The 10 Most Visually Stunning Directors

The extravagant sights in Tarsem Singh's Greek mythology smackdown Immortals inspires us to look back at cinema's sickest visionaries.

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Complex Original

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Don’t feel bad if this has happened to you: You’re watching the latest episode of FX’s American Horror Story when the requisite commercials pop up, one of which is a spot for Immortals, the latest hyper-stylized, sword-and-sandal epic from the producers of 300. Having heard nothing about the film prior to the commercial, you think, “Whoa, that video game looks pretty badass.” And then the closing mention of the movie’s 11/11/11 theatrical release date wakes you up to the fact that it’s actually a feature film, albeit one that evokes thoughts of the coolest Xbox game you’ll never get to play.

A total sensory experience, Immortals is an otherwise generic gladiator adventure made uniquely appealing through its lavish sets, awesome graphics, and exaggerated color designs, all directly attributed to the film’s director, Tarsem Singh. The former music video specialist’s first big Hollywood blow-out, Immortals attacks the familiar terrain of properties such as Spartacus: Blood And Sand with the same eyeball-raping visuals of Tarsem’s gorgeously distinctive films The Cell and The Fall.

Immortals could be a showcase of inept acting and laughable dialogue and it’d still be worth its ticket price, thanks to Tarsem’s credit alone. The 50-year-old Indian filmmaker isn’t alone in that lane of auteurs whose names are enough to deem movies deserving of a look. Before you indulge in the excess of Immortals, do your pupils a favor and get acquainted with The 10 Most Visually Stunning Directors.

Written by Matt Barone (@MBarone)

10. Guillermo del Toro

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9. Alex Proyas

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8. David Lynch

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7. Dario Argento

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6. Tarsem Singh

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5. Gaspar Noé

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4. Mario Bava

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3. The Wachowski Brothers

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2. Tim Burton

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1. Terry Gilliam

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