I was wondering, for each of your personal favorite filmmakers, who have a fairly large and succesful body of work under their belt, what do you consider to be their defining film, in essence, their masterpiece? The one film that completely embodies them and exemplifies their style, direction, and perhaps even writing. Here are my choices, with some comments.

Martin Scorsese
Goodfellas (1990)

Yes, I do have to go with Goodfellas over Raging Bull here. I feel as though, with Raging Bull being as good as it is, Scorsese really hadn't fully matured yet into the filmmaker he was a decade later when he made Goodfellas.

It may just come to down to personal preference, but I definetly feel as though Goodfellas tops Raging Bull here.

The Coen Brothers
Fargo (1996)

Again, some of their earlier work, their films just hadnt matured enough, technically and artistically speaking, for me to consider them as their masterpiece, and I personally have been rather dissappointed with their latest work. Everything after The Man Who Wasn't There along with a few before it just havent really done it for me.

Fargo truly seems to embody their quirky sense of humor, along with their penchant for violence, plus it has most of the greatest Coen characters ever created, and all of the actors are perfect in their parts, from Buscemi to Macy to Mcdormand. I may tend to personally lean towards The Man Who Wasn't There a bit more at times, but Fargo is just a classic.

Michael Mann
Heat (1995)

Not really much to say here, I think its pretty obvious. Heat just oozes in style and grand-ness, with the two greatest actors of all time both turning in stellar performances. I have not seen Last of the Mohicans, but the general consensus seems to agree with me on this one, plus I dont see how Mann's whole LA cops/robbers thing could show through in Mohicans.

Quentin Tarantino
Kill Bill (2003)

Dont hate me for knocking out Pulp Fiction here, but I really just have to give this one to Kill Bill for its camera work, its music, etc etc, a lot of things. Nearly every scene in this movie really has its own visual style to it, with a lot of different color schemes, and the music adds to it.

Uma is perfect, and it really seems here like Quentin is just trying out every idea he ever had for filmmaking, and working with a great story to go along with it.

Steven Soderbergh
Traffic (2000)

Soderbergh is definetly at the top of his game here. When he actually delves into some serious matierial, as opposed to Ocean's 11 (which I also really like), he comes up with some really good stuff.

Steven really experiments a lot here, utilizing different camera filters, filming most of the movie in free hand, and also using a lot of nice editing tricks, and its obviously pretty tough to keep up a story with so many prominent characters.

The story itself is also amazing, tracking the drug trade across entire nations, through different points of view in the same situation. The music is also worth a mention, as the strange echo-y ambience tracks really add that extra element. A fantastic film.

Paul Thomas Anderson
Magnolia (1999)

This one really kind of bothered me, as I like Boogie Nights a hell of a lot more then Magnolia (although this is another one I need to a give a rewatch), but even though Boogie Nights is a better film in my opinion, it just doesnt go deep enough into the emotional issues like Magnolia does. This is an example where I really just respect Magnolia more, even though I like it less. if that makes sense.

Sorry about the typos and run-ons by the way, I wrote this quickly.

Also, just to let you know, Im only considering directors where Ive seen most of their work. I need to see more Kubrick's and Hitchcock's and Spike Lee's, etc, as Im just kind of getting into them.

kevin smith: clerks
camron crowe: almost famous
stanley kubrik: dr. strangelove
steven spielberg: schindler's list

Is Clerks really Smith's best? Thats the only one of his that Ive seen tthe whole way through, I thought it was a good low budget rookie effort, but his masterpiece? really?

in my opinion yes...though it can be argued that chasing amy is just as good as clerks. but i lean towards clerks.

I won't do the ones I've seen only one film from.

Scorsese: Taxi Driver - along with Citizen Kane the greatest character study ever.
Mann: Heat
Tarantino: Pulp Fiction - His most taut film. Out of all his films it's also the most emotionally effective.
Kubrick: Dr. Strangelove
Smith: Clerks
Spielberg: Schindler's List
Hitchcock: Vertigo

If you liked Magnolia, see Short Cuts as well.

Well, the same thing should be said about Pulp Fiction.

Martin Scorsese
Taxi Driver (1976); largely as I connect to Travis more than I do any other Scorsese character. He's made many masterpieces; this is the one I keep coming back to the most.

Jean-Luc Godard
Weekend (1968); another one with many masterpieces to his name. Godard packs more energy into a single frame of celluloid more than any other filmmaker, and in Weekend, a scatching, unrelenting, tongue-in-cheek attack on consumerism and other bourgeois values, he succeeds more consisently than in any of his other films.

Ingmar Bergman
Fanny och Alexander (Fanny and Alexander) (1982); at five hours, a sort of compendium of Bergman's entire work. A slow-moving, austere piece full of ambition and the director's usual profound philosophies.

The Coen Brothers
Fargo (1996); the film that contains all of the Coens' recurring motifs, themes, genre-twisting quirkiness, and sheer visual power.

Francis Ford Coppola
The Godfather Part II (1974); while the original film is a faithful improvement upon a novel, the sequel delves deeper yet, and works on a more ambitious, visual, and narratively intricate level. The Conversation comes close, but that was a more personal, cosy effort whose greatness stemmed from Hackman's performance.

Alfred Hitchcock
Rear Window (1954); most enduring exploration of voyeurism in general, and cinema in particular.

David Lynch
Blue Velvet (1984); one of those that, if you didn't get it first time round, you'll still want more and come back for it. A cult classic. I need to rewatch Eraserhead.

Stanley Kubrick
2001: A Space Odyssey (1958); possibly anybody's masterpiece, but it was Kubrick who made it.

Steven Spielberg
Schindler's List (1993); the coming of age of a director hellbent on making (brilliant) family films. A mature masterpiece.

Werner Herzog
Aguirre, der Zorn Gottes (Aguirre, Wrath of God (1972); the darkest cinematic journey into madness, a must-see.

Thanks,
Mick

Martin Scorsese - Taxi Driver
Quentin Tarantino - Pulp Fiction
Francis Ford Coppola - The Godfather Part II

Scorsese - Raging Bull
Coppola - GFII
Frankenheimer - Seconds
Lumet - Fail Safe
Kubrick - Paths of Glory
Huston - Asphalt Jungle
Preminger - Laura
Hitchcock - Vertigo

Mista, I'm mindful that you asked for "defining film" that "exemplifies" their style. Though Scorsese is best known for his world-beating gangster trilogy (Mean Streets, Goodfellas, Casino), Raging Bull embodies the strengths he brings to his best films: unflinching realism, natural dialog, pinpoint direction.

Yeah I was trying to emphasize that their "masterpiece" might not be their best known work or your favorite of theirs.

A question though, you dont feel as though "unflinching realism, natural dialog, and pinpoint direction" apply to Casino or Goodfellas?

Sidney Lumet - NETWORK (1976)
Stanley Kubrick - 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY (1968)
Martin Scorsese - GOODFELLAS (1990)
Steven Spielberg - SCHINDLER'S LIST (1993)

One major difference I will make with several folks is that as great as HEAT is...

Michael Mann - THE INSIDER (1999)
David Cronenberg - VIDEODROME (1983)
John Carpenter - THE THING (1982)
Oliver Stone - NIXON (1995)

Let's see...

PT Anderson - Magnolia
Spike Jonze - Adaptation.
Quentin Tarantino - Pulp Fiction
Sergio Leone - Once Upon a Time in America
Martin Scorsese - Taxi Driver
Darren Aaronofsky - Requiem for a Dream
Terry Gilliam - Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
Michael Mann - The Insider
Michel Gondry - Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Stanely Kuberick - 2001: A Space Odyssey
Francis Ford Coppola - The Godfather Part II

I could go on, I really could, but I'll spare you.

I've returned after a long hiatus (*cough*Wilma*cough*).

A Few Directors:

Orson Welles - Citizen Kane
Francis Fordc Copolla - Apocalypse Now (Sorry, folks)
Samuel Fuller - The Big Red One
Martin Scorsese - Raging Bull
Akira Kurosawa - Ikiru
Federico Fellini - 8 1/2
F.W Murnau - Sunrise
John Huston - The Maltese Falcon
Stanley Kubrick - 2001: a space odyssey
Frank Capra - Mr. Smith Goes To Washington
Alfred Hitchcock - Vertigo (my Pick for Greatest Picture ever made)
William Wyler - The Best Years of Our Lives
Raoul Walsh - White Heat
Billy Wilder - Sunset Boulevard
Steven Speilberg - Schindler's List
David Lean - Lawrence of Arabia
Robert Altman - M*A*S*H

Recently had the privelege of viewing this movie for this first time (also my first Godard film), and I must say it's one of the best films I have ever seen. It has everything you could possibly ask for in a movie, and then some.

Can't wait to see more Godard films.

Scorcese-Goodfellas

Tarantino-Pulp Fiction

Coen Bros.-Raising Arizona, Fargo

Billy Wilder-Best Years of Our Lives

John Huston-Maltese Falcon

Spielberg-Schindler's List (I'm not much on his other movies but this was such a powerful film)

Certainly they do. But IMO, "Raging Bull" relies more on those attributes because it's more focused on a (tortured) individual and relies less on music, color and narrative sweep. That's not a criticism of "Casino" or "Goodfellas," two very great films.

DVC, I've just ordered the DVD of Weekend. I've been waiting for it to come down in price for ages, and finally found it for £7.99 (cheapest I've seen yet). Can't wait to review it.

^Can't wait to read it.

Martin Scorsese- Raging Bull/Goodfellas (Cant decide)
FF Coppola- The Godfather Part II
Akira Kurosawa- Seven Samurai
Orson Welles- Citizen Kane
Sergio Leone- Once Upon A Time In The West
David Lean- Lawrence of Arabia
Michael Mann- Heat
Quentin Tarantino- Pulp Fiction
Steven Spielberg- Schindler's List
Sidney Lumet- Dog Day Afternoon
Brian DePalma- Carlitos Way
Oliver Stone- JFK
Kevin Costner- Dances with Wolves