5. Fritz Lang
German cinema in the 1920's and 30's is considered one of the finest eras in cinema history and Fritz Lang was at the front of German filmmaking. His film 1927 film Metropolis is one of the first sci-fi movies and its influence on later entries in the genre is incalculable as its visuals and themes were very ahead of its time. Starting the sci-fi tradition of social critique, Metropolis deals with class warfare in a dystopian future where the poor labor underground while the rich live in opulent mansions. At the time it was the most expensive silent film ever made as well as one of the most ambitious thematically. In 1931 he directed M, which showed one of cinema's first serial killers as a town is tormented by a series of child murders. The film is considered to be one of the main influences on the film noir genre and established leading man Peter Lorre as one of the premier actors in Hollywood. While his later career after moving to Hollywood wasn't quite as groundbreaking, Lang remains one of the defining examples of German Expressionist cinema and his impact on future film visuals was unparalleled.
Defining Films: Metropolis (1927), M (1931), The Testament of Dr. Mabuse (1933), Fury (1936), The Big Heat (1953)