With certain directors, the mere mention of their name alone is enough to spark fireworks among film fans. Bring up Michael Bay, and accusations of raped childhoods, arch narcissism and shameless cash-grabbing will come flying from one side, whilst applause for delirious visceral excess and unapologetic political incorrectness comes from the other. Talk about Christopher Nolan, and one camp will hail his technical and intellectual excellence, whilst another will bemoan the almost willful joylessness of his work. Falling almost directly in the middle of these two modern blockbuster stalwarts is Zack Snyder, On paper he would appear to share more common ground with Nolan, given they have collaborated on the director's two most recent films; and yet, in his emphasis on visual flair, physics-defying action, and sometimes dubious politics, he might well be regarded a kindred spirit of Bay. At this moment, Snyder is a particularly divisive figure given that he stands as arguably the pivotal figure in the fledgling DC Extended Universe, with eyes on beating old comic book rivals Marvel at their own game. But putting that to one side for now, how does Snyder stand up as a filmmaker on his own merits? In the 12 years since his first feature film, there's no denying he has made a name for himself, with films which - while clearly marketable - cannot be accused of playing it safe. This much I can say with certainty: Snyder is without doubt one of the few real auteur directors working within the studio system today. This is not a statement on the merit of his work, but simply a reflection of the truth: watch a minute or two of any Zack Snyder film, and there's no question whose film your watching. Clear stylistic and thematic elements unite his body of work, and the director's unique sensibility shines through every time. That said, a distinct directorial personality does not necessarily equate to greatness, and good intentions don't invariably lead to a great end product. Seven films into his career, here's how this writer ranks Zack Snyder's filmography thus far...
