If Martin Scorcese……….. ………….
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Spamlet — 22 years ago(September 16, 2003 12:33 AM)
I think John Sayles is the God of independent writer/directors. I've never seen a film of his I didn't like. If anything he's gotten even better over the years.
As for the others: Let's face it: Scorsese has made just as many mediocre films as he's made brilliant ones.
Altman hasn't made a truly great film since "Shortcuts" (sorry but "Gosford Park" is a poor man's "Rules of the Game")
Coppola hasn't made even a really good film since "Dracula".
Woody (who wasn't mentioned but definitely should be) has admittedly been hit and miss but nevertheless has made at least 7 wonderful films in the last decade. -
zenchicken — 22 years ago(September 21, 2003 07:36 AM)
I don't think John Sayles would be comfortable with being lionized as a "god" of film directors. First and foremost, Sayles considers himself to be a writter and the strength of his film making is the well crafted dialogue in his script. Like Anton Chekhov, all of Sayle's characters speak authentically, like every day ordinary people would talk. All of the funding for his films comes the sales of his screenplays and his rewrites of screenplays. I became aquainted with John Sayles in 1977 when I read "Union Dues" his novel portraying Boston during the anti-Vietnam war years, as seen through the eyes of a young working class man. I wouldn't be suprised if Sayles redirects his prodigious talents to writting the Great American Novel, because Sayles would probably rather win a National Book Award than an Oscar.
When Chris Cooper potrayed Sheriff Sam Deeds in Lone Star, Sayles' masterful screenplay gave dimension his character. A lesser screenwritter would have resorted to dialogue that fit Sam Deeds into the mold of a contrived stereotype of a cop. A Hollywood screenwitting hack would write to portray Sheriff Deeds as either a facist, a buffon, a flawed anti-hero or the Sgt. Friday perfect role model. Chris Cooper's tender and heartbreaking conversations with Elizabeth Pena's character should be studied any auteur as a rare moment when accomplished acting mets a well-written and authentic screenplay. I pray that Chris Cooper's new found success doesn't lead him away from his frequent collaborations with Sayles. Sayle's dialogue and Cooper's acting fit like a glove. Chris Cooper is an actor of astounding range and should be included among the great screen actors of this era.
It's safe to say that John Sayles will be an outsider and renegade in the eyes of Hollywood. Martin Scorcese, Francis Ford Coppola and even Robert Altman have had to lie down with the dogs of Hollywood to get a project funded or finished, at one time or another. Sayle's amazing legacy will be recoginzed with the passage of time. When John Sayles is 85 years old and in a nursing home. The Academy will cynically wheel him out and toss a Lifetime Acheivement Award at his feet, to soothe thier guilt for never recognizing his artistry.
P.S. I'm suprised that David Lynch seldom enters the short list of great American film directors. He is the most original and avant-garde director in mainstream film. "Eraserhead", "Blue Velvet" and "Mullholland Drive" and "Elephant Man" are all brillant films for different reasons. Even his flawed work like "Lost Highway" and "The Straght Story" are more compelling than 99% of films that play at your neighorhood 12 screen movie bunker. 16d0 -
archer1949 — 19 years ago(November 12, 2006 10:01 AM)
But the problem with comparing Bunuel with anyone else is that he was such an anomaly , a genius freak molded by his freakish times.
He started in the European post-WWI avant-garde and was further tempered by the rise of fascism in his native country and the rest of Europe. How would it be fair to ANYONE these days to compare them to such an extraordinary man in such extraordinary times?
Daniel Craig IS James Bond, 007 in Casino Royale 11/17/06. -
mrsolik — 18 years ago(August 14, 2007 10:07 AM)
We all admire and agree that Sayles ranks as one of the countrys and the worlds top directors. His films explore characters minutia with great precision and beauty. However, cinema is not just about exploring minutia. I love his films partly because of how rare they are. If the market became inundated with interesting character studies Id become restless because cinema can be that, and so much more. The brilliance of Scorsese is how he often incorporates fascinating character studies into cinematic blockbusters, more so than any other director in the world. His composition and aesthetics rival any director in the history of film making (possible exceptions Orson Welles and Kurosawa). Thats Scorsese medium; thats where he excels. His failures arent failures because he tried to appeal to the masses. They were mostly failures in experimental story telling (The Last Temptation of the Christ), but even Last Temptation, as bad as it is, experimented with story telling. Experimentation, even failures, enables progression. My point is you dont have to tear down one creator to compliment another. I guarantee you that Sayles has a tremendous amount of respect for Scorsese because anyone that truly loves cinema recognizes his genius.
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janwillem_de
b68
vries — 22 years ago(October 20, 2003 06:52 AM)Besides the respect for John Sayles all these reactions have a very personal touch, so here's mine for you. The one reason why Sayles should not be in this list of directors is (indeed) that he is more independent than any of them in getting his films financed. I will raise my glas to Limbo as well, regarding it the stain on his resume. If I didn't know it was directed by him I would probably have thought it was a mainstream television matinee programmed in summer. As for Coppola, I don't think he has made any good film after Finian's Rainbow, but I am well aware of the fact that this is just my opinion and I am totally ignoring the respect he has gained with his Godfather-thrilogy. As for Scorsese, I still don't get him, but somehow I liked Gangs of NY. Altman however is most definitely God, period. And let's be honest, even God has his flawes.
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Krustallos — 19 years ago(June 12, 2006 09:56 AM)
The only problem with Kubrick, given that we're talking about the greatest
living
film director, is that he's, well, dead.
I'm not so sure about Scorsese, by the way. He made some truly great movies in the 1970's, but nothing he's made outside of New York really works for me. "Last Temptation" was kind of silly, for example. I think Sayles has a broader reach and a deeper interest in humanity, so yeah, he'd be right up there. Even though some of the others are better storytellers.
I'd agree that Lynch and Allen should be in there too, but if we're making a top five list, I reckon Terence Malick should at least have serious jostling rights.
"I dont like the term torture. I prefer to call it nastiness."
Donald Rumsfeld -
Different_Voices — 19 years ago(July 15, 2006 08:07 PM)
Polanski, Jarmusch, The Coens, Lynch, Herzogthey're all great. And so is Sayles. Its a shame he's been so ignored though.
But not on this board! On this board Sayles lives on!
Long live John!
It is impossible to experience one's own death objectively and still carry a tune -
bws-2 — 14 years ago(December 05, 2011 02:18 PM)
The laurels for greatest living American director go to Terrance Malick. There's no competition, and I'm afraid Sayles just isn't in the same class.
The President of the Immortals had ended his sport with Tess
You're my hero.