4. Werner Herzog
Described by Francois Truffaut as "the most important film director alive", Herzog has become one of the defining faces of world cinema as well as one of the most controversial. Herzog's films generally follow a main character who is alienated from society and eventually is destroyed due to their own towering ambitions. Herzog has shown a fanatical dedication to the art form such as his famous experiences filming Aguirre, the Wrath of God and Fitzcarraldo. During the filming of Aguirre, he argued with lead actor Klaus Kinski so violently that reportedly, guns were drawn. For Fitzcarraldo, Herzog had an actual steamship built and pulled over a mountain, despite insistences from engineers that it was impossible. Herzog's "guerilla" style of filmmaking and the level of dedication he shows in his films has endeared him to other filmmakers who hold him in the highest regard. Herzog is also notable for several memorable documentaries and he is still active in the film world.
Defining Films: Aguirre, the Wrath of God (1972), The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser (1974), Stroszek (1977), Nosferatu the Vampyre (1979), Fitscarraldo (1982), Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans (2009)