1077). However, throughout these films he displayed a great ability for visual storytelling while keeping a rough and gritty feel. When nominated for Taxi Driver, he fell to John G. Avildsen and his movie Rocky. Avildsen's work could be described as being a B-movie, but still went on to win because of the feel good tale of a down and out boxer becoming a near champion. He later would lose to the sentimental favorites such as Robert Redford and Kevin Costner, both for their debuts as directors, gaining them both their first ever Oscars. Scorsese during the mid-nineties achieved near-iconic status among film aficionados and was honored with retrospectives, won mainstream success without sacrificing his personal vision, and received countless awards except for that elusive Oscar (Friedman 186).

In conclusion, the award given by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in the category of best direction is not always indicative of the best director. Although the Academy claims that their award is a means of drawing attention to the best director in terms of ability, they often times choose the director they like best in terms of how he fits the criteria of the Academy, the big studios, and their own personal feelings. The Academy applies pressure on the members to uphold their standards and choose someone that directed a movie that was able to make the viewer have a sense of happiness or pride, while disallowing any comedy, horror, sexual pictures. The big studios have the money to support their directors and call more attention towards them. The members have their own idea who should win based on their own personal feelings for a director, often times creating a sentimental favorite because of past tries or being a likable character. All these opinions hinder the members from really examining the direction for all the movies nominated, leaving directors that are worthy of winning the award in their chairs when the winner is called. People who are considered to be great

directors, in terms of being both innovative and relevant by today's standards, often have never won an Oscar. Directors such as Alfred Hitchcock, Orson Welles, Stanley Kubrick, and Martin Scorsese have revolutionized the art form of direction and made technical breakthroughs that are common practice for the directors of today, despite never winning an Academy Award for best direction. It seems that in the end the real winners of the award for best direction are the Academy, the big studios, and the sentimental favorites who cynically direct whom will receive the award.

missed its point which led to its downfall from a box office, not an artistic, point of view." Due to his originality he lost the 1941 Oscar for best direction to John Ford's film How Green was My Valley, another feel good embodiment of America. However, the 1940s were not the only years that the Academy made mistakes.

Oscar for a movie that is not a good example of great direction. Instead, they are pitied by the Academy and allowed to win, even though there might be a director who proved to be better that year ("74th" 3). The pressures applied by the big studios, the members having a sentimental favorite along with the rules of the Academy hinder the members' ability to objectively choose a deserving winner. There have been many examples of directors who should have won over the 74 years that the Academy has been handing out awards.

still trust in their decision-making while maintaining an upright status amongst its

Some common words found in the essay are:
Arts Sciences, Academy Award, American Osbourne, Academy Academy, Randolph Hurst, Orson Welles, Martin Scorsese, Alfred Hitchcock, Stanley Kubrick, Citizen Kane, picture arts, picture arts sciences, academy motion, academy motion picture, motion picture, motion picture arts, arts sciences, sentimental favorites, oscar direction, academy award, orson welles, directors alfred hitchcock, award academy, vote director, arts sciences category,
Approximate Word count = 2370
Approximate Pages = 9 (250 words per page double spaced)