Why do holiday movies look and sound so similar?
Wes Anderson has been described as an art director's director. He works to a clearly defined style and adheres to painstaking detail. Films like 'The Grand Budapest Hotel' (2014) exemplify his obsession with imagery and constant desire to experiment with new methods for shooting scenes.
"Obsessiveness is something I identify with wholly," admits Martin Scorsese, who has brought us some of the most iconic movies ever made. He uses tried and tested actors and allows them to improvise. "But making a film is like trying to find peace with yourself," Scorsese says. Which is why he always makes an insane effort to make the most beautiful film he possibly can.
"[Mann is about] the details of the details of the details... It teeters on microscopic obsession." Johnny Depp's summing up of his time working with Michael Mann on 'Public Enemies' (2009) perfectly reflects the director's preoccupation with the minutiae and his trademark reputation for perfectionism.
Natalie Portman undertook a year of ballet training to prepare for her role in 'Black Swan' (2010), directed by Darren Aronofsky. In a way, her commitment to the part mirrors Aronofsky's reputation as a near-neurotic perfectionist. Together, the pair pulled off one of the most extraordinary movies of recent years.
'Metropolis' (1927) is regarded as one of the most groundbreaking movies ever made, and is Fritz Lang's masterpiece. But in order to film what is certainly a visually stunning piece of cinema, the Austrian-German filmmaker demanded from cast and crew that everything be rigorously choreographed, from mechanics operating a machine in perfect synchronization, to teams of workers evenly marching into an elevator. Rehearsal time alone numbered many hours, and required numerous shoots to achieve the desired effect. In fact, filming took over 17 months to complete.
Alfred Hitchcock's truly obsessive character manifested itself both on and off the movie set. A noted tyrant and deviant tormentor of his crew, the "master of suspense" is infamous for his ill treatment of Tippi Hedren, who starred in 'The Birds' (1963) and 'Marnie' (1964).
Meticulous to the point of obsession, Paul Thomas Anderson, whose screen credits include 'Magnolia' (1999) and 'There Will Be Blood' (2007), has zero tolerance for less-than-perfect performances from his actors.
David Fincher is a self-confessed multiple take aficionado. A legendary demanding filmmaker, Fincher thinks nothing of shooting the same sequence over and over again. The results, perhaps, are worth the sometimes 50 takes, with movies like 'Fight Club' (1999), 'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo' (2011), and 'Gone Girl' (2014) achieving critical and commercial acclaim.
Buster Keaton literally risked life and limb to get the perfect shot, such was his insistence on getting the best take. A very physical actor, Keaton was equally animated behind the camera and needed the freedom to create spontaneously if he was to function at his optimum level. That unbridled drive led him to perform some truly dangerous stunts. Fortunately, he never asked the same of his co-stars.
Soviet film director Sergei Eisenstein is best known for 'Battleship Potemkin' (1925), for which he created a dramatized version of the thwarted 1905 revolution. Eisenstein hired many non-professional actors for 'Battleship Potemkin' and deployed brilliant and innovative film techniques to elicit an emotional response from his audience.
Twenty years elapsed between 'Days of Heaven' (1978) and 'The Thin Red Line' (1998) before reclusive film director Terrence Malick returned to cinema. A perfectionist, Malick doesn't abide by the traditional rules of filmmaking, says Natalie Portman, who appeared in Malick's 'Song to Song' (2017). It's a measure of the man that numerous A-list actors clamored for a role in 'The Thin Red Line,' with some even offering to work for free.
James Cameron has a reputation for cracking the whip during shoots. Indeed, the 'Terminator' (1984), 'Titanic' (1997) and 'Avatar' (2009) director has sometimes been described as tyrannical and is such a hard taskmaster that his staff wear t-shirts emblazoned with the slogan, "You Can’t Scare Me. I Work For James Cameron."
German film director Werner Herzog is regarded as one of the most influential filmmakers of his generation. A true taskmaster, Herzog pulls no punches in his quest for realism. While making 'Fitzcarraldo' (1982) for instance, he made every effort to make the filming process harsh and problematic. The chaotic shoot was chronicled in the documentary 'Burden of Dreams.'
Christopher Nolan's creative mind and attention to detail has earned him heaps of praise from his peers. Michael Mann has described him as "a complete auteur" with a "singular vision." Steven Spielberg acknowledges Nolan's 'Memento' (2000) and 'Inception' (2010) as "masterworks."
David Lean's demand for perfection meant he was as hard on himself as he was on cast and crew. But the director, responsible for a string of epics, including 'The Bridge on the River Kwai' (1957), 'Lawrence of Arabia' (1962), and 'Doctor Zhivago' (1965), made a point of surrounding himself with equally hardworking and uncompromising professionals.
Two movies essentially sum up the career of Michael Cimino: 'The Deer Hunter' (1978) and 'Heaven's Gate' (1980). The former received acclaim from critics and audiences alike, and garnered Cimino Best Picture and Best Director Academy Awards. The latter effectively bankrupted United Artists. Cimino shot more than 1.3 million feet (400,000 meters; nearly 220 hours) of footage, and pushed the film nearly four times over its planned budget. The bullwhip cracking scene with Kris Kristofferson, which finally wrapped after 52 takes, has gone down in Hollywood infamy.
Orson Welles is ranked among one of the most influential and controversial filmmakers in cinema history. He co-wrote, directed, produced, and starred in 'Citizen Kane' (1941), and is often cited as a genius. But he could be rude and condescending about his fellow directors. "There's a lot of Bergman and Antonioni that I'd rather be dead than sit through," he once said in an interview.
Recognized as one of American cinema's great auteurs, Robert Altman is nevertheless remembered for his confrontational attitude on set. Seen as non-conformist and even anti-Hollywood, Altman actively encouraged his actors to improvise, an artistic freedom that was greatly appreciated by the likes of Warren Beatty, Elliot Gould, and Keith Carradine, among the many other actors who worked with him.
Sidney Lumet's credits include '12 Angry Men' (1957), 'Dog Day Afternoon' (1975), 'Network' (1976), and 'The Verdict' (1982). A lesser known work is 'The Hill,' made in 1965 and starring Sean Connery. Right from the off, Lumet warned Connery: "I'm going to make brutal demands of you, physically and emotionally." The film's opening sequence is noted for a long craned single take where the camera pulls back to reveal the military prison the film is set in.
Francis Ford Coppola's astonishing cinematic achievements include 'The Godfather' (1972) and 'Apocalypse Now' (1979). Besides directing these two pictures, Coppola also served as co-writer, helping to layer both with detail, emotion, and purpose. Furthermore, he produced 'Apocalypse Now' and had to deal with Marlon Brando... not once, but twice!
Akira Kurosawa's epic 'The Seven Samurai' (1954) nearly didn't get made. The film went precariously over schedule and budget, and was shut down several times. Kurosawa, however, was canny. He'd shoot enough of the film to know that closing it down for good would be more costly than continuing production. He could therefore stage the enormously expensive battle scenes under a good deal of artistic license.
Italian film director Sergio Leone achieved worldwide fame for the "dollars trilogy," which launched Clint Eastwood's movie career. Leone, as much a historian as filmmaker, used as reference when arranging extras as fallen troops on the battlefield photographs of American Civil War dead taken by pioneering photographer Mathew Brady (1822–1896).
Charlie Chaplin directed many of his own films, and garnered a reputation for being an absolute perfectionist. During the making of 'The Kid' (1921), for instance, he averaged a taxing 53 takes for each shot.
Ridley Scott, whose films include 'Alien' (1979) and 'Gladiator' (2000), shocked American crew members with his do-it-my-way-attitude while shooting 'Blade Runner' (1982). Scott's background in making expensive 20-second commercials under strict deadlines was probably to blame for his brusque manner, noted observers.
English director Michael Winner, pictured here in 1971 with Marlon Brando on the set of 'The Nightcomers,' had a tendency to be dictatorial with those around him. James Coburn thought so while working with him on 'Firepower' (1979). Veteran actor Victor Mature, who appeared in the same film, commented that he "worked for eight hours on one scene."
William Friedkin's breakout movie 'The French Connection' (1971) features a car chase that the director filmed at breakneck speed through sections of New York without proper traffic control or authorization permits. As a result, several stunt vehicles collided unintentionally. Friedkin remained unrepentant.
The legendary director, who made some of the finest Westerns in cinema history, could be mean and gruff on set. He often mocked and berated actors, including John Wayne, his most loyal and trusted collaborator.
Danish director Lars Von Trier failed to endear himself with Björk during filming of 'Dancer in the Dark' (2000) after expressing an apparent dislike for women. Nicole Kidman was similarly unimpressed with her treatment during the making of 'Dogville' (2003).
Between them, the Coen brothers, Joel and Ethan, produce, direct, write, and edit. This shared responsibility to filmmaking has produced stunning results, with films like 'Fargo' (1996) and 'No Country for Old Men' (2007) wooing critics.
Anybody who ever worked with Stanley Kubrick admits that his shoots were extremely difficult because he insisted on perfection. The director was notorious for demanding multiple takes from his actors. In one infamous episode, actress Shelley Duvall was practically in tears while filming a scene in 'The Shining' (1980) such was Kubrick's bullying of her.
Sources: (BBC) (FilmInk)
See also: 'The Shining': The true horror behind the making of the film
Making movies is a highly complex process requiring painstaking effort and a high degree of professionalism. While some film directors have garnered a reputation as tough taskmasters and obsessive perfectionists, others have become so notoriously difficult to work with that "tyrannical" often best describes their compulsion in achieving a flawless take. But is such exacting behavior on set worth it?
Click through and discover cinema's most meticulous filmmakers.
Cinema's most meticulous—and tyrannical—filmmakers
Movie directors who are perfectionists
MOVIES Directors
Making movies is a highly complex process requiring painstaking effort and a high degree of professionalism. While some film directors have garnered a reputation as tough taskmasters and obsessive perfectionists, others have become so notoriously difficult to work with that "tyrannical" often best describes their compulsion in achieving a flawless take. But is such exacting behavior on set worth it?
Click through and discover cinema's most meticulous filmmakers.