Auteur Tennis* is a new feature in which I compare the films of two directors from different countries but who were working at the same time. I will pick five films that were released around the same year and pit them against each other. I will be the sole judge of the films but welcome additional insights and disagreements. The first director to win three sets of film comparisons wins the match.

I am not picking the highest-rated or most popular five films from each director. Rather, I’m trying to include a broad mix of their work spread out over enough time to show how their styles did or did not evolve. In some cases, I might make last minute substitutions depending upon the availability of a certain film.

The first three matches are scheduled, and I’m looking for recommendations for future matches. I will post a new set every Tuesday.

Match #1: Michelangelo Antonioni v. Sidney Lumet Lumet Wins 3-2! Films in bold denote winners for each set.

• Introduction
• Set 1, Il Grido and 12 Angry Men
• Set 2, L’Avventura and The Fugitive Kind
• Set 3, Red Desert and The Pawnbroker
• Set 4, Blow Up and The Deadly Affair
• Set 5, The Passenger and Dog Day Afternoon

Match #2: Satyajit Ray v. Andrzej Wajda

• Introduction
• Set 1, Pather Panchali and A Generation
• Set 2, Aparajito and Kanal
• Set 3, The World of Apu and Ashes and Diamonds
• Set 4, Nayak and Everything for Sale
• Set 5, The Chess Player and Man of Marble

Match #3, Jean Renoir v. William Wyler (tentative)

• Introduction
• Set 1, Grand Illusion and Dead End
• Set 2, The Human Beast and Jezebel
• Set 3, Rules of the Game and Wuthering Heights
• Set 4, Diary of a Chambermaid and The best Years of Our Lives
• Set 5, Elena and Her Men and Friendly Persuasion

*Hat tip to Coudal Partners (Layer Tennis) for the inspiration.