Baz Luhrmann, the Australian director, is famous for capturing true glamour in his films. In The Great Gatsby (2013), he showcased the absurd wealth and debauchery of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s 1925 novel using wide shots of parties, choreographed dances and lavish set designs. More recently, in Elvis (2022), he portrayed Elvis Presley’s turbulent life with stunning costumes, dynamic compositions and dazzling sets.

However, even as a newbie director, Luhrmann still leaned towards being extra. His first film, Strictly Ballroom (1992), was clearly produced on a modest budget—US$3 million, according to IMDb, compared to the US$14.5 million spent on his second feature film, Romeo + Juliet (2001)—but it was still full of dramatic editing, breathtaking dance sequences, and bold use of isolating dialogue from music or background noise to build tension.

As evident in Christopher Nolan’s latest smash-hit film Oppenheimer (that’s collected more than US$851 million at the box office so far), the British American filmmaker knows how to merge cinematography with ambience to create cinematic masterpieces that do not take away from the storytelling. Exploring the real-life story of J. Robert Oppenheimer—the scientist who developed the atomic bomb—the director turned to muted tones, close-up shots and sweeping views of lonely landscapes to capture the inner turmoil of the lead character. He also switched between full colour and black and white to reinforce the polarising and conflicting perspectives from this time in history.

Nolan is also known to experiment with temporal shifts, nonlinear storytelling and labyrinthine plots to create a compelling cinematic experience, as seen in Inception (2010), Interstellar (2014) and Tenet (2020). Put it this way: you know when you’re watching a Christopher Nolan feature.

In case you missed it: Does the Oppenheimer cast look familiar to you? You’ve probably seen them in another film or two

Best known for her depictions of girlhood, American filmmaker Sofia Coppola has managed to capture various coming-of-age experiences though a feminine lens. Her use of hazy lighting and long cuts in movies such as The Virgin Suicides (1999) and Lost in Translation (2001) give them a dream-like but uncertain quality that underlines the recurring themes such as youth, isolation, femininity and privilege.

Judging by the trailer, we can also expect the same techniques and flair in Priscilla—her new film on Elvis Presley’s marriage to Priscilla Beaulieu—which is being unveiled at Venice Film Festival today. While her father, Francis Ford Coppola, is one of the most influential American directors and undoubtedly influenced her work, Sofia’s style is uniquely her own. Perhaps shaped by her Hollywood upbringing, as well as acting and modelling experience prior to picking up the camera, her signature is distinct from her father’s ... and just as memorable.

Hong Kong director Wong Kar-wai is renowned for his visual dramas that dwell on love and loss through vivid colours, slow motion shots and off-centre framing. Often scarce in dialogue, Wong’s films contrast a melancholy atmosphere heavy with unspoken feelings with overlapping storylines, rich imagery and mindful colour palettes that convey a character’s emotions.

Together with long-time collaborator and cinematographer Christopher Doyle, Wong has directed multiple critically acclaimed films such as Chungking Express (1994) and In The Mood For Love (2000) that cannot be mistaken for the work of any other director. In fact, his films are so uniquely his, Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022) was able to pay tribute the director—with whom Oscar-winning actor Ke Huy Quan worked during that time he wasn’t able to find work as an actor in Hollywood due to its racism and lack of diversity—just by echoing its style and colour palette. 

Don’t miss: From ‘In the Mood for Love’ to ‘Irma Vep’: 5 Maggie Cheung films you should watch

Canadian director Denis Villeneuve has made many critically acclaimed movies such as Maelström (2000) and Incendies (2010), but his most recent success is Dune (2021)—the science fiction classic written by Frank Herbert that was once deemed too challenging to be adapted for film. But of course no fantasy is too impossible for Villeneuve, whose futuristic films include Arrival (2016) and the Ryan Gosling-starrer Blade Runner 2049 (2017), both of which were well received by critics and audiences alike.

Villeneuve takes his characters on a revelatory journey in an uncertain world, the ambiguity of which he captures through off-centre framing, inverted camera angles and depiction of overwhelmingly towering structures that make human figures seem small and insignificant in comparison.

The Wes Anderson aesthetic is so distinctive it even becomes a trending moment on social media, with content creators filming themselves going about tasks both exciting and mundane to the style of Anderson’s movies—that is full of colour and whimsy.

The American filmmaker uses retro costumes and meticulous set designs to transport viewers to his fictional worlds, but it’s his use of symmetry, quick cuts and tableau shots (also known as static scenes) that keeps them wanting to stay there.

Whether he’s working with Hollywood actors such as Ralph Fiennes in The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) and Tom Hanks in Asteroid City (2023) or turning to animation in Fantastic Mr Fox (2009) and Isle of Dogs (2018), his attention to detail in creating a quirky visual world is quite unmatched.

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