10 Directors Who Somehow Made 3 (Or More) Masterpieces In A Row

3. David Lean

The Films: The Bridge on the River Kwai, Lawrence of Arabia, Doctor Zhivago David Lean is a bit of a more obscure figure to the average filmgoer - his name isn't exactly a household one. But even though you might not know who he is, you've certainly seen some of his films. Because he's the man who is responsible for Bridge on River Kwai (also known as the movie Alec Guinness wishes he was remembered for), Lawrence of Arabia, and Doctor Zhivago, all in a row. They're all in different genres (Bridge is a war film, Lawrence is a blockbuster epic, and Doctor Zhivago is a romance), but they possess the same towering, larger than life quality. David Lean was instrumental in the creation of spectacle filmmaking -- with the growing popularity of television, audiences needed a specific reason to go to the cinema. And Lean definitely gave them one. These are three of the biggest films of the late 50s and early 60s -- in an atmosphere when a high number of films were designed to be epic cultural events, his films still managed to stand out.