Some of the most legendary directors ever born in America were at their peak in the 1970s. This was the decade in which New Hollywood was defined as a film movement, and some of America’s greatest films of all time were put into production.
But for what it’s worth: these aren’t the best directors who simply lived throughout the 1970s. This list will comprise the directors whose works best defined the decade at hand, finding a balance between quality and quantity, or perhaps directing several movies and succeeding across the board. All that said, these are the twenty greatest American directors of the 1970s, ranked.
20Alan Parker
AlthoughAlan Parkerholds great name value for a certain corner of film fans out there, he may not appear overly familiar in the grand scheme of American cinema throughout the 1970s. You’ll likely recognize the titles of two of his most seminal titles, though:Bugsy Malone(1976), for example, along withMidnight Express(1978). The former is a musicalwith child actorsplaying adult characters, including performers such as Jodie Foster and John Cassini.
On the other hand,Midnight Expressis most aptly categorized as a prison drama. It received numerous nominations at the 51st Academy Awards, including Best Director and Best Picture. And although it came up short in those regards, Oliver Stone won for Best Adapted Screenplay and Giorgio Moroder won for Best Original Score. All of those elements and more were on masterful display inMidnight Express, as it remains among the best of Parker’s entire career. Both projects land him at the start of the list.
19Michael Cimino
Just before he essentially ended the New Hollywood film movement withHeaven’s Gate(1980) in the following decade,Michael Ciminowas at the top of his game.The Deer Hunter(1978) is among the most revered films of the decade, winning both Best Picture and Best Director at the 51st Academy Awards. But its cast is just as noteworthy as Cimino’s directorial work, withacting efforts from Robert De Niro, Christopher Walken, and Meryl Streep.
They all performed brilliantly, each garnering a nomination for their respective acting categories at the aforementioned ceremony, with Walken even walking away with a win. But aside from that famous, epic war drama, also worth noting is Cimino’s directorial debut from a few years prior:Thunderbolt and Lightfoot(1974). A crime comedy, it stars Clint Eastwood in a forgettable role, but Jeff Bridges nailed it as one half of the titular duo in Lightfoot. He stood out from start to finish, but in terms of overall quality,The Deer Hunteris without a doubt the seminal Cimino stint.
18George A. Romero
After bursting onto the scene of New Hollywood withNight of the Living Dead(1968), legendary horror directorGeorge A. Romerofollowed up with perhaps the biggest anomaly of his career: a romantic comedy calledThere’s Always Vanilla(1971). This particular director revolutionizedthe horror genrealmost single-handedly with the aforementioned zombie flick, andThere’s Always Vanillawas as far from frightening as a movie could get.
Romero soon returned to his roots just two years later — not withSeason of the Witch(1973), butThe Crazies(1973). There’s alsoThe Amusement Park(1975) andMartin(1977), two lesser-known Romero flicks. ButDawn of the Dead(1978) brought him back to Hollywood prominence as he arguably topped the quality of his original zombie masterclass from the prior decade. And with six titles to his name throughout the seventies, however small a few of them may be, Romero undoubtedly deserves a spot among these all-time greats.
Related:These Are the Best George A. Romero Movies, Ranked
17Sam Peckinpah
Some directors make this list on sheer volume alone, as is the case withSam Peckinpah. Nine features in a singular decade is more than most of his contemporaries can boast, and plenty of them were of the absolute highest quality: takeThe Getaway(1972), for instance. A heist thriller starring Steve McQueen, it went down among the highest-grossing films of its year. And it was universally acclaimed, still considered today among thegreatest entries of its subgenre.
That was undoubtedly his most prominent, followed by a neo-Western calledBring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia(1974). The other seven features include titles likeThe Ballad of Cable Hogue(1970),Straw Dogs(1971), andJunior Bonner(1972). They were far less notable thanThe GetawayandAlfredo Garcia, though. In the end, those two titles helped land Sam Peckinpah here on the list, and the other seven surely didn’t hurt.
16George Roy Hill
At the turn of the prior decade,George Roy HillreleasedButch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid(1969) to widespread acclaim. One of the most famous westerns of all time, it stars Paul Newman and Robert Redford in the titular roles. That title nearly transcends the popularity of the medium itself, and Hill thus decided to capitalize on that success in the seventies by casting the same superstar actors.
He teamed up with Newman and Redford once again to createThe Sting(1973), a heist film that follows their two professional grifters as they execute a con on a mob bossplayed by Robert Shaw. It’s a brilliant stint, and it garnered the filmmaker at hand Best Director and Best Picture both at the 46th Academy Awards on top of five other wins and ten total nominations. And that isn’t all that Roy Hill offered throughout the seventies:Slaughterhouse Five(1972),The Great Waldo Pepper(1975), andSlap Shot(1977) are all impressive in their own respects. They land Roy Hill here at sixteen.
Related:Best George Roy Hill Movies, Ranked
15William Friedkin
Among the lesser-known names on the list,William Friedkinnonetheless directed some of the decade’s most popular and critically acclaimed projects: takeThe French Connection(1971), for example. With Gene Hackman in the starring role, that neo-noir action thriller goes down among the most honored films of the decade, as it won five out of eight nominations at the Oscars — including victories for both Best Director and Best Picture. Plus, it’s since been selected by the Library of Congress for preservation inthe National Film Registry. Pretty impressive stats.
AndThe Exorcist(1973) surpassesFrench Connection, at least in name value. Also by Friedkin, that famous horror stint follows a pair of Catholic priests who attempt to exorcise a young girl who’s been possessed by a demon. And, as you may have guessed, Friedkin had a couple of other releases on top of those two seminal titles:The Boys in the Band(1970),Sorcerer(1977), andThe Brink’s Job(1978). That resume is undeniable.
14Mel Brooks
The most comedically inclined director on the list,Mel Brooksreleased two of his most hilarious and seminal spoofs not just during the decade at hand, but in the same year — starting withBlazing Saddles(1974). A western comedy, it features his most famous collaborator Gene Wilder alongside Cleavon Little, and it was among the most respected comedies of the decade. It was even nominated for a few Oscars, and it’s since been preserved by the Library of Congress.
But both of those feats — Oscar nominations, preservation in the NFR — were also achieved byYoung Frankenstein(1974). It arguably surpassesBlazing Saddlesin overall quality, and perhaps remains the greatest film of the director’s career. It’s worth noting that Brooks writes the screenplays for all of his films,going down as an auteurin that respect. Putting out two films as both the author and director in one year is impressive. But claiming the highest honors the industry can offer twice in one year is feat few people can claim, and lands Brooks at number fourteen.
Related:Mel Brooks Movies, Ranked
13John Carpenter
With perhaps the single most important horror movie of the decade under his directorial belt inHalloween(1978),John Carpenterwithout a doubt deserves a spot on the list. That one release nearly transcends the medium entirely with the mask of Michael Myers and the iconic score from Carpenter forcing their way into every corner of popular culture across the world.
ButHalloweenis far from the only Carpenter release worth noting from throughout the 1970s.Dark Star(1974) andAssault on Precinct 13(1976) — the former a science fiction comedy, the latter an action-thriller — are two of the lesser-known titles of Carpenter’s critically acclaimed career. But they stand out as high-quality projects, nonetheless, working alongsideHalloweento create fantastic genre variety and ultimately land Carpenter a spot on this list.
12Franklin J. Schaffner
Thanks to his efforts onPatton(1970), the filmmaker at hand walked away with a golden statue for Best Director at the 43rd Academy Awards ceremony. It features George C. Scottin the titular role, with Karl Malden portraying General Omar Bradley. Another noteworthy element of that particular project would be its script, which was also a winner at the aforementioned ceremony with the recipient being someone who appears much later on in the list. But more on him in a bit.
On top ofPatton, otherFranklin J. Schaffnerclassics from the seventies includeNicholas and Alexandre(1971),Papillon(1973),Islands in the Stream(1976), andThe Boys From Brazil(1978). Those are all noteworthy in their own respects, with two wins out of eleven nominations in total. But in the end,Pattonwas among the biggest movies of its decade from a perspective of critical acclaim, and for that project most notably Schaffner lands at number twelve.
11Robert Altman
To start the 1970s,Robert Altmanreleased perhaps the most seminal film of his entire career withMASH(1970) at the turn of the decade. A comedy war film, it garnered Altman a Best Director nomination at the Academy Awards. He’d then replicate that success and then some withNashville(1975) a few years down the line, as that satirical musical comedy wasn’t justnominated for Best Director, but also Best Picture at the aforementioned ceremony.
Here’s the thing, though: on top of those two projects, Robert Altman released a whopping eleven other features throughout the seventies. Among the more prominent of those releases would beMcCabe & Mrs. Miller(1971),3 Women(1977), andA Wedding(1978). And although several of his titles from this period hold unimpressive name value today, Altman without a doubt deserves this spot if not for sheer volume alone.
