Top 30 Directors of All Time: Part 6

4. Martin Scorsese - I know most people would not have put him this high of the list, so this is a personal favorite for me. I love Marty's movies. They are brutal, engaging, hard to watch, and go down like ice cream at the same time. He combines his signature style, which is engaging, and adapts it to the times. His gangster classics like GoodFellas, Casino, The Departed, The Color of Money, and Mean Streets show his Coppola-esque quality. Combine that with a horror (Cape Fear), religion (The Last Temptation of Christ), sports (Raging Bull), compelling dramas (Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore), and history (The Aviator, Gangs of New York), and you have a signature American collection.

3. Francis Ford Coppola - Speaking of the Coppola-esque quality, this is the man that transformed the gangster movie into the greatest film series in our history. In my opinion, no movie tops The Godfather, it is the center of movie perfection, and is the pinnacle of movie greatness. Not only that, it gives us the greatest performance of our time by the late, great Marlon Brando. Ok, so maybe I am going a little over the top here, but it is a great movie. Part II showcases the rare occurence where the sequel is actually incredible, and even Part III was better than most of the trash coming out. Throw in classics like Apocalypse Now, The Conversation, The Outsiders, The Rainmaker, Rumble Fish, and Dracula, and you see why he is "the Godfather" of movies.

2. Frank Capra - Probably the most popular American director, Frank Capra's movies were American classics that showcased great performances, incredible movie moments, and always left us feeling better about ourselves. Some of his collection was funny and romantic. Hits like Arsenic and Old Lace, Lady for a Day, It Happened One Night, Mr. Deeds Goes to Town, and You Can't Take It With You, were some of the first blockbuster comedies in America. Then, in my opinion, you have to include probably his two greatest films, starring the great Jimmy Stewart, being Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, and the Christmas classic, It's a Wonderful Life. These to me, are some of the best movies you can possibly see. They are inspiring, heroic, and epic in the sense of pure joy. Capra was a legend.