1. Terrence Malick
Terrence Malick is actually a somewhat legendary figure due to his 20 year disappearance from the movie-making scene. His disappearance - as well as his reclusive lifestyle - has created an aura around him that nonetheless has failed to create the proper amount of respect for someone who is an artist of the highest caliber. Every single one of his movies is a hugely personal work of filmmaking that covers themes ranging from philosophy to religion and history. His filmmaking style favors telling a story with visuals over traditional narrative structures. Most of the dialogue in the films comes in hushed voice overs exploring the private thoughts of the characters in the films and his movies could almost function as silent films. His astonishing visual prowess is so well known that his name has almost become an adjective in the movie world used to describe movies with beautiful visuals. In 40 years he has only made five films, all of them masterpieces, although he has multiple films currently in production. Despite being one of the premier living artists, regardless of medium, Malick is criminally overlooked among Academy members and mainstream audiences. Even among more devout movie watchers, Malick is sadly often either unknown, misunderstood or overlooked.
Filmography:Badlands(1973), Days of Heaven (1978), Thin Red Line (1998) , The New World (2005), Tree of Life (2011), To the Wonder (2013)Agree or disagree with this list? Let us know in the comments section below.