David Lean vs. Alfred Hitchcock

[Film Guru Zach]

I thought it would be interesting to see what responses I would get by putting these two head to head. Men who tackled their genre perfectly.

For me there is no question. Sure hype would chose Hitchcock - but validity would choose Lean.

DAVID LEAN!

[Hannibal21]

Both are superb directors, but I'd have to go with Alfred Hitchcock, who is my favorite director of all time. The way he creates suspense is just flawless.

[Jasonite]

Mine would be Lean, because he's probably my favorite director of all time. Both are obviosly great directors, but Lean had the ability to give a film a feeling of....timelessness. From his directorial debut (Major Barbara) to his final film (A Passage to India), everything he made was a treat. Everyone seems to have either heard of or seen the 'big 3' of his, and in a way that's too bad, because the majority of his films were great, it just happened that he managed to top himself, and made three such towering films that they took on a life of their own. Few directors can claim to have made a single perfect film. Lean had at least 3.


J

[James Logan]

Close, but I'll go with Hitch. Man just knew his shite.

[syxxpac]

Hitch

[The Other]

I haven't seen enough of Lean's films to make a decision but I really love some of Hitchcock's films (Notorious, Rebecca).

[Romero&Juliet]

Originally posted by James Logan
Close, but I'll go with Hitch. Man just knew his shite.

well said!

[zeppelin]

Both are brilliant directors, but I prefer Hitch.

[bob]

Hitchcock made many more classic films.

[El Bracamonti]

hitchcock

[chasingbanky]

Hitch...The greatest director ever...No one will ever do as much as he did and surely no one will do it with as little as he had....Hitch reeks of perfection.

[Lynn Minmei]

Are you kidding me? Hitchcock without a doubt. Lean cannot compare.

[Sugar_Kane]

Definately Alfred Hitchcock.

[Trinity]

Originally posted by The Other
I haven't seen enough of Lean's films to make a decision but I really love some of Hitchcock's films (Notorious, Rebecca).
Same here.

[Scarface98.9]

Alfred Hitchcock. Most of his movies are really enjoyable and classic at the same time

[Antonio]

H I T C H

[ashes]

Lean,apart from Psycho and the Birds i think Hitchcock was a bit overated.

[Film Guru Zach]

Originally posted by Lynn Minmei
Are you kidding me? Hitchcock without a doubt. Lean cannot compare.

Hitchcock got one oscar in his time for Best picture (for Rebecca) and never recieved a best director award (which in my opinion was a shame). But David lean got numerous. I am trying to count them out in my head, and it's impossible. Nearly every film he made went up for oscars.

Hitchcock made many great films, but along with that, many had flaws. Example: In the Birds, when they are sheltered in the house. The Birds peck away at the door with a thickness of about 3 inches of wood. They fail to get in. However, they were more than capable of pecking their way through the roof.

Hitchcock had the knack, and made many classics, but many of which did not recieve recognition because they weren't solid. Extremely well made, but not well rounded.

All of David Lean's films are flawless. I dare you all to find a David Lean film that isn't solid and well rounded.

DAVID LEAN ONCE AGAIN!

[Michael_myers]

I'll have to go with Lean. Although he made the technically brilliant, but emotionally cold Doctor Zhivago, he's still better on a scale of 1-10 than Hitch. He's made better films than Hitch (technically and emotionally)

Sure I love Hitch, but with Hitch, everyone's heard or seen his "BIG 5" which seem to be: Rear Window, North by Northwest, Vertigo, Psycho and The Birds. Whilst Lean has has lesser known but great adaptations of Oliver Twist, Great Expectations and of course Passage to India. Lean was more than just Lawrence of Arabia, Bridge on the River Kwai and Doctor Zhivago, but Hitch was really all North by Northwest, Vertigo, Psycho, Rear Window and The Birds. Hitch's other movies cannot compare with Lean's other movies: Rebecca, The Lady Vanishes, Rope, Lifeboat, Dial M For Murder, Frenzy, Marnie and Family Plot were just fluff in my opinion. Hitch really had validity in Spellbound and Notorious, other than his big five. All in all, both directors made great films, but I have to go with David Lean in the end.

[Hannibal21]

Originally posted by Film Guru Zach
I dare you all to find a David Lean film that isn't solid and well rounded.

Uh............DOCTOR ZHIVAGO.

Lean's a magnificent director and all his films are masterpieces, except that one which, even though was techinically brilliant, is also the best cure for insomnia, not to mention the character developement was weak and the film ran on for too long, without much to even give a shit about. But that's just my opinion.

[Grim H.]

I'll go with Mr. Lean on that one. Even though I love Hitchcock movies, like Jasonite said, David had a way of making a film timeless. And I'm a huge fan of epics, so I'll go with Lean....

[Michael_myers]

I liked my wording on Dr Zzzzzzzz best:

"Technically brilliant, but emotionally cold". LOL. I love myself.