6. Francois Truffaut
A giant of international cinema, few directors have had as much of an impact in more areas than Truffaut. He was one of the main founders of the French New Wave, characterised by jump cuts and open ended stories. Truffaut started out as a prominent film critic who was critical of the older French filmmakers in the 1950's. In the 1960's he tried his hand in cinema to enormous success as his breakout film, The 400 Blows, has become a defining work in movie history and is routinely listed among the greatest films ever made. Following Antoine Doniel, a misunderstood twelve year old, as he goes from troubled student to criminal to inmate at a youth center, The 400 Blows was a scathing critique of the French justice system as well as a love letter to past French cinema. Truffaut's influence can be traced to the American filmmakers of the 70's such as Spielberg, Coppola, Altman and others and he actually played a minor acting role in Spielberg's Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Truffaut's film criticism and subsequent career make him one of the essential figures in film history.
Defining Films: The 400 Blows (1959), Shoot the Piano Player (1960), Jules and Jim (1962), Farenheit 451 (1966) Day For Night (1973)