Across five decades, soon to make that six with his upcoming musical film West Side Story, Steven Spielberg has established himself as one of the greatest filmmakers of all time. At the time of writing Spielberg has directed 32 feature length films with some incredible classics under his belt. I'm going to look into Steven's career and shine a light on the legacy he has created.
Spielberg started his directorial journey in 1963 at the age of just 16. He wrote and directed a full 140 minute Sci-Fi adventure named Firelight, a film that inspired his later masterpiece Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Firelight was shown for just one evening at a local cinema but what this showed was Spielberg's incredible potential from an early age. It wasn't until his first major film The Sugarland Express, made 11 years later in 1974 where Spielberg's talent and potential was evident to public audiences. His next film, however, would not just propel Steven to be a global star as a director but it also changed cinema forever.
In 1975 Jaws hit the big screen in a big way. Based on the novel released the year prior of the same name by Peter Benchley. The film generated 472 million dollars in the box office and it overtook The Godfather as the highest grossing film in North America as well as smashing those same records in; New Zealand, Spain, Japan and Mexico. Jaws won three academy awards with Spielberg also nominated for best director. The now horror classic revolved around a shark that was terrorising inhabitants of Amity island. The film had everything including an iconic score, revolutionary animatronic technology, iconic quotes and a moment of genius that will never be forgotten.
The dolly zoom was first invented in 1958 by Alfred Hitchcock but Spielberg's usage of the zoom popularised it and created one of cinemas greatest moments. Showing Spielberg's innovate and imaginative mind. Jaws revolutionised the horror genre and cinema in general and still remains a classic today.
The classic scene in Jaws(1975)
Spielberg didn't take much time at all to create another classic with his next film, Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Along with Star Wars which was released in the same year Close Encounters would have never before seen visual effects that blew the minds of audiences and arguably paved the way for the visual effects we see so regularly today. The film saw Spielberg once again nominated for best director at the academy awards. His reputation had now built and people were awaiting his next project.
His next film, however, was a massive failure. A 1979 war/comedy named 1941 would heavily flop but there was no need to panic as just a few years later the first of an iconic franchise would bring a joyful adventure film to be remembered forever.
Raiders of the Lost Ark was the first in a series of films staring the lovable Harrison Ford as the lovable Indiana Jones. The Film series so far has spanned across 27 years with a 4 films and a fifth on the way in 2022. Spielberg directed all four films but will not direct the fifth in the franchise. Whilst many would say the series should've ended with the third film in 1989, no-one could argue against the fact these are more classic films directed by Steven Spielberg.
Raiders Of The Lost Ark(1981)
Spielberg then followed this up with E.T. the Extra Terrestrial, released in late December of 1982 which and another massive impact on the Sci-Fi genre. E.T. pulled at heartstrings as well as making audiences laugh and be blown away by a beautiful story of an outsider judged for the way they look. With more iconic imagery and quotes to add to Spielberg's impressive collection. The film was actually based on an imaganary friend Speilberg had created for himself during his parents divorce which gives the story of the film more depth and meaning which helped audiences connect with what is still known as one of the best family films ever made.
A few years later he would then make a lesser known film but certainly not something massively lesser in quality. The Color Purple(1985) has a star studded cast of mostly black actors, featuring Oprah Winfrey, Whoopi Goldberg, Danny Glover and of course many more. The film is about the life of a young 14 year old black girl growing up in the early 1900's whilst being pregnant. The film deals with important topics such as racial discrimination, abuse, rape, loss and sexuality. A film like this is rare even today and back in 1985 it was a welcomed breath of fresh air. It shows Spielberg's skill in filming and storytelling but more than that is shows he is progressive and unafraid to share his views on important world issues.
After Empire Of Sun(1987), a highly impressive film staring a 13 year old Christian Bale. Spielberg went on an incredible film making streak. Starting in 1991 with Disney classic Hook, which he then followed that up with one of the most impactful films of all time, Jurassic Park in 1993, to then releasing one of the emotional films of all time, Schindler's List the following year. This shows Spielberg incredible range as well as his shockingly good work ethic. Three legendary films of three completely different genres in just three years. Hook, a children's film about family, fantasy and fun adventures. Jurassic Park with iconic quotes, scenes, imagery and an extinct species brought to life on the big screen like never before. With incredible scenes like the low height camera tracking shot in the epic dinasour chase. The innovative idea to use the waters moment to show the characters recognising what's coming for them as well as the beautiful shots of the island their on in the film and much more.
Schindler's List told the harrowing story of the holocaust from the perspective of a German Industrialist trying his best to save Jewish, people who were being persecuted, and not get caught by the Nazi's. The film was shot in entirely black and white apart from one little girl with a red coat to provide us with one of the best moments of symbolism I think a film has ever produced.
Schindler's List(1994)
Spielberg continued with the Jurassic Park franchise directing the first sequel film in 1997. Then he made his final film of the 20th century, Saving Private Ryan. Known by most as the greatest war film of all time, Saving Private Ryan released in 1998 demonstrated suspense like Spielberg had never shown before. He also showcased the relentless, traumatic and terrifying realism of war with an unforgettable scene of the Normandy Landing.
The consistency of Steven Spielberg is truly outstanding and this didn't stop at the turn of the new century. His 2001 film Artificial Intelligence(2001) and Minority Report(2002) are not necessarily spectacular but still a great addition to the Sci-Fi genre. Catch Me If You Can(2003) is a brilliant crime biography. War Of The Worlds is an iconic film of alien invasion. He even tried his hand in a Rom-Com with The Terminal(2004).
Releasing incredible films in a short space of time is seemingly Spielberg's expertise and something I've not seen another director do with anywhere near as much success. In 2011 Spielberg took this one step further by releasing The Adventures Of Tintin and War Horse in the same year. Although Tintin is an animation it doesn't make this feat any less impressive. He also directed another animation in 2017 with The BFG, once again proving his flexibility as a director.
Spielberg's film titled Lincoln from 2012 has one of the best acting performances of all time from Daniel Day-Lewis in a historical drama. After that he made an epic spy thriller Bridge Of Spies(2015) and another historical drama with The Post(2017). As well as an abundance of other films I didn't feel the need to mention.
On top of all his directorial masterclasses in making Spielberg has even show his prowess in producing. He was executive producer for Poltergeist(1981), Gremlins(1984), The Goonies(1985), Back to the Future(1985),Memoirs of a Geisha(2005), Letters from Iwo Jima(2006), Transformers(2007), Jurassic World(2015), Jurassic Park:Fallen Kingdom(2018) as well as many more including the films he also directed.
Additionally, Steven is a big gamer and has a lengthy history of game involvement. He's written scripts and scenarios for numerous video games for Dreamworks Interactive and Electronic Arts. So you could say he's a Jack of all trades.
Spielberg's films have some of the best soundtracks of all time due to his relationship with incredible composer John Williams. Together they've made 20 films and the pair of them are legends without a doubt. The music of Williams makes those iconic scenes so much more impressive and without John Williams the impact of those scenes wouldn't be as great
Steven Spielberg has been making films for almost 60 years with more on the way. His style has evolved but is still easily recognisable despite him not having a definitive directing style like a Tarantino but he's adapted to every story and fulfilled the needs required to tell those stories in imaginative and interesting ways as well as giving us incredible moments that will never be forgotten. He's given us dozens of classics and produced many more too. The majority of Spielberg's films are suitable for everybody to watch and enjoy, with themes of faith and hope being ever present. His films have the capacity to make you laugh, to make you cry, to scare you,to give you pride, to blow your mind or just simply entertain you. he has tapped into almost every genre and been incredibly successful which is so rare for directors who usually specialise in a specific genre and stick to that genre as it's something they're comfortable with but not Spielberg. The incredible moments and ideas he put on the big screen are still being replicated and parodied in other films and TV shows such as 'The Simpsons' and 'Toy Story' which demonstrates the impact he's had on other creators and people in general. His most recent film Ready Player One from 2018 proves he's still got it as if it was ever in doubt. He was cemented as a legend of cinema a long time ago and that isn't going to change. In total Spielberg has won 67 major awards for his films which is shockingly remarkable. All I can say now is, thank you Steven Spielberg.
Written By Alfie Hoy
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