Isolation. Feeling different. Faith or the lack there of. The evils of men who search for wealth.
But that's just off the top of my head..
Yes, in certain films for sure. Every director uses certain themes in an individual work. However, for Donner there is no sense of personal authorship carrying on throughout his career. An auteur is driven by a desire, often obsession, to answer pivotal questions which burn within them. Donner shows little of this. I'm not arguing that he doesn't use his films to explore ideas. Skilled directors do this. However, he is more of a journeyman director: swapping styles and genres to suit the project he is involved in. Is her versatile, yes. Is he a master? No.
For further reading of interest, check out:
http://www.supermancinema.co.uk/special_features/special_features_dir_donner.htm
It's really interesting stuff.
You mentioned Tarintino who hasn't done any of that. He didn't define or refine anything. What directors were heavily influence by him? Who were given a chance because of him? He's an equally bad choice, maybe even worse.
Seriously? Did you watch any indie films in the mid 90's and onwards? His work influenced numerous directors and movements. Remember the ironic crime drama craze:
Things To Do In Denver When You're Dead, Suicide Kings, Boondock Saints, Truth & Consequences, N.M.? Heck, even Bryan Singer's
Usual Suspects wore it's inspirations on its sleeve. Tarantino, along with Rodriguez, Smith and Soderbergh helped boost public interest in indie cinema and gave hundreds of filmmakers a chance to have their voices heard in an industry that usually only focused on traditional studio output. You'd be better off picking another director to base your argument around than Tarantino.
P.S.: I wasn't arguing for Tarantino to have a place on the list right now, only that he had the potential to wind up there one day.
You call Donner a competent director. It takes more than a competent director to make several films that have been remembered, some of the, for over thirty years.
Yeah, competent may have been too harsh sounding (I was in a hurry). I should have said proficient. My bad. As for your argument about making several films that will be remembered, I point you to Ron Howard. He's had great success in crafting accessible, respectable studio entertainment for several decades now.
Cocoon, Splash, Backdraft, Ransom, A Beautiful Mind, Frost/Nixon, Cinderella Man... However, I wouldn't call him one of the greatest either. Like Donner, he's a skilled professional who is an ace talent for studio jobs because he can bring films in on budget and time, with a minimum of personality getting in the way.
Or hell, what about
Yeah. I guarantee that if you went up to any of the directors who you put on your list and said that you choked with laugher at someone suggesting that Richard Donner is the greatest director of all time, they would use much stronger language.
Well, they probably wouldn't get quite as emotional... They'd probably agree with me that he isn't anywhere near the top of the heap, though. Again, you make it sound like I killed his dog or hate him or something when that simply isn't the case. I'm simply arguing against his worthiness in this particular category.
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