Director Curve

I have this idea I call the Director Curve. I can’t quite recall if it’s something I stumbled upon, discovered in a random magazine, or just formulated in my mind. Google searches give no answers and leave me to ponder its origins. Anyway, the Director Curve suggests that, as directors age, they often tend to follow a trajectory in their filmography. So, they make a few great films in their prime, but then, there’s a turning point. Their work, once masterpieces, starts to lose its originality and gradually slides into mediocrity. If we were to plot this trajectory on a graph, it would resemble a distorted bell where brilliance peaks and then fades like a shooting star.

I think this holds some truth. Once a director establishes their unique style, they risk becoming a caricature of themselves over time. Their later films often resemble a film student perspective mimicking their signature. The prime creative phase for many directors often falls during the middle years of their careers. They have the physical vitality and mental clarity to manifest their vision. However, aging does tend to soften passions and diminish motivations. Of course, age may bring wisdom. But it is a fact that filmmaking is not just a mental work, it has practical challenges that demand solutions. And, as you get more experienced, it’s more tempting to focus on resolved problems than tackle new ones. It takes real guts to destroy the whole structure you have painstakingly constructed and start with a fresh canvas.

I can’t name a single director who defies this trajectory. And, I ponder, instead of making mediocre films, perhaps it’s wiser for filmmakers to exit the stage gradually.