eclisse
Bresson – Pickpocket
Hitchcock – Frenzy
Bunuel – The Milky Way
Lang – Spione
Tarkovsky – Solaris
Mizoguchi – Sanshô dayû
Rossellini – Rome, Open City
Altman – California Split
De Sica – Ladri di biciclette
Polanski – Knife on Water
Rivette – Céline et Julie vont en bateau
Wenders – Kings of The Road
Rohmer – La collectionneuse
Melville – L’armée des ombres
Kubrick -2001
Why is Rene Clair missing?
Fellini – La Dolce Vita
Bergman – Fanny and Alexander
Kurosawa – Ikiru
Truffaut – 400 Blows
Fassbinder – Ali: fear Eats the Soul
Godard – My Life to Live
Hitchcock – Vertigo
Bunuel – Belle de Jour
Lang – M
Altman – The Player
De Sica – Bicycle Thieves
Polanski – Knife in the Water
Wenders – Wings of Desire
Melville – Le Samourai
Kubrick – Clockwork Orange
Fellini – 8 1/2
Bergman – Persona
Kurosawa – Dodes’ka-den
Truffaut – The Last Metro
Renoir – French Cancan
Fassbinder – Berlin Alexanderplatz
Herzog – Fitzcarraldo
Godard – Le vent d’est
Antonioni – Red Desert
Bresson – Lancelot du Lac
Hitchcock – I Confess
Bunuel – Virdiana
Lang – Indian Epic
Tarkovsky – Mirror
Mizoguchi – The 47 Ronin
Rossellini – India Mathri Bhumi
Altman – 3 Women
De Sica – Umberto D.
Polanski – Repulsion
Rivette – Out 1: Noli me tangere
Wenders – Paris, Texas
Rohmer – Claire’s Knee
Melville – The Red Circle
Kubrick – Eyes Wide Shut
Wait — I change my Hitchcock choice to Rear Window.
@Kenji – I was going to include Ozu but I didn’t want to put people off with a very long list, so had to cut off somewhere. Also I reckoned – rightly or wrongly – a lot of respondents would have only seen Tokyo Story.
Fellini – Dolce vita
Bergman – The silence
Kurosawa – Dersu Uzala
Truffaut –
Renoir – La grande illusion
Fassbinder – Satansbraten
Herzog – Aguirre
Godard – Pierrot le fou
Antonioni – L’eclisse
Bresson – L’argent
Hitchcock – Vertigo
Bunuel – Los olvidados
Lang – M
Tarkovsky – Solaris
Mizoguchi – Ugetsu monogatari
Rossellini – Roma città aperta
Altman –
De Sica –
Polanski –
Rivette –
Wenders –
Rohmer –
Melville –
Kubrick -
Fellini – 8 1/2
Bergman – Seventh Seal
Kurosawa – High and Low
Truffaut – -
Renoir – Rules of the Game
Fassbinder – The Marriage of Maria Braun
Herzog – Stroszek
Godard – Breathless
Antonioni – Red Dessert
Bresson – Pickpoclet
Hitchcock – Vertigo
Bunuel – That Obscure Object of Desire
Lang – M
Tarkovsky – Stalker
Mizoguchi – Ugetsu
Rossellini – --
Altman – Nashville
De Sica – Bicycle Thevies
Polanski – Chinatown
Rivette – --
Wenders – --
Rohmer – Chloe in the Afternoon
Melville – Le samouraï
Kubrick – 2001: A Space Odyssey
Fellini – La dolce vita
Bergman – Fanny and Alexander
Kurosawa – Seven Samurai
Truffaut – Fahrenheit 451
Renoir – The Rules of the Game
Fassbinder – The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant
Herzog – Aguirre Wrath of God
Godard – Pierrot le fou
Antonioni – La notte
Bresson – Pickpocket
Hitchcock – Vertigo
Bunuel – The Young and the Damned
Lang – M
Tarkovsky – Stalker
Mizoguchi – Legend of Bailiff Sansho
Rossellini – Rome, Open City
Altman – M*A*S*H*
De Sica – Bicycle Thieves
Polanski – Rosemarys Baby
Rivette – Paris nous appartient
Wenders – Paris, Texas
Rohmer – The Green Ray
Melville – Army of Shadows
Kubrick – 2001
Fellini – 8½
Bergman – The Seventh Seal
Kurosawa – Dreams (segments)
Truffaut – 400 Blows
Renoir – La grande illusion
Fassbinder – Berlin Alexanderplatz
Herzog – Fitzcarraldo
Godard – Breathless
Antonioni – The Passenger
Bresson –
Hitchcock – Rear Window
Bunuel – The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie
Lang – M
Tarkovsky – Solaris
Mizoguchi –
Rossellini –
Altman – McCabe & Mrs. Miller
De Sica – Bicycle Thieves
Polanski – China Town
Rivette –
Wenders – Paris Texas
Rohmer –
Melville –
Kubrick – The Shining
These are the films that strongly affected me personally the first time I saw them. At that time they were the best for me.
Fellini – Juliet of the Spirits
Bergman – Shame
Kurosawa – High and Low
Truffaut – Shoot the Piano Player
Renoir – The Grand Illusion
Fassbinder – Why Does Herr R. Run Amok?
Herzog – Aguirre Wrath of God
Godard – Contempt
Antonioni – The Red Desert
Bresson – Diary of a Country Priest
Hitchcock – Psycho
Bunuel – Viridiana
Lang – The Big Heat
Tarkovsky – Solaris
Mizoguchi – Ugetsu
Rossellini – Rome, Open City
Altman – Brewster McCloud
De Sica – Umberto D.
Polanski – Repulsion
Rivette –
Wenders – Wings of Desire
Rohmer – Claire’s Knee
Melville – Les Enfants Terribles
Kubrick – Paths of Glory
Fellini – 8 1/2
Bergman – Seventh Seal
Kurosawa – Seven Samurai
Truffaut – 400 blows
Renoir – not seen enough of him to say
Fassbinder –not seen enough of him to say
Herzog – heart of glass
Godard – Breathless
Antonioni – Red Desert
Bresson –not seen enough to say
Hitchcock – Psycho
Bunuel – Los Olvidados
Lang – M
Tarkovsky – not seen enough to say
Mizoguchi –Ugetzu
Rossellini – not seen enough to say
Altman – The Long goodbye
De Sica – The Bicycle Thief
Polanski – Chinatown
Rivette – couldn’t say
Wenders – Paris, Texas
Rohmer – couldn’t say
Melville –army of shadows
Kubrick – Clock work orange— damn kubrick is hard for me, it could be another 3 depending on the mood that day lol…
Fellini – 8 1/2
Bergman – Cries and Whispers
Kurosawa – Hidden Fortress
Truffaut – 400 Blows
Renoir – (never seen his films)
Fassbinder – (never seen his films)
Herzog – Grizzly Man (?)
Godard – Breathless/ Vivre sa vie
Antonioni – L’avventura / Blowup
Bresson – Pickpocket
Hitchcock – Vertigo
Bunuel – Belle de Jour
Lang – M (only film I’ve seen)
Tarkovsky – Stalker/ The Mirror
Mizoguchi – Ugetsu (only film I’ve seen)
Rossellini – (never seen his films)
Altman – Gosford park (I like it more than his 70s stuffs)
De Sica – (never seen his films)
Polanski – (…not a big fan)
Rivette – Celine and Julie Go Boating
Wenders – Paris, Texas.
Rohmer – A Night at Maud’s.
Melville – (have watched 2-3 of his, not a big fan)
Kubrick – 2001.
and
Ozu – Tokyo Story / An Autumn Afternoon
For ones left blank, I’ve seen none of their movies.
Fellini –
Bergman –
Kurosawa – “Seven Samurai”
Truffaut –
Renoir –
Fassbinder –
Herzog –
Godard – Only seen “Breathless”
Antonioni –
Bresson –
Hitchcock – “Psycho”
Bunuel – “Un Chien Andalou”
Lang – “M”
Tarkovsky –
Mizoguchi –
Rossellini –
Altman – Only seen “Pickpocket”
De Sica –
Polanski – “Chinatown”
Rivette –
Wenders –
Rohmer –
Melville –
Kubrick – "Dr. Strangelove
I’m serious. And ashamed.
Fellini – 8 1/2
Bergman – Persona
Kurosawa – Ikiru
Truffaut – 400 Blows
Renoir – Bete Humaine
Fassbinder – Ali
Herzog – Aguirre
Godard – Pierrot
Antonioni – Notte
Bresson – Balthasar
Hitchcock – Vertigo
Bunuel – Exterminating Angel
Lang – M
Tarkovsky – Rublev
Mizoguchi – Ugetsu
Rossellini – Paisan
Altman – Mc Cabe
De Sica – Bicycle Thieves
Polanski – Repulsion
Rivette – Celine
Wenders – Wings
Rohmer – Chloe
Melville – Army of Shadows
Kubrick – 2001
I left out the directors from which I have a) never seen a film or b) haven’t seen enough to judge
Fellini – La Strada
Bergman – Nattvardsgästerna
Fassbinder – Berlin Alexanderplatz
Herzog – Woyzeck
Godard – Le Mépris
Hitchcock – Psycho
Lang – M – eine Stadt sucht einen Mörder
Tarkovsky – Stalker
Altman – Images
Polanski – Death and the Maiden
Wenders – Der Himmel Über Berlin
Kubrick – Barry Lyndon
Haha, this is kinda pointless. But fun!
Fellini – “Amarcord”
Bergman – “Seventh Seal” (obvious choice, but hey! Death chases a guy up a tree!)
Kurosawa – “Throne Of Blood”
Truffaut – “Vivrement Dimanche!”
Renoir – “La Grand Illusion”
Fassbinder – urgh, “Die Dritte Generation”, I guess? Not a fan.
Herzog – “AGUIRRE, DER ZORN GOTTES”
Godard – “Pierrot Le Fou”
Antonioni – “Blow Up”
Bresson – “Pickpocket”
Hitchcock – “North By Northwest”
Bunuel – “The Discreet Charm Of The Bourgeiosie”
Lang – “M”
Tarkovsky – “Solaris”
Mizoguchi – “Sisters Of The Gion”
Rossellini –
Altman – “The Long Goodbye”
De Sica –
Polanski – “Chinatown”
Rivette –
Wenders – “Don’t Come Knocking”
Rohmer – “An Autumn Tale”
Melville – “Le Samourai”
Kubrick – “Paths Of Glory”
Oops, sorry for double post.
Fellini – Amarcord
Bergman – Wild Strawberries
Kurosawa – Rashomon
Truffaut – The 400 Blows
Renoir –
Fassbinder –
Herzog – Aguirre, the Wrath of God
Godard – A Woman Is a Woman
Antonioni – Il deserto rosso
Bresson –
Hitchcock – Vertigo
Bunuel – The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie
Lang – M
Tarkovsky – Stalker
Mizoguchi – Sisters of the Gion
Rossellini – Germania anno zero
Altman – Nashville
De Sica – Umberto D.
Polanski – Chinatown
Rivette –
Wenders – Paris, Texas
Rohmer –
Melville –
Kubrick – 2001
Fellini – 8 1/2
Bergman – Through a Glass Darkly
Kurosawa – Red Beard
Truffaut – The 400 Blows
Renoir – The Rules of the Game
Fassbinder – Berlin Alexanderplatz
Herzog – Kaspar Hauser
Godard – The Contempt
Antonioni – L´Avventura
Bresson – Au Hasard Balthazar
Hitchcock – Vertigo
Buñuel – The Exterminating Angel
Lang – The Nibelungen
Tarkovsky – Stalker
Mizoguchi – Sansho the Bailiff
Rossellini – The Flowers of St. Francis
Altman – 3 Women
De Sica – The Bicycle Thief
Polanski – Tess
Rivette – Celine and Julie Go Boating
Wenders – Wings of Desire
Rohmer – The Green Ray
Melville – Army of the Shadows
Kubrick – 2001:A Space Odyssey
Fellini – La Strada
Bergman – Scenes from a Marriage
Kurosawa – High and Low
Truffaut – Shoot the Piano Player
Renoir – Grand Illusion
Herzog – Aguirre, The Wrath of God
Godard – Notre Musique
Antonioni – L’Avventura
Bresson – A Man Escaped
Hitchcock – Vertigo
Bunuel – The Milky Way
Lang – The Testament of Dr. Mabuse
Tarkovsky – Stalker
Mizoguchi – Sansho the Bailiff
Altman – Nashville
De Sica – Bicycle Thieves
Rivette – La Belle Noiseuse
Melville – Army of Shadows
Kubrick – Paths of Glory
Eh…
Fellini – Nights of Cabiria
Bergman – Persona
Kurosawa – Seven Samurai
Truffaut – 400 Blows
Renoir – Rules of the Game
Fassbinder – Marriage of Maria Braun
Herzog – Stroszek
Godard – Band of outsiders (not his technical best but damn I love that film)
Antonioni – Les Amiches
Bresson – Pickpocket/Balthazar I can’t decide
Hitchcock – North by Northwest
Bunuel – Viridiana
Lang – M
Tarkovsky – Ivan’s Childhood
Mizoguchi – Sancho the Bailiff
Rossellini – Open City
Altman – Prairie Home Companion
De Sica – Bicycle Thieves
Polanski – Chinatown
Rivette – Celine and Julie Go Boating
Wenders – Paris, Texas
Rohmer – My Night at Maude’s
Melville – Bob le Flambeur
Kubrick – Barry Lyndon
Fellini – Nights of Cabiria
Bergman – Wild Strawberries
Kurosawa – Ikiru
Truffaut – Jules and Jim
Renoir – Port of Shadows
Fassbinder – Ali: Fear Eats the Soul
Herzog – Fitzcarraldo
Godard – My Life to Live
Antonioni – L’ Eclisse
Bresson – Au Hasard Balthazar
Hitchcock – Psycho
Bunuel – Belle De Jour
Lang – M
Tarkovsky – Stalker
Mizoguchi – Ugetsu
Rossellini – Open City
Altman – Secret Honor
De Sica – Umberto D
Polanski – Knife in the Water
Rivette – Celine and Julie Go Boating
Wenders – Wings of Desire
Rohmer – My Night at Maude’s
Melville – Le Cercle Rouge
Kubrick – A Clockwork Orange
Sorry, but I love reading everyone’s opinions on this one. Anyone else?
I wish I could help you out, Rumplesink. Give me a year and maybe I’ll have seen some of these directors’ films. I know, I’m a bad cinephile.
Maybe come up with an alternative thread with mainstream Hollywood directors. It’ll sure offend some people on this site but I’ll bet you’ll get a lot more responses! hahaa
Can’t do it Fredo, but it’s a good idea – why don’t you take the heat this time? I promise I’ll be the first to respond :o)
Fellini – The White Sheik
Bergman – Fanny And Alexander
Kurosawa – Yojimbo
Truffaut – Jules et Jim
Renoir – Grand Illusion
Fassbinder – The Marriage of Maria Braun
Herzog – Woyzeck
Godard – Contempt (this was a hard one)
Antonioni – L’Avventura
Bresson – Mouchette
Hitchcock – Rear Window
Bunuel – Simon Of The Desert
Lang – I couldn’t decide on 1 so I’m allowing myself one tie: M and The Woman In The Window
Tarkovsky – Stalker
Mizoguchi – Ugetsu
Rossellini – Stromboli
Altman – Nashville
De Sica – The Bicycle Thieves
Polanski – Chinatown
Rivette – Joan The Maid
Wenders – Wings of Desire
Rohmer – The Green Ray
Melville – Army of Shadows
Kubrick – Dr. Strangelove; or How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Bomb
Ok, I’ll think about it. I feel like I’m always the one championing Hollywood cinema (which made me laugh when Harry thought I wasn’t American)!
Fellini – 8 1/2
Bergman – THE FACE
Kurosawa – RAN
Truffaut – NONE
Renoir – THE GRAND ILLUSION
Fassbinder – IN A YEAR WITH 13 MOONS
Herzog – STROSZEK
Godard – PIERROT LE FOU
Antonioni – ECLIPSE
Bresson – AU HASARD BALTHAZAR
Hitchcock – REBECCA
Buñuel – SIMÓN OF THE DESERT
Lang – THE BIG HEAT
Tarkovsky – ANDREI RUBLEV
Mizoguchi – UGETSU
Rossellini – PAISA
Altman – GOSFORD PARK
De Sica – THE BICYCLE THIEF
Polanski – TESS
Rivette – I DON`T KNOW
Wenders – NONE
Rohmer – THE TREE, THE MAYOR AND THE MEDIATHEQUE
Melville – I DON`T KNOW
Kubrick – 2001
Francisco J. Torres
Fredo “I’ve never even heard of the rest of these guys…”
That film school should give you a refund ;)