4. The Big Shave - Martin Scorsese
Back in 1967, Martin Scorsese was at NYU's film school. It wouldn't be until the 1970s and the rise of the 'movie brats' that he would help change the face of cinema forever. However, it wasn't like he burst out of no where. He had a string of short films that he had amassed but none show the filmmaker he would go on to become quite like The Big Shave. A striking visual metaphor for the Vietnam war, it showcases the early problems that Scorsese had with 1960 and 1970 America that we would later see him commenting on in his later career. Not afraid to get cringe inducing imagery, the film is a tough watch and shows a young filmmaker with something to say. Scorsese's use of a short form is brilliant here too, taking something very simple, with no dialogue and just showing the action of the character to inform the audience. And even on top of that, he twists our expectations. If you can do all that in 5 minutes, you have one hell of an idea. If you can execute it as well as this, then you are certainly on a great track http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otxlzSMcBTo