Here are my favorites, and above all stands D. W. Griffith, whom I regard as the Shakespeare of cinema: the artist who transformed the medium from a mere novelty into a fully expressive language. Like Shakespeare, Griffith expanded the possibilities of form and shaped the very architecture of cinema. He forged the grammar of film, be it montage, the close-up, cross-cutting, tempo, and light, much as Shakespeare forged the rhythms and structures of dramatic poetry.
This list intentionally omits many celebrated filmmakers I have seen of course, who excelled in presenting actors and in developing themes of political or social nature, but who did not, in my view, fundamentally advance the aesthetics of film as an art form.
I’m thrilled to share some of my most cherished films and the filmmakers who created them. Consider this an invitation to explore: perhaps you’ll discover a hidden cinematic treasure or encounter a filmmaker whose unique voice resonates with you, for in the end, cinema lives not only in what the filmmaker expresses, but in what the viewer brings to the film. (Last updated: July 9, 2025)