I think the unequivocally greatest director of all time is Hitchcock. Comparisons were made upthread between Shakespeare and Kurosawa (who is also a consummate artist and who I'll talk about in a second). One analogue I see between Hitchcock and Shakespeare is their ability to synthesize "high" art with "low" art. They are both able to create sophisticated, intellectually stimulating dramatic works which are simultaneously wonderful, enjoyable, consumable, and able to be appreciated by anybody. Watching Hitchcock's films today, I'm pleasantly surprised that they were so popular -- given how
weird some of the things that happen in them are.
First of all the Freudian obsession with mother-son relationships which appears in subtle and not-so subtle ways in many of his films, from
Psycho to
North by Northwest is incredibly disturbing. Second, he has an uncanny ability to create a seemingly comfortable atmosphere which we come to see slowly but surely is irrevocably
wrong -- like the town in
The Birds, Manderley in
Rebecca, Madeline's lifestyle in
Vertigo, the homoeroticism in
Rope, the courtyard in
Rear Window, countless others. There's a throwaway scene in
The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956 version) where Jimmy Stewart is at a Moroccan restaurant. He and his wife are sitting on low-to-the-ground cushions, and he can't get quite comfortable. He keeps shifting his legs and he has a horribly pained expression on his face. How funny; Jimmy Stewart being awkward is always funny, and his wife gives a "How cute" chuckle. But it's just part of the sense of unease and malaise that Hitchcock is creating, as evidenced by the sudden appearance of the malevolent-seeming, creepy English couple at the table behind them. Genius.
The sheer number of masterpieces he produced -- all the ones I mentioned above, not to mention
The 39 Steps,
The Lodger,
Notorious,
Spellbound and many others -- makes his filmography the pinnacle of achievement, I think anyway. Those distinctive close-ups, the score's suspenseful build-up, and other stylistic techniques were brilliant. The deep themes Hitchcock favors -- the malevolence of the law, personal space, violence, sexual insecurity/impotence, voyeurism (who can forget peering through the hole in
Psycho?), taboos, and the instability of the mind (the tremendous
Vertigo is best at this) -- are always tackled with his trademark suspense and style. His ability to keep you engaged both viscerally and intellectually marks him as, in my opinion, the absolute greatest filmmaker ever.
Kurosawa is also tremendous. He was a genius at creating mood too, often with the weather of course (his trademark). I've always felt myself able to get a great grasp of the emotions and passions conveyed in his movies which is quite an accomplishment given the language barrier. Toshiro Mifune is particularly great at this, as his manic mood begins to infect everyone around him. The sheer amount of themes a movie like
Seven Samurai can convey is testament to Kurosawa's genius. And
Rashomon may be the greatest movie about truth of all time.
Ingmar Bergman -- can't believe nobody has mentioned him yet! -- is my other favorite besides Hitchcock. He is not the storyteller Hitch and Kurosawa are, but the philosophical depth of his stuff is just unparalleled. It's also the most depressing body of work of anybody in movies, as far as I can tell. The ultimate meaningless of life, the loss of faith of Western culture, the distance between people who consider themselves intimate, the fluidity of identity -- all of these things are demonstrated in films which are more like plays (which he also directed) than movies. The acting is always superb, and every film of his that I've seen (about eight) have been simply beautiful. Not only beautiful in their cinematography (every shot is like a painting) but also in their fluency in talking about the human condition. Must-sees include
The Seventh Seal,
Wild Strawberries,
The Passion of Anna,
Autumn Sonata,
Persona,
Through a Glass Darkly.
Orson Welles deserves a name on any greatest director list because he directed what is justly called the greatest movie ever made.
Citizen Kane was not only technically and substantively innovative, it is also emotionally affecting, socially conscious, brilliantly acted, and generally inspiring.
The Magnificent Ambersons (the best examination of the idea of "progress" in American society I've ever seen),
The Lady from Shanghai and
Touch of Evil are all great movies too, and so are his versions of
Macbeth and
Othello. The bombasity and melodrama of some of his stuff does seem dated, but his movies are just so vivacious and fun that I can't resist them. He's also one of the best American actors, with one of the best voices, of all time.
Anyway, those are just some of my personal favorite directors. (Others would include Fellini and Lynch.) I hope somebody has found what I have to say about them interesting.