…this list is by Daniel Dockery and can be found on Cracked.com or by clicking the below link:

http://www.cracked.com/blog/5-reasons-great-directors-eventually-make-bad-movie/

I find such ruminations fascinating because it seems almost everyone that has been very successful in creating exceptional work(s) of art, be they paintings, music, literature, or movies, eventually releases something that is, for lack of a better word, sour.

Director Alfred Hitchcock had perhaps one of the all time greatest careers in cinema, releasing films that were undeniably “Hitchcokian”.  These films were noted for featuring great suspense and skullduggery along with some very, very funny black humor.  His first feature was made in 1922 and his last was released in 1976, making for a career that lasted a mind boggling 54 years.

Arguably, he “came into his own” and began releasing his distinctive brand of films in the early to mid 1930’s on, reaching his creative peak (again, in many people’s opinions) in the mid 1950’s through the early 1960’s.  During those years Mr. Hitchcock directed such movie landmarks as Rear Window (1954), Vertigo (1958), North By Northwest (1959), Psycho (1960), and The Birds (1963) (RIP Rod Taylor).  However, those weren’t the only films he released during that time.  Mr. Hitchcock was nothing if not proficient, but I suspect most people would site the films I list above as his “cream of the crop”.

But a very curious thing happened after The Birds: Whether it was age or disinterest or perhaps any of the other five reasons mentioned in the above link (one could argue a few might well apply) Mr. Hitchcock abruptly hit what amounted to a creative wall.  He would go on to make five more feature films after The Birds:  Marnie (1964), Torn Curtain (1966), Topaz (1969), Frenzy (1972) and Family Plot (1976).  While these films have their defenders, even the most dedicated Hitchcock fans offer few reasons to revisit either Torn Curtain or Topaz.  I’m equally certain even the strongest defenders of Mr. Hitchcock’s last decade plus of production, if cornered, have to admit none of the above listed films come close to the dizzying heights of his best works.

So what happened?  One is left to speculate.  When I was younger, I had this vision of a writer who sat before their typewriter (this was before the era of the computer) and daydreamed and then wrote whatever fancy hit him/her.

The reality is that writing, like most other artistic endeavors, is a job.  Their product is the result of work.  Often very, very hard work.

An author has to make a book that sells if s/he is to have a career in the field.  To do so, they have to please audiences as well as those who publish their work.  This entails a great deal of pressure.  For directors, I imagine, the pressure is multiplied.  To begin, you have to convince investors you have the talent and potential product that will offer these money people a good return on their investment.  Once you get the investment and production begins, these investors don’t simply disappear.  You can be certain they’re going to keep an close eye on what you’re up to and make sure you aren’t squandering their cash.

Add to that the fact that you’re dealing with a cast and crew, sometimes in the hundreds, who will have a myriad of different levels of interest in whatever you’re making.  Some may view the work as nothing more than a paying job while others may be just as invested as you are.  Then again, there’s the danger they’re too invested and have vastly different visions of how the work should be presented.  If your talent has a big enough “name”, they may demand changes that they feel will accentuate their work but which you, as a director, may feel harms the overall product.  And that’s not counting your garden variety clashes of personalities.

I don’t envy directors.  The fact that good, even great films have been produced in the past and will no doubt be made into the future shows that sometimes the stars align and a good work is made.  Sometimes, if you’re crafty and creative enough, several good films will be released under your name.

But there seems to inevitably come a time when things don’t work out as well as they should.  Hopefully, you’ll recover and learn from your experience and once again create something audiences feel matches your very best work.

Hopefully.