Here are the Directors that everyone can admire and be amazed by their life’s work. This list pays tribute to them, the top ten film directors of all time.

10. Christopher Nolan: He may be a relatively new director, but we salute him for revamping the Batman series. He improved on an already decent series (before they put Robin in and screwed them up). He has a good eye for cinema and brings out the best in the actors in him. He is a great storyteller and will have many more good movies to come out in the not too distant future.

9. David Fincher: Fight Club, Benjamin Button, Se7en are some great movies. Se7en changed the mystery/thriller genre for the better. Fight Club had an incredible performance from Pitt/Norton. He needs to do more movies as all of his work is amazing.

8. Quentin Tarantino: He changed the perspective of linear storytelling with Pulp Fiction. He mixed anime with live action in Kill Bill. He made a female character who was extremely interesting and could kick butt (Kill Bill). Reservoir Dogs had many memorable characters with unexpected endings. It was also told out of chronological order.

7. Stanley Kubrick: In Full Metal Jacket we take a look inside a training camp and the dark sides of the Vietnam War. Dr. Strangelove showed us what the world looks like on the brink of all-out nuclear war. Kubrick has a dark and twisted way of telling stories that we find very intriguing. His movies are realistic but seem almost surreal in his narration.

6. Brian De Palma – This director has amazing work with movies like The Untouchables and Scarface to name a few. He has influenced young and veteran directors alike and tells stories with flair. His movie Scarface is referenced all the time in popular culture.

5. Ridley Scott: An incredible director and definitely one of the best. Gladiator was a masterpiece and you were totally immersed in the Roman world of dueling to the death in front of millions. Alien reinvigorated the Sci Fi series and so did Blade Runner. All of his recent works, like Body of Lies and American Gangster, have also been excellent. I haven’t seen a movie of his that I didn’t like.

4. Alfred Hitchcock: At this point in the list you could say that any of the top four are the best directors of all time. In Psycho we entered the mind of a psychopath with maternal problems and we were never the same again. The birds made us look concerned every time we see large swarms of birds. Rear Window made us think of that stranger who lives across the street. Could it be a murderer? Hitchcock turned us into a voyeur and we were disturbed but captivated as much as some voyeurs really are. An intellectual director even though he was known to dislike actors.

3. Francis Ford Coppola: He brought us The Godfather I and II. I didn’t like the third one, but neither did most people. He also made one of the strangest and most well-made war movies, Apocalypse Now. He is one of the best directors of our time, but he has strangely not made many good movies lately. His last good movie was Bram Stoker’s Dracula. I guess nothing will ever compare to his previous masterpieces. It’s like asking Davinci to top The Mona Lisa.

2. Steven Spielberg: The best American director of all time without a doubt. His films are both artistic and financial successes. That’s why all the emerging directors want to emulate his style. He works closely with the cinematographer and the entire crew to make the film look exactly the way he wants it to. His masterpieces include ET, Jaws, Saving Private Ryan, Jurassic Park and many more. We get a great story with his movies and we really enjoy watching them.

1. Akira Kurosawa: Seven Samurai, Roshoman, Hidden Fortress, Yojimbo, all amazing masterpieces. He has inspired almost every director, from George Lucas to many others. He is definitely the best Japanese director and maybe the best director of all time. He is to directing what books are to telling stories. If there is anyone who has mastered the craft of directing, it would be Kurosawa.