Why is it that the Americans do not know how to make a good film?

Question

I regard Woody Allen as a good film director (he really has it in him) but when you come to think of it you sort of realize he is still an American. Why is it that there are no film directors in America as good as, say, Haneke, Bergman, Felini or Buñuel?

I guess you are right snowflake but here I would distinguish between body pleasures and mind pleasures. When you say "entertaining" do you mean “entertaining for the body” or “entertaining for the soul”?

I do not agree with you Byakuya: if you can go deep into something, what do you need explosions for? Do you not think this is the same as cheeting the spectator?

Thre-is-a-fish: Kubrick is a good film director but please do note how he fails in convening the idea that violence is bad in An Orange Clockwork due the aesthetic point of view he put on violence in this film. If violence is bad, what do you need to make violence look good for?

yes wildamberhoney Kubrick=Tarantino. Regarding Tarantino I must say I have never seen so much talen along with so much nulity.

Answer 1

Depends on your definition of 'good'.

Kubrik? Tarantino? I'd say they've made good films, along with Francis Ford Coppola etc.

I detest A Clockwork Orange, personally, but I appreciate the sociopolitical basis of the film and it's satirical aspecis. No disrespect intended, but I find it bizarre that anyone sensible would think Kubrik was glamorising hideous crimes, for the sake of aesthetics. I can see that much despite my strong dislike of the film.

Also, it's a bit much to base Kubrik's worth as a director based on only one of his films, regardless of it's notoriety and influence on modern film.

Cheers!

Answer 2

Perhaps it depends on what you mean by "good".
I think an interesting way to compare would be to ask those surviving directors- Haneke and Bergman- which movies (no matter what the country of origin) are their favorites. I know Bergman was impressed with "Five Easy Pieces" (1970), written and directed by Bob Rafelson- so it was at the time Bergman was interviewed in the '70's. One can also like what is quintessentially American if the movie is well-made and there are many.

Answer 3

A partial list of films you need to see:
Citizen Cane
Casablanca
Dr. Strangelove
The Godfather
The Magnificent Ambersons
The Stranger
The Searchers
The Unforgiven
Anything with Charlie Chaplin, Harold Lloyd or Buster Keaton. For every Eisenstein there is a D. W. Griffith. For every Bergman there is a Altman. For every reputable critic you can find who thinks of "Deuce Bigelow Male Gigolo" when they think of American film, you will find ten who consider film the American art form. I understand that a curious type of self loathing inspired rejection of all things domestic are part of the right of passage for a young but maturing intellect. To this day, I have a sentimental fondness for Italian film from the 50's & 60's For that reason I encourage you to embrace your rejection of American film while it lasts. Don't forget Di Sica, Renoir, Antonioni, Fassbinder, to name just a few, as well as the emerging films from India and China. On the subject of Asian film, there's one other thing I want to mention. I recently saw "Memoirs of a Geisha" The cenematography was breathtakingly luscious.

Answer 4

The names you've listed are mainly arthouse directors. America typically makes popcorn movies, so it's a different market that produces different types of filmmakers.

America has produced John Ford, Frank Capra, Steven Spielberg, Francis Ford Coppola, Martin Scorsese, Oliver Stone, Stanley Kubrick, etc. Superb directors all. Plus, Alfred Hitchcock made most of his best movies in America including Psycho, Vertigo, North By Northwest, etc.

Answer 5

American movies rely too much on special effects nowadays.. I like action movies, but I want action movies with a plot.. I don't care about seeing a bunch of pointless explosions.. take the Star Wars movies.. the original trilogy 4, 5, and 6 were much better than 1, 2, and 3.. Lucas started relying too much on special effects and not enough on characters and acting.. special effects make for better previews, and that's all that really matters to the movie industry..

on a related note, American cartoonists are terrible anymore.. Japan makes such cool cartoons while American cartoonists are putting out crap like Cow and Chicken or Ed Ed and Eddie.. garbage..

Answer 6

I am watching Turner Classic Movies right now. It Runs classic movies 24 hrs a day they are all great. So I am not sure your premise is valid. On the other there are some British movies that are sooo boring they are agonizing to watch. Gosford Park? oh my god how could you unleash that on the world. Fellini and Bergman were British?

I have seen some pretty bad movies from both countries. Ithink you are limiting youself to 1 genre here as well.

Answer 7

I like Tim Burton and Ron Howard. Both are Americans and wonderful film directors. I suppose it is the style you are after if you are determining how well a person directs. Another director I really enjoy is Quentin Tarantino, again, American born.

Answer 8

I think American film companies are more concerned with making a marketable movie rather than a good one. Just like the American record industry, they're obsessed with duplicating successful formulas instead taking of risks.

Also, they seem to be running out of ideas now, a sort of imagination drought, wherein instead of coming up with original ideas, they're making more and more, usually crappy, remakes or book adoptations. Hollywood wouldn't survive these days without their dependency on good authors from the book industry and a handful of respected directors that can at least muster more than mediocre adoptation of their works.

Answer 9

This is an unfair generalisation. Of course the American cinema, like its TV shows is dominated by popular appeal to a 'one size fits all' mass audience formula. Having said that, working within these constraints, there have been directors like John Ford, Orson Wells, Robert Altman and Steven Spielberg who among others have contributed immensely to cinematic art and influenced others here and abroad.

Answer 10

Your question is biased - you don't like American film and you assume that noone does, and then you ask why noone likes it.

I'm not American born, but I like Amercan movies, they are at least entertaining, unlike some boring European stuff.

Instead, you might want to think, what is the difference between average American movie and average European movie? I think Hollywood style movies are more about vivid pictures, European movies are more about the story. Too often I find that they have a good story but it is delivered poorly. Also, cheap sets, vs flashy Hollywood stuff.