The 10 Greatest American Directorial Achievements of the 1980s, Ranked

5. Steven Spielberg – Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

The first ten minutes of this knockout adventure film are worth the Oscar alone, as Indiana Jones steps out of the darkness of the jungle to become the most iconic hero of our time. Defying booby traps set centuries ago, certain death, he leaps, runs, jumps, and when needed, cracks his bull whip to get the job done and manages to always stay alive. Harrison Ford was cast as Jones, after Tom Selleck begged off to do his TV Series ‘Magnum PI’ (wonder if he regrets that) and within five minutes of screen time, Ford owns the character. That said, he owes his career to Spielberg who plunged him into a film in which he is always moving, always in peril, always saving the day, always with a sardonic comment or scowl on his face. It is an absolute delight. The film is based on the B movie serial films of the 1930s – ‘Jungle Jim’, ‘Flash Gordon’, ‘Tarzan’, even

The film is based on the B movie serial films of the 1930s – ‘Jungle Jim’, ‘Flash Gordon’, ‘Tarzan’, even Westerns; all kind of meshed together to give us Jones, an archaeologist who is also a teacher (secret identity), a swashbuckling hero, hell with a bull whip, fearless with a gun, able to run, be dragged, just relentless in his pursuit of the Ark of the Covenant. The movie never stops, the characters are always in motion, yet the director manages to let the actors be their characters. Just a mesmerizing kick ass adventure film that does not let up till that mysterious ‘Citizen Kane’ (1941) ending.

4. Warren Beatty – Reds (1981)

Imagine during the presidency of Carter and Reagan, having the immense courage to make a film about the American communist movement in 1915-1919? Unbelievable courage is what Warren Beatty had in making this sprawling though intensely intimate film about the radical writers John Reed and Louise Bryant. Reed would write the seminal book on reporting history, Ten Days That Shook the World, his eye witness account of the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia. Beatty acts in as Reed, directs, produces and co-wrote this magnificent epic that is a remarkable study of artists and their passions. He creates a deep intimacy with the characters, and handles the epic scenes with bold confidence. The massive scene of the people taking over Moscow to the tunes of The Internationale are breathtaking, as are the scenes in the desert where suddenly camels are moving beside the train. Beatty is excellent as Reed, capturing the essence of a man forever chasing history. Keaton gives one of her most compelling performances as the complicated Bryant, who realized only at the end what politics meant to Reed. Jack Nicholson does a slow, searing, sexual burn as Eugene O’Neill, Reeds’ best friend and Bryant’s lover. Maureen Stapleton is outstanding, winning an

Keaton gives one of her most compelling performances as the complicated Bryant, who realized only at the end what politics meant to Reed. Jack Nicholson does a slow, searing, sexual burn as Eugene O’Neill, Reeds’ best friend and Bryant’s lover. Maureen Stapleton is outstanding, winning an Oscar as the anarchist Emma Goldman. Nominated for 12 Academy Awards, Beatty won Best Director, Best Supporting Actress went to Stapleton and the film won for its Cinematography. An American masterpiece.

3. Milos Forman – Amadeus (1984)

The music of the 1700s was opera, the popular songs of the day came from the operas of the time. Opera was the major art form of the day, the tunes from them hummed by the people roaming the halls of the palace to the peasants in the streets. Peter Shaffer’s great stage play was partly biographical about Mozart, partly imagined, the jealousy felt by court composer Antonio Salieri towards the much younger man blessed with God-given talent. Every young and middle aged actor in Hollywood auditioned for the film, every major actor made it known they wanted the part, including Dustin Hoffman and Al Pacino for Salieri, Kevin Bacon, Tim Curry and Tom Cruise for Mozart. In the end, Forman decided on F. Murray Abraham as the jealous old composer telling the story in flashback, as he remembers it, while Tom Hulce won the plum role of the giggling, braying, arrogant, fascinated with bodily functions Mozart. So great was the old man’s love for music, he alone knew Mozart’s music was timeless, would be remembered long after his was forgotten, and in fact as he grew older, he saw his music become extinct, while that of Mozart was revered and remained for the ages. Forman gives the film an energy and bounce most period pieces lack (read: boring), which brings the time to life; it is alive, the streets are teeming with people, Mozart jauntily walks the streets, smiling, drinking, and we are there. The performances of the actors are stunning, just brilliant. They each came out of nowhere to give them and then returned to oblivion, never again coming even close to doing this level of work again. Mozart is treated, rightly so, as a rock star, looking closing at his wigs, they are all tinged with pinks and purples, set apart from everyone else, just like his music. The portrayal of genius might never be so accurate. The film won eight

Forman gives the film an energy and bounce most period pieces lack (read: boring), which brings the time to life; it is alive, the streets are teeming with people, Mozart jauntily walks the streets, smiling, drinking, and we are there. The performances of the actors are stunning, just brilliant. They each came out of nowhere to give them and then returned to oblivion, never again coming even close to doing this level of work again. Mozart is treated, rightly so, as a rock star, looking closing at his wigs, they are all tinged with pinks and purples, set apart from everyone else, just like his music. The portrayal of genius might never be so accurate. The film won eight Academy Awards including the second for Forman, and Best Picture. His greatest accomplishment is giving the film life, absolute life, and that life is through the music. Does Mozart ever look as alive as when he is conducting that which he has composed?

2. Steven Spielberg – E. T. : The Extraterrestrial (1982)

This dreamscape of a film, about a child’s relationship with an alien left behind by accident, is directed with sublime confidence and love by Spielberg. The many images he conjures throughout the film are staggering in their sheer beauty; that ride across the moon, the plant growing after the death of the alien signalling his resurrection, the tiny alien pulling Elliott (Henry Thomas) for a farewell embrace, the ship leaving a shooting a rainbow in its wake, pure movie magic. What is often forgotten and multiplies the accomplishment of the director is that the leading character is a special effect, a latex created creature with eyes modeled on Einstein and voiced in post production. Further, the performance he gets out of his child actors are equally astounding, in particular, Thomas who should have been nominated for an

Further, the performance he gets out of his child actors are equally astounding, in particular, Thomas who should have been nominated for an Academy Award for his sublime work, the finest work by an actor under 12 I have ever encountered. In keeping with the time of lower budgets, Spielberg managed to keep the budget for the film to under ten million dollars, an extraordinary feat considering it is an effects driven film. He had indeed learned much from his failure at the end of the 1970s. Nominated for nine Academy Awards, the film won four and though anointed Best Director by the LA and National Society of Film Critics, Spielberg again lost, though winner Richard Attenborough stopped on his way to the podium to tell him he should have won. No question he should have. One of the many times he should have.

1. Martin Scorsese – Raging Bull (1980)

The opening title sequence hints to us what this film is about as we see Jake LaMotta (Robert De Niro) shadow boxing in the ring before a fight, already at war with himself, forever fighting his demons, fighting himself. Scorsese had no interest in directing a boxing film, and I daresay he did not direct such a film, rather, he made the finest film set in the world of prize fighting, exploring what makes these men tick. What drives a man to whip himself into peak condition, put on gloves, a mouth guard and climb into the ring to beat the hell out of his opponent, before the other man does the same to him, that was what drew Scorsese into the story of LaMotta. He raged, both in the ring and out of it, which drove everyone away from him, his beloved brother, his first and second wives, his children, his friends, even his fans came to despise him for what he was. Insanely jealous of his second wife, the gorgeous Vicki (Cathy Moriarty), he would go ballistic over the slightest look she gave anyone or they gave her, leaving her a prisoner in her own life. We see LaMotta rise in the ranks, throw a fight to get his chance at a title, which he loathes doing, sobbing afterwards about what he did, until finally he wins the middle weight championship of the world. And then we watch in horror as he begins a long descent, alienating everyone he loves out of his life, finally thrown in jail for serving minors in his bar and statutory rape, having sex with minors. De Niro is remarkable in the role, in incredible condition for the sequences of Jake as a fighter, fat and bloated, having gained eighty pounds for the scenes where he is finished with fighting. More so than any other director, Scorsese places us in the ring with the fighter, right in the thick of it, allowing us to hear what they must hear, see what they must see. As realistic as anything I have ever seen in a film, the scenes are powerful and visceral and as we watch LaMotta take a terrible beating, his arms outstretched on the ropes like a man crucified, we understand what boxing is to him, a way of punishing himself for the sins of his life. Shot in stark perfect black and white, the film is a dark masterpiece you might only wish to see once or twice in your life. Raging Bull gave us our first look at Joe Pesci as LaMottas younger brother, brilliant. A punishing, searing work of art.

De Niro is remarkable in the role, in incredible condition for the sequences of Jake as a fighter, fat and bloated, having gained eighty pounds for the scenes where he is finished with fighting. More so than any other director, Scorsese places us in the ring with the fighter, right in the thick of it, allowing us to hear what they must hear, see what they must see. As realistic as anything I have ever seen in a film, the scenes are powerful and visceral and as we watch LaMotta take a terrible beating, his arms outstretched on the ropes like a man crucified, we understand what boxing is to him, a way of punishing himself for the sins of his life. Shot in stark perfect black and white, the film is a dark masterpiece you might only wish to see once or twice in your life. Raging Bull gave us our first look at Joe Pesci as LaMottas younger brother, brilliant. A punishing, searing work of art.