It can be. Jean-Pierre Melville.
It’s Joe Nelson!
Melville isn’t living. Does Jean-Luc Godard count? He is still alive. (Though I myself don’t see much in his works, but I know his reputation). I don’t have a nomination.
Yes, but is Joe Nelson living? That’s the only thing that matters in the world.
I’d say it’s neck and neck between Mike Leigh and Danny Boyle even though their latest efforts Happy Go Lucky and Slumdog Millionaire were far from their best works.
My favorite would be Paul Thomas Anderson
Jean-Luc Godard. Without question. You can’t argue with what he’s done. He’s getting on in years, and when he does die, I think the mantle will be passed to Hou Hsao-Hsien or Abbas Kiarostami.
In the United States, I would say David Lynch. Paul Thomas Anderson after that….. and I’ll stick by both choices.
American: Jon Jost
non-american: Bela Tarr, Mike Leigh, Andrzej Wajda, Shinya Tsukamoto, Jean Luc-Godard
I was going to say David Lynch but now I’m afraid to! So, Terence Malick (New World notwithstanding). Or Jarmusch or Bela Tarr. It is so hard to choose one…
Bela Tarr, or Hou Hsiao-hsien.
I’d also be willing to consider Tsai Ming-liang, Hirokazu Kore-eda, and Herzog. I think Ramin Bahrani is climbing my list, too, pretty rapidly.
Richard, what the hell? You should be able to say whomever you want. Don’t let shitheads push you around. Anyway, here’s mine. David Lynch. You have a problem with that then go fuck yourself.
Bela Tarr – that was easy!
Actually it is Scorsese! Well in my opinion anyways.
I’m going with Scorcese too with respect to Milos Foreman, Woody Allen and Steven Spielberg. I think Bergman held the title comfortably until just 2 years ago.
apologies, double post
positively Godard followed by Scorcese and Coppola
Godard is still alive. Andrzej Wajda is, too.
So are Rohmer, Rivette, Chabrol, Varda and Resnais.
So are W Allen, FF Coppola, M Scorsese, M Foreman, T Malick, C Eastwood and D Lynch.
And P Almodovar, M Leigh, B Bertolucci, R Polanski, W Herzog …
Hmmm … ok, pick ONE.
a sidenote — director Ronald Neame is still alive and 98. What a career — this guy produced all of David Lean’s early films, then shot a few of Michael Powell’s and the Ealing comedies, and then turned director himself and made everything from HOPSCOTCH to SCROOGE to THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE!
Good for him. Here’s a shout-out to Ronald Neame. Jolly good show, old bugger!
DAVID LYNCH!!!!!!!!!! WOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOO!
Werner Herzog and Lloyd Kaufman
Oh and Cronenberg…
Clint Eastwood
godard is the elder statesman of cinema. the last remaining living legend. he still reigns supreme.
Richard D., how can you say ‘Malick(New World not withstanding)’? I think that the New World may be his best film. Its total poetry.
For me, Malick is a candidate, but I can’t overlook Scorcese, and while the Departed is not a masterpiece, The Aviator was pretty close to one, and I look forward to what he makes in the future. Ridley Scott is a candidate for greatest living filmmaker, who is still making very good films, as is Oliver Stone. Yimou Zhang has to be in the conversation as well, and Ang and Spike Lee are up there on my list as well.
You all seem to be forgetting Kiarostami.
Roman Polanski. He’s still alive.
Herzog, Lynch, Tarr, Cronenberg, Maddin, Egoyan, Kiarostami.
Jean-Luc Godard. Now and forever.
What Christopher Sepesy said about Neame is so right on I don’t even know what to do next.
And by the way, what are the criteria for this poll?
After all, the kind of experience I have watching a Guy Maddin picture is in many, many
respects not comparable to my experience with a picture directed by Scorsese.
The same applies to Woody Allen vs Terrence Malick, or Herzog vs Lynch.
Suzuki
Alanedit
I thought I wouldn’t post this but I want to know. It ain’t Scorsesse.