Stanley Kubrick made his first film when he was only 22 years 
old. This film was only 68 minutes long and it was called Fear 
and Desire, a portrait of a few young soldiers caught behind 
enemy lines. 

The film wasn’t as resonant with audiences as his later work, but 
it truly marked the birth of what would become one of the most 
influential filmmakers in the world. Steven Spielberg, another 
young prodigy, also started when he was quite young. His first 
official film was for Duel and it was made for Television. The 
production design was simple, considering that it involved just a 
man, a car and a big truck. Years later, Spielberg would get his 
hands dirty with epic sized projects like Amistad, Indiana Jones 
and Schindler’s list.

While it may be difficult to choose between these two cinema’s 
greats, one can simply compare their career paths. While 
Spielberg was more drawn toward children’s fantasies, Kubrick 
concentrated mostly on perverse nature of man and how restricted 
environments and thinking can drive a man insane.

Not many film directors have been considered auteur but those who 
have had that strong visual eye have created works that oozed 
with their aesthetic sensibilities. Alfred Hitchcock once said 
that actors were like cattle and that may have been the reason 
why he never received an Academy Award. He was a prolific artist 
who loved actors and making films but because of his 
eccentricities, he was never fully rewarded for his efforts.

With Machiavelli Hangman coming out, critics are already 
remembering these great names when they look at the visual style 
of newcomer Shervin Youssefian. He possesses that subtly 
in his aggressive and bold camera movements and even though 
you may not be able to put your finger on it, you can feel his 
presence every second of the way.

Machiavelli Hangman is that feature debut that marks the 
beginning of a gold-paved road for this young filmmaker as 
Amores Perros did for Cuaron and Open your eyes for Amenabar. 
I site out these Foreign titles because Youssefian is not a 
native to the states. He was born in Iran and raised primarily 
in France where he received a thorough education in the arts 
of film.

Although his European sensibilities have been called too abstract 
or existentialism, Youssefian proved all of his critics wrong 
with this original tour-de-force that manages to be as 
conventional as any Hollywood Film and still possess that certain 
je-ne-sais-quoi. As Spielberg and Kubrick slowly climbed the 
ladders of success and power, so is our prediction that  that 
same road will be taken by this great new talent. 

Lesley Anderson is a movie reviewer.
Machiavelli Hangman
http://www.hangmanmovie.com