After last week’s look at the actors that have been snubbed by Oscar, this week we turn our gaze to directors. There are a few modern directors like Paul Thomas Anderson and David Fincher that should be receiving an award for their efforts but some of the biggest names never got an award. The names on this list created some of the biggest, most impressive films of all time. They redefined the language of cinema and shaped the way we think of movies today.

Now before you start busting my chops about Orson Welles not being on the list, he did in fact, win one Oscar. It wasn’t in directing but in original screenplay for Citizen Kane. Still a proper win is a proper win and that takes him off the list of never having received an Oscar.

Sergio Leone
I was shocked that Sergio Leone was never even nominated. He created epic films like The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, Once Upon a Time in the West and Once Upon a Time in America. His films were larger than life and starred some of the biggest stars of the time.

Akira Kurosawa
When you think of influential directors, Akira Kurosawa usually pops to the top of the list. With films like Seven Samurai, Yojimbo, Ran and Rashomon, Kurosawa’s influence can be felt in everything from westerns to sci-fi to action. Kurosawa was only nominated for one Oscar in his career. To be fair, most of his work probably wasn’t see outside of Japan until years after it’s initial release.

1986 – Ran

Spike Lee
Lee is a very contentious figure in Hollywood. He has done great movies like Do the Right Thing, Malcolm X, 4 Little Girls and Get on the Bus. Lee’s politics and outspokenness has been his downfall. He could redeem himself and win an Oscar yet. If his version of OldBoy gets off the ground, we could see an Oscar in his near future.

1990 – Do the Right Thing
1998 – 4 Little Girls

Arthur Penn
Penn ushered in violence in cinema with his landmark film Bonnie and Clyde. He helped redefine how violent films could be. Without him, we would haven’t some of the biggest films of the 70’s. Penn was nominated for three Oscars for Directing and should have been nominated for Little Big Man.

1963 – The Miracle Worker
1968 – Bonnie and Clyde
1970 – Alice’s Restaurant

Sidney Lumet
Sidney Lumet is probably one of the greatest directors that no one really knows. His films were big and flashy but subtle and intelligent. 12 Angry Men is one of the best courtroom dramas of all time. Who doesn’t want to yell, “I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take this anymore.”? He was nominated an impressive 5 times for director but didn’t win. In truth he could have been nominated many more for films like Serpico, The Hill, The Pawnbroker and Fail-Safe.

1958 – 12 Angry Men
1976 – Prince of the City
1977 – Network
1982 – Dog Day Afternoon
1983 – The Verdict

Mike Leigh
Leigh is one of the few modern directors to make the list. I honestly thought he had won for Topsy-Turvy. Between Best Director and Best Screenplay, he has been nominated seven times. Leigh’s downfall is he is a critical darling but rarely makes a splash outside of indie circles. That’s not to say he won’t win a trophy down the line, his odds just don’t look very good.

1997 – Secrets & Lies
2000 – Topsy-Turvy
2005 – Vera Drake
2009 – Happy-Go-Lucky
2011 – Another Year

Stanley Kubrick
Kubrick was nominated 12 times between Picture, Director and Screenplay. For me this is a personal affront. Kubrick being snubbed for his films is a crime. We can console ourselves with the brilliance of his work. No other director has had a big an impact on cinema as Kubrick. He did win an Oscar for Best Effects for 2001: A Space Odyssey so I guess you could take him off the list. Still he didn’t win for what he was best known for so it doesn’t feel like he really won.

1965 – Dr. Strangelove
1969 – 2001: A Space Odyssey
1972 – A Clockwork Orange
1976 – Barry Lyndon
1988 – Full Metal Jacket

Robert Altman
Altman’s style was all his own. His use of sound was revolutionary. No one played with audio like Altman did. Nominated seven times between Picture and Director, he was always the bridesmaid, never the bride. How he was over looked for Popeye is still a mystery.

1971 – MASH
1976 – Nashville
1993 – The Player
1994 – Short Cuts
2002 – Gosford Park

Fredrico Fellini
Fellini ties Kubrick for the number of times he was nominated for an Oscar. The difference is Fellini was nominated across nine different films. Law of averages says he should have one at least once. Fellini was nominated multiple times over multiple decades. He is the director with the most nominations without a win.

1947 – Rome, Open City
1950 – Paisan
1957 – La Strada
1958 – I Vitelloni
1962 – La Dolce Vita
1964 – 81/2
1971 – Fellini Satyricon
1976 – Amacord