Directors gone wild

By Stephanie Lysaght, Patrick Kevin Day and Denise Martin, Los Angeles Times Staff Writers

A film director wears many hats: translator, visionary, disciplinarian. With so much power and so much responsibility, it’s no wonder that directors often end up sparring with actors, writers, and even other directors.

In a recent directorial dust-up, Spike Lee made headlines by criticizing Clint Eastwood. "Clint Eastwood made two films about Iwo Jima that ran for more than four hours total, and there was not one Negro actor on the screen," alleged Lee. " ... There's no way I know why he did that. That was his vision, not mine. But I know it was pointed out to him and that he could have changed it. It's not like he didn't know."

Eastwood fired back, telling the Guardian that in his new film, set in South Africa, “I’m not going to make Nelson Mandela a white guy.” He also said that Lee should “shut his face.” Hey, we said they were powerful, not mature.

Here are some other famous and fiery director feuds.