[Cinema] Clutchfans Movie Directors Tournament Final Four

Kubrick v Scorsese

 

Kubrick
Scorsese

 

spilberg vs hitchcock

 

Kubrick and Hitchcock

When I checked the list, Scorsese would have been number 5 in my overall rankings. He's an elite, all time great director, I'm just not personally as big a fan of the crime genre, and most of his best work leaned heavily into into it. Hitchcock gets the nod mainly based on my personal tastes. The mystery genre really does it for me, and he created intrigue like nobody else, back before it was even a thing in movies.

Speilberg takes a lot of heat from people for some reason, but he really is an amazing director, so many classics and easily rewatchable. However Kubrick was just something else. His movies almost defy description.

 

Stanley Kubrick - I wrote a research paper on "A Clockwork Orange" in college. I've always loved Kubricks use of color in films.
Alfred Hitchcock

 

Stanley Kubrick vs. Steven Spielberg
Alfred Hitchcock vs. Martin Scorsese

Not the final four I imagined but outcome should be the same.

 

Spielberg
Martin Scorsese

 

I'm going to go with Spielberg for two reasons. One, his early work is part of my DNA; Jaws... ET... Raiders... (and more). And number two, which might actually make him the greatest in my eyes, is how he directs children. Watch the video below. I've seen better examples but it was all I could find quickly. You can tell from his direction that he's in complete command of the project, that he knows exactly what he wants. Look how he connects with the actor... how he draws that performance out of him. Do you now how hard it is to get a kid to do anything??? Kubrick was a visionary, but he was known to be abusive on set, and would never be able to make many of Spielberg's films. (Credit whoever brought this to my attention about Speilberg, if it was one of you.)



Here's another example of him directing actors. He is so good and so natural working with actors from many different backgrounds.



There's only one director remaining that could knock out Scorsese and it's Alfred Hitchcock.

 

That was awesome.

 

Stanley Kubrick vs. Steven Spielberg - either of these two would take my vote from either of the other two (which telegraphs my vote in the next round). Spielberg, to me, it the GOAT. As I said in the last round, there is no greater directorial achievement (to me) than the D-Day landing scene from SPR. The knock on Spielberg has always been that he is a mixed bag (great movies mixed in with mediocre or even bad ones) but I can easily skip the misses and just delight in the hits. Spielberg has multiple movies that I would watch over anything any of the remaining three have created.
Alfred Hitchcock vs. Martin Scorsese - both very fine directors. I will go with the more stylized Hitchcock over the more grounded Scorsese. Scorsese also leans a bit more heavily on his cast.

 

spielberg
hitchcock

 

Well, I was hoping Hitchcock didn't make it this far since I don't feel comfortable voting for or against him with having seen so little of his work. So I guess I'll just weigh in on the first matchup. I'll follow what I did for the Elite 8 but I'm expanding to best 3 out of 5 this round:

Stanley Kubrick vs. Steven Spielberg

• Jurassic Park vs A Clockwork Orange - Jurassic Park wins here because it is more rewatchable. Part of that is because A Clockwork Orange is so disturbing but overall I enjoy the experience of that original jaunt into the world of dinosaurs more than a bit of the ol' ultraviolence.
• Jaws vs Full Metal Jacket - Full Metal Jacket is amazing, but if I'm honest my favorite thing about is R. Lee Ermey just doing the Ermey thing. Kubrick gets credit for having the balls to just tell him to do his thing, but that's easily my favorite part of that movie. Jaws is fantastic start to finish.
• Catch Me if You Can vs 2001: A Space Odyssey - This one was tough but the majesty of 2001 and the sheer terror that Kubrick creates just from HAL alone is extremely memorable. I still have no idea what is happening in end, but I enjoy it all the same. Catch Me if You Can is fantastic and I feel very underrated as Spielberg movies go, but not quite better than 2001.
• Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade vs Dr Strangelove - I feel like I want to love Dr. Strangelove more than I actually do. I remember specific parts from it that are glorious, like Slim Pickens scenes, the whole "women want my essence" or the "there's no fighting in the war room!" bit. But as a whole, cohesive movie I feel like it's message is more important than it is an enjoyable film. That might be partly because it has been a while since I've sat down and watched the whole thing beginning to end. But Last Crusade is easily my favorite of the Indiana Jones movies (I know that's a bit controversial too) and it is such a fun ride I'm always reminded of why it is I go to movies every time I sit down for it. There's a lot of value in that.
• Saving Private Ryan vs The Shining - I'm not a scary movie fan in general, but the creepy factor of The Shining is so well done I have to give this one to Kubrick even though Saving Private Ryan is maybe my favorite war movie. Some of those images are so haunting they stay with you looong after you've watched it. Saving Private Ryan is magnificent, but I really wish the beginning and end sequences had not been tacked on. Totally unnecessary.

 

Kubrick is a GOAT candidate for me, so Spielberg has no chance.

Scorsese over Hitchcock. Hitchcock was creative in the way he achieved films technically, but his command of story and cinematography was not great. He did not make the actors he had better, while the greatest directors tend to elevate actors' game.

 

Kubrick & Hitchcock

 

You jokers who are saying Spielberg over Kubrick mean Senior Spielbergo, right?

 

Stanley Kubrick vs. Steven Spielberg - There's no denying the hit parade of Spielberg's work and this isn't just that he's a popular director but has done some well praised work in many movies. Kubrick though is the master and for great Saving Private Ryan is the angst and insanity of war that Kubrick captures in movies from Paths of Glory to Full Metal Jacket is unmatched. I'm also pretty sure Spielberg would vote for Kubrick over himself.

As an FYI a good comparison is AI. The Kubrick project that Spielberg finished out of admiration for Kubrick. It's very clear what parts are the Kubrick parts with the very complicated and dark relationship of humans to robots versus the shmaltzy ending.

Alfred Hitchcock vs. Martin Scorsese - This is a really tough one. Both are outstanding and legends who greatly influence cinema. Both have captured something very primal about the human condition. When I started writing this I was going to vote for Hitchcock but the more I think about I think Scorsese is the better director. The range of his movies is greater and the exploration of human character deeper.

 

I think Kubrick is really overrated -- most of his movies just don't hold up that well and are difficult to watch today.