The St. James Film Directors Encyclopedia Hardcover - 1998

From the publisher

From Capra to Coen, Burton to Bergman, Kazan to Kurosawa, Sayles to Spielberg, the St. James Film Directors Encyclopedia provides an insightful study of our greatest directors, as selected by the often controversial and always enlightening Andrew Sarris. Former Village Voice film critic Sarris has edited this comprehensive and ambitious guide to 200 significant directors from around the world, including directors who have risen to prominence in the 30 years since publication of his landmark American Cinema: Directors and Directions. The most important role in any film is arguably that of the director, the creative center whose inspiration, vision and control can make the difference between mediocre and masterful. Sarris selects the worthiest careers from the motion picture industries of five continents over a hundred years of film history. With his distinguished contributors, he examines techniques, themes, ideologies, influences, and more. Each essay includes nationality, hard-to-find biographical information, education, career highlights, awards, and a complete filmography, noting contributions in such capacities as acting, cinematography and screenwriting. More than 200 director portraits and movie stills make the Encyclopedia a unique and lasting resource for film buffs, aspiring auteurs, and faded matinee idols.