Where does Paul Thomas Anderson rank?

PTA is my favorite director going right now by miles. I love everything about his films.

I don't use the word "film" aimlessly either. He's a filmmaker in the truest sense of the word. He makes little effort to be accessible -- I can understand why There Would Be Blood would bore the popcorn movie set. For the most part, he's also mastered a very difficult trick, his movies strive to be viewed as an art form, but don't fall into the trap of being overly prententious, fey or art for art's sake.

Most of all, his movies have the undefinable vital quality to them that the true masters have. A lot of it comes from the way he directs his actors, but a lot of it comes from the way he edits, uses music, etc.

The Coens have it too, but since they're more prolific, they swing-and-miss occasionally.

In a "war of directors", I would die on a hill for Paul Thomas Anderson. I think he's the best of the last 20 years.

 

Brief tangent: It's unbelievable to me that Spike Lee is the only black director that can reasonably be put in the company of these others. Film schools would do a great service to the American movie-going public by making an effort to recruit more talented black students.

 

I enjoyed There Will Be Blood, but I've always wondered how much of that was due to Daniel-Day Lewis' performance. Then again, Paul Dano was tremendous too, and some of that credit has to go to Anderson.

 

There are plenty of African-American film students. And directors. They need to get hired or find financing more often.

 

No female directors in this discussion (well, except Coppola.)

 

Kathryn Bigelow.

 

Not American. Going from DW's original, I think we're just doing Americans.

There are plenty.

 

That makes sense. I was thinking of it as any directors who are still relevant and have made most of their movies in the past 15-20 years.

 

Hitchcock is British.

IMO, I would suggest: In the last 20 years, his cinematic resume (six films, a few music videos) is the best in the world. People are more than welcome to howl at such a claim.

 

Many, many better women directors than her out there, too. Coppola's a gifted writer who had her ex husband help shoot Lost In Translation and had a crack DP on her other shoots.

 

As far as black directors, John Singleton has talent, but he's been pigeonholed and is not super nuanced at times. Carl Franklin had a real promising start with One False Move, but seems to be doing mostly TV now. And, of course, Tyler Perry.

 

No midgets?