4. Terrence Malick
Cinephiles who are only familiar with Terrence Malick's most recent dialogue and plot-lite work, The Tree of Life and To The Wonder, may find it hard to believe Malick first cut his teeth as a gun-for-hire script doctor. Even more surprising is the iconic film he helped pen: 1971's Clint Eastwood-starring classic Dirty Harry. Moviegoers who are more familiar with Malick's ruminative recent work might have trouble squaring away Dirty Harry with the Malick's cinematic sensibilities but Malick's directorial debut Badlands, and, World War II epic The Thin Red Line, have more than their fair share of gunplay.