Directorial Chronology - 1974
In The American Cinema: Directors and Directions 1929 - 1968, Andrew Sarris provided an extremely useful and entertaining appendix he called "Directorial Chronology." It was basically a best American film of the year list with a highly auteurist, idiosyncratic bent. So you would see things like Man's Favorite Sport (Hawks) ranked well above something more critically exalted (by the mainstream) like Fail Safe (Lumet). He did not numerically rank the films, but they are pretty clearly presented in order of preference (and preferred auteurs). Since it is my aim to pay tribute to great text by the great man, I am going to attempt to do the same.
Now, for the seminal year, 1974
Directorial Chronology - 1974
Francis Ford Coppola The Godfather Part II
Roman Polanski Chinatown
John Cassavetes A Woman Under the Influence
Orson Welles F for Fake
Tobe Hooper The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
Robert Aldrich The Longest Yard
Robert Altman California Split
Robert Altman Thieves Like Us
Richard Lester The Four Musketeers
Francis Coppola The Conversation
Mel Brooks Young Frankenstein
Sam Peckinpah Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia
Brian De Palma Phantom of the Paradise
Mel Brooks Blazing Saddles
Alan Pakula The Parallax View
Steven Spielberg The Sugarland Express
Peter Hyams Busting
Jonathan Demme Caged Heat
Monte Hellman Cockfighter
Mike Hodges The Terminal Man
Larry Cohen It's Alive
Michael Cimino Thunderbolt and Lightfoot
John Boorman Zardoz
Martin Scorsese Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore
Daniel Petrie Buster and Billie
Peter Bogdanovich Daisy Miller
Martin Katselas Report to the Commissioner
Joseph Sargent The Taking of Pelham One Two Three
Blake Edwards The Tamarind Seed
Philip Kaufman The White Dawn
Stephanie Rothman The Working Girls
Sydney Pollack The Yakuza
John Carpenter Dark Star
Jan Troell Zandy's Bride
Jonathan Kaplan Truck Turner
Sidney Poitier Uptown Saturday Night
Jack Hill The Swinging Cheerleaders
Aram Avakian 11 Harrowhouse
John Berry Claudine
Frank Perry Man on a Swing
Martin Ritt Conrack
Michael Winner Death Wish
Richard Rush Freebie and the Bean
Karel Reisz The Gambler
Paul Mazursky Harry and Tonto
Richard Lester Juggernaut
Bob Fosse Lenny
