Which contemporary director do you think can render another 'masterpiece'?
I can’t say the word “masterpiece” without laughing. Maybe, deep down inside the recesses of my mind, I think no one knows what the fuck they’re doing.
Ok, I’ll get out of here now… (things have gotten too serious for me on Mubi threads)!
In these days, is a question difficult to mention names (the pride of today may be the shame of tomorrow), and there are no sure bets anymore. While the real masterpieces often occur in unexpected places, which in the coming years will be considered “masterpieces” are the films that produce millions of dollars today.
hey, every director has a mother, ergo every film is a masterpiece to someone.
but yes, you have a point. often when it’s a masterpiece of “something” the “something” turns out to be of no value. – RICH UNCLE SKELETON
China is having a renaissance of cinema at the moment.
High Probability:
Bela Tarr
Joel and Ethan Coen
Claire Denis
Low to mid probability:
Kelly Reichardt
Sarunas Bartas
Pedro Almodovar
Debra Granik
Nuri Bilge Ceylan
Abbas Kiarostami
Michelangelo Frammartino
High probability if there is a major political shift:
Jafar Panahi
The only new Chinese film I’ve seen recently is Last Train Home. I should be delving deeper into the stuff that doesn’t get internationally distributed.
It’s hard to tell the masterpieces apart from the ‘Really good’ when you’ve only seen them once and haven’t had time to spend digesting them and reconsidering them.
For the hell of it, I’m gonna throw out an oddball, one of those directors I suddenly remember from time to time and go, “Ya know….”
Marc Forster.
Won Oscar for Monster’s Ball, gonna outright say, flawed piece of work. Got nominated for Finding Neverland, have to also mention flawed piece of work. Then Stranger than Fiction, where now “flawed” doesn’t apply, not that it’s perfect, but where any flaws it has sort of fits in, uh, strangely. Then The Kite Runner, which I’ve not seen.
Oscars being the Oscars, uh, Oscars are the mainstream American Oscars and … evil bad representative cinema, and… meh,.. stuff… things. What’s interesting about the above list, however, is that I’d say those movies are mostly very different. It’s surprising to think that they were directed by the same person, and his Oscar nominations don’t really feel like its because he’s an “Oscar darling” or panders to them like, for instance, Joe Wright, whose every movie seems to be screaming “PLEASE! PLEASE GIVE ME THE OSCAR! PLEASE?!” In between his Oscar nods Forster has made Stay (the Black Swan of his oeuvre, take that as you may), Quantum of Solace, and is coming out with a movie called Machine Gun Preacher that looks to go back on the Oscar route until he does World War Z which I am sure will be the Quantum of Solace of zombie movies (as in, everything the fans want and a little bit of Forster’s “Wow, you’re out of left field, man!” too).
It strikes me that someday that man will come out with a masterpiece, and it will be stunning. It may or may not get another Oscar nod, I could care less, but Forster is a “contemporary director who I do think can render another ‘masterpiece.’”
Of course to say that, I must justify “another”. I’ll go ahead and place it on Stranger than Fiction. That movie was so much more than it was meant and expected to be.
—PolarisDiB
I don’t mind the word when Alistair Cooke or Laura Linney says it.
@Sonny
When did China go away?
Polaris.. The Kite Runner is one of my least favourite movies!
Polaris.. The Kite Runner is one of my least favourite movies!I don’t know what a masterpiece is but here are some filmmakers whose work I like that I think will continue making similar movies for years to come:
Polaris.. The Kite Runner is one of my least favourite movies!I don’t know what a masterpiece is but here are some filmmakers whose work I like that I think will continue making similar movies for years to come:Weerasethakul, Almodovar, Haneke, Von Trier, Kiarostami, PT Anderson, Korinne, Malick, Tarantino, Ramsay, Ozon.. probably tons more that I’m forgetting.
David Lynch. He already makes masterpieces. Also, funny Haneke picture.
Fincher can, but it won’t be with a Dragon Tattoo remake. Zodiac and Social Network show a more disciplined and skilled director, but I don’t think they match the energy and power of Seven and Fight Club. When he creates a film that successfully combines these attributes from different stages of his career, a masterpiece could result.
Michael: I do not really have any interest in seeing Kite Runner, so it is alright that you do not care for it. I do not have much interest in seeing Quantum of Solace, either, but that one may just be unavoidable because I have some pretty persistent friends. I do not think Forster is the type of director who you must see everything he’s done—he’s diverse enough to allow you to pick and choose.
—PolarisDiB
As far as Forster goes, I thought Stay was a really intriguing film. He and Benoiff are possibly pairing again to do an adaptation of Charles R. Cross’ Cobain bio Heavier Than Heaven. It’s a terrific book, so I’d be interested to see what Forster could do with it.
Bartas has been making masterpieces since day one.
Masterpiece is too strong to throw around. There are contemporary directors, Wong Kar-Wai, David Fincher, Pedro Alamodovar, P.T. Anderson, the Coen Brothers and Jacques Audiard whose work I have strongly admired. Time will tell how much more they will do and if it all holds up. So far, yes.
Lisandro Alonso
Lodge Kerrigan
Jim Jarmusch
Claire Denis
Olivier Assayas
David Fincher
Garin Nugroho
John Gianvito
Richard Linklater
Carlos Reygadas
Nacer Khemir
Apichatpong Weerasethakul
Kiyoshi Kurosawa
Jia Zhangke
I like the word “masterpiece” – it’s ironic in many ways (the irony varying from artist to artist), but one can create such a thing without understanding exactly how (if Robert Wyatt knew exactly what made Dondestan work wouldn’t he reuse such techniques in the future? … oh yeah, he did Comicopera, anyway, bad example…). No one knows how to make a “masterpiece” it’s a title acquired over the course of time.
So yeah … my vote goes to Nicolas Winding Refn. He already did Pusher 3 which is a contemporary masterpiece in my book; he has a wonderful style and I think he’ll be able to pull off something great in the near future (though I doubt it’s gonna be Drive – haven’t seen it yet though).
Also, Jarmusch is due for another one …
@ Malik
Mainland China isn’t really my specialist subject. It never disappeared but there was a bottleneck here and there. It’s a transitionary period of sorts and they are building a slew of new theatres, the industry is expanding exponentially in terms of quantity of films produced. 28 films are about to be rolled out by the Ministry of RFT to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the CPC. All expected to perform well in domestic and foreign markets.
They even have Christian Bale!!!
It’s an interesting time as the limited distribution of Hollywood movies are grossing highly there and Warner Bros are trying to pitch their stake. Authentic culture in China is non-confrontational and doesn’t make for the kind of movies that mass markets in America enjoy, in part that is why historically it is wuxia movies that are the most successful export.
I cannot see into the future but there could be a few masterpieces of Red Art or more from the digital generation. Who knows?
I think Paul Thomas Anderson will make another “masterpiece”.
Jodie Foster’s beaver
can make another masturpiece
Beneezy
Do you get what I’m trying to say here? I mean which living director(obviously) do you think can make the “future” masterpiece that will stand the test of time because you think they have the dexterity to make it happen? Anyone in mind? Well as for me, I choose Darren Aronofsky alongside Michael Haneke because i know they know what the fuck they’re doing.