Gaspar Noé

Though he directed only a handful of movies, filmmaker Gaspar Noé achieved maximum impact by creating some of the more dark and disturbing films on either side of the Atlantic. In fact, Noé's films triggered something of a backlash against the director, with critics unabashedly expressing either their adulation or loathing of his work. Noé made his feature debut with the depressing "I Stand Alone" (1998), but it was his unrelenting second film, "Irreversible" (2002), that put him on the map for better or worse. At the film's heart was a graphic, nine-minute rape scene featuring star Monica Bellucci that triggered outrage and many walkouts over its harsh portrayal of such a humiliating act. Never one to back down or apologize, the unassuming Noé shrugged off such criticisms while his movie became a box office hit. Thanks to the success of "Irreversible," he went on to direct his dream project, "Enter the Void" (2009), a dream-like experimental film that once again polarized critics. This time, however, the film was a financial flop. Love him or hate him, Noé was a unique filmmaker capable of eliciting strong visceral reactions to his work, proving with his kinetic style that he offered something new to the medium.