Greatest Living Filmmakers: A Personal Top 5

Having recently rewatched my collection of David Lynch movies, I started to wonder who, alongside the great man himself, would make it into my top 5 greatest living directors working today. Whittling the names down was tough (The Coens, Coppala, Scorsese, Cameron, Godard), but here is my list in no particular order of the filmmakers that are still (almost) incapable of creating a dud.

Woody Allen

Having made almost a film a year since 1969, Woody is by far one of the most prolific filmmakers working today. Responsible for my favourite film of all time (Annie Hall) and loads more that easily make my top 20 (Manhattan, Love and Death, Stardust Memories, The Purple Rose of Cairo, Hannah and Her Sisters, Crimes and Misdemeanors, Husbands and Wives, Match Point) Woody Allen has written some of the greatest lines heard in some of the greatest films of all time. Simply put: my favourite filmmaker of all time.

Quentin Tarantino

Before I met Annie Hall, there was Pulp Fiction. Unlike any film I had seen before, it was the movie that made me want a career in celluloid. He may have missed the mark by some way with Death Proof, but by taking his time (6 films in 19 years) he has managed to shape popular culture with his razor sharp dialogue, memorable set pieces and awesome soundtracks. One of the best of my lifetime.

Gaspar Noe

Creating horror without actually having made a "horror film" Noe has been responsible for creating some of most shocking images ever seen on the big screen with only 3 films. His first film, I Stand Alone, had a 30 second break that warned people what was following was shocking and that they should leave the cinema if they felt vulnerable. His shocking follow up Irreversible wasn't that kind and left Cannes shaken as 200 walked out and 3 had to be carried. His latest, Enter The Void, is a sprawling vision far too complex to be summed up here. Evoking feelings that run way deeper than anyting Hostel or Saw could dream of, Gaspar Noe has a visual style and ethos that make him one of the most exciting, disturbingly brilliant filmmakers working today. 

David Lynch

Where better to pick up from 'disturbingly brilliant' than David Lynch. Creator of Twin Peaks, Lynch has managed to bring dreams to screens everywhere since his warped maiden voyage, Eraserhead. His other surreal highlights include Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me, Blue Velvet, Mulholland Drive  and Inland Empire. Whether it be that thing behind the dumpster or that room full of bunnies, Lynch knows exactly how to get under our skin in the strangest of ways. By peeling back the skin of the suburbia and showing us the bugs that crawl beneath, he makes a convincing argument that we may be living in a place more terrifying than anything in our nightmares. Don't eat cheese before bed, just watch Lynch.

Park Chan-Wook

The South Korean master of revenge Park Chan-wook has made some of the best films to come of out of Asia in the last 20 years. Rivaling the work of Takeshi Miike for sheer gut-punch nastiness, Chan-wook's visual flair, plot twists and Almodovar-esque puzzlebox structures have made for essential viewing. His best known work include Joint Security Area, Thirst and for my money, one of the great film trilogies of all time, 'The Vengence Trilogy'. Made up of three films unconnected by plot but united by the revenge theme, this trilogy is comprised of Sympathy For Mr. Vengeance, Oldboy and Lady Vengeance. His next film, Stoker,  is his first in the english language and is suprisingly written by Wentworth Miller. Yep, him off Prison Break.