A film director is the person with the greatest control over the trajectory of a film. More than any writer, actor, producer, or editor, it is the director's eye develops the film into what it will become when it hits the silver screen. The history of film has realized many talents that elevated film to a true art form. If you love great movies, then familiarize yourself with these cinema greats!

–          Alfred Hitchcock. Hitchcock is the master of mystery and suspense. His talent led him to become one of the most influential men to ever direct movies. So much of today's visual stylings that we now find common place were innovated by Hitchcock in films like Psycho, The Birds, and Rear Window.

–          Orson Welles. Even if the only movie Welles had ever directed was Citizen Kane, he would still be considered one of the most talented and inventive directors of all time. Welles filled his frames with detail and vibrancy, pushing the envelope in a number of ways that ultimately moved cinema into the future.

–          Jean-Luc Godard. A polestar of the French New Wave, Godard was essential in transforming the way we think about cinema. His films opened the door to more unique viewpoints.

–          Stanley Kubrick. His films cover a wide variety of genres, but they are all connected through Kubrick's astute visual style. His movies are among the most aesthetically beautiful ever to grace the silver screen, despite the fact that they delve into the more sinister side of human emotions.

–          Steven Spielberg. Speilberg epitomizes modern cinema more so than any other modern day director. He has helped to usher in the reign of the blockbuster — with films like Jaws and E.T..