▁Best ▁Director ▁Oscar ▁for ▁G igi ▁( 1 9 5 8 ). ▁According ▁to ▁Peter ▁Bart ▁in ▁his ▁book ▁The ▁G ross , ▁Minn elli ' s ▁films ▁having ▁ 1 1 ▁first - place ▁finish es ▁on ▁Vari ety ' s ▁opening ▁release ▁box ▁office ▁rank ings . ▁ ▁He ▁was ▁awarded ▁France ' s ▁highest ▁civil ian ▁honor , ▁Com mande ur ▁of ▁the ▁Leg ion ▁of ▁Honor , ▁only ▁weeks ▁before ▁his ▁death ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 6 . ▁ ▁Minn elli ' s ▁critical ▁reputation ▁has ▁known ▁a ▁certain ▁amount ▁of ▁fl uct u ation , ▁being ▁adm ired ▁( or ▁dismiss ed ) ▁in ▁America ▁as ▁a ▁" p ure ▁sty list " ▁who , ▁in ▁Andrew ▁S arr is ' ▁words , ▁" bel ieves ▁more ▁in ▁beauty ▁than ▁in ▁art ." ▁Alan ▁Jay ▁L erner ▁( of ▁L erner ▁and ▁Lo e we ) ▁described ▁Minn elli ▁as , ▁" the ▁greatest ▁director ▁of ▁motion ▁picture ▁musical s ▁the ▁screen ▁has ▁ever ▁seen ." ▁ ▁His ▁work ▁reached ▁a ▁height ▁of ▁critical ▁attention ▁during ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 5 0 s ▁and ▁early ▁ 1 9 6 0 s ▁in ▁France ▁with ▁extensive ▁studies ▁in ▁the ▁C ah iers ▁du ▁Cin éma ▁magazine , ▁especially ▁in ▁the ▁articles ▁by ▁Jean ▁D ouch et ▁and ▁Jean ▁Dom arch i , ▁who ▁saw ▁in ▁him ▁" a ▁cin ematic ▁vision ary ▁obs essed ▁with ▁beauty ▁and ▁harm ony ", ▁and ▁" an ▁artist ▁who ▁could ▁give