Greatest Female Director of All Time?

[Jon1]

Well it's a pretty sad state of affairs when none of the potentional names listed so far are really household names at all.

[Juan Miranda]

Depends where you live. I imagin Leni is a household name in Germany, even today.

As for the Sally Potter film mentioned earlier, ORLANDO, it starts off quite well, but becomes rather muddled while still making crushingly obvious observations about the differences betwix the sexes. Very nice cinematography by Aleksei Rodionov (who also shot COME AND SEE, which rrpower and myself have been debating recently on the board), and wonderful cossie and production design, given the film's very small budget. It was quite a big art house hit, but Potter has never made anything even remotely entertaining since.

The film also shot Tilda Swinton to (bigger) screen fame, and she is always exquisite to watch. The most bizarre thing I have seen her in was in Cornilia Parker's installation THE MAYBE in The Serpentine Gallery in London, back in '95. Swinton lay asleep in a small glass vitrine for seven days as a live exhibit. Wearing loose trousers and a sweatshirt, seemingly oblivious to the people gawping at her, she stayed awake all night then took sleeping pills to help her conk out for her "matinee performance" in the gallery. It was absolutely fascinating to see, particularly if you were a bloke, as it is only usually our own lovers we see in such an intimate and defenceless state so closely. As I was watching her somebody in the gallery had a baby which started crying and she almost woke up, instead she turned over and carried on dreaming.

Which reminds me of one of THE worst films I've ever seen made by a woman, the Jennifer Lynch (David's daughter) picture BOXING HELENA. Numbingly dim. The fact that Julian Sands was in it should have been a "don't even go there" warning sign enough... NEVER AGAIN!

[grandpa_chum]

penny marshall is an exceptional director. i was going to mention her. she's the first female director to make o film that grossed over 100 million dollars.

what about only? are there others? I wouldn't think so, she's the only one i can think of that did box-office contender sort of stuff.

[CISCO]

i got a headache over those duel topics. thought i was seeing double.
nobody gives a rat's ass about leni riefenstahl because she ain't done nothing but make a nuremberg home movie. john0 is a secret agent sent to mess w/ banjo's trilogy thread, of which, i can't find either. i thought this was supposed to be a thread concerning female directors. cool. never a dull moment. i don't have no stinking age card.    

shemp 

[cigar joe]

The greatest female director in my book is Lina Wertmuller, first demale director nominared for an Academy Award. If you haven't seen any of her collaborations with Giancarlo Giannini and Mariangela Melato, run down to your nearest video rental place or cue up Netflix for these:

Pasqalino Settebellze (Seven Beauties) (1975)
Swept Away (1974)
Love and Anarchy (1973)
The Seduction of Mimi (1972)

If I had to pick two:

Seven Beauties is the misadventures of one of life's loosers, Pasqalino Settebellze, and how the fickle finger of fate gets him in and out of jams. This character is one of my favorite picaresque performances, second only Tuco Ramierez. If Tuco holds a special place in your heart make room for Pasqalino. lol.

Swept Away is Castaway with an Italian twist.

[CISCO]

The greatest female director in my book is Lina Wertmuller, first demale director nominared for an Academy Award. If you haven't seen any of her collaborations with Giancarlo Giannini and Mariangela Melato, run down to your nearest video rental place or cue up Netflix for these:

Pasqalino Settebellze (Seven Beauties) (1975)
Swept Away (1974)
Love and Anarchy (1973)
The Seduction of Mimi (1972)

If I had to pick two:

Seven Beauties is the misadventures of one of life's loosers, Pasqalino Settebellze, and how the fickle finger of fate gets him in and out of jams. This character is one of my favorite picaresque performances, second only Tuco Ramierez. If Tuco holds a special place in your heart make room for Pasqalino. lol.

Swept Away is Castaway with an Italian twist.

ahh, were back onto the subject of female directors. thanks cj. i'll have to check this bit of info out. 

[Juan Miranda]

So this was remade by Guy fake Cockney thingy fella and his wife Madonna?

No. I havent seen it either.

[cigar joe]

So this was remade by Guy fake Cockney thingy fella and his wife Madonna?

No. I havent seen it either.

Swept Away was remade yes, and like 99% of remakes it was attrocious ;-)

If you choose to see any go for Seven Beauties.

[cigar joe]

You all must check out Seven Beauties its even got SW actor Fernando Rey from Companero's a powerful film.

[cigar joe]

Here is Wertmuller's opening sequence for Seven Beauties enjoy:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=SGvfe9bAUyU

[pixelated]

Coppolla's "LIT" and that virgin movie aren't my cup of tea either.

i love both of those movies... particularly LIT.. haven't seen her new one, but haven't heard really any good things about it either- other than its nice to look at

Totally unrealated, I like Catherine Bigalow's action flick, POINT BREAK, even with Keanu's dumb performance. "I! AM! AN! FBI! AGENT!!"

i've always thought point break is pretty crazy.. i mean, it was a successful action movie and directed by a woman... its even got a cult following now with midnight showings all over the US.. its a action/surf/heist/existentialism/love story