There is one
director who I believe will go down as the greatest director of all time; his
name is Steven Spielberg. Spielberg is
truly a master of his craft in every way.
The man knows how to not only tell a story through visuals but he knows
how to make you feel like you are IN that story. When I watch films like “ JAWS”, “E.T. the
Extra-Terrestrial”, “The Indiana Jones Trilogy”, “Schindler’s List”, “Saving
Private Ryan” and “Hook”, I feel like I am in that film with those characters. I am with them through every laugh,
heartbreak and challenge they must face.
This truly is the mark and stamp of an amazing director.
In Hollywood
there are tons of great, truly talented directors but there is something about
stepping into the theater to watch a Spielberg film that is extremely different
compared to sitting down to watch a film from any other director in the
industry. I think this man was just born
with a gift that had to be shared with the rest of the world. His films transcend the imagination. You are there. Something I find very interesting about
Spielberg’s work as well, is the fact that every single film he has made has
re-watch value, some more than others but all of them have it. Even if you look at “Saving Private Ryan” or
“Schindler’s List”, it may not be a fun visit to go back to those films but
people do, for the historical importance as well as the masterful
filmmaking.
Look at
“Schindler’s List”. In that film, all
the choices made in production were so impactful; for example, the choice to
shoot the film in black and white or the one scene of color with the red
dress. These choices could easily have
never come up in production. The film
could have been filmed in color but it would have had much less of an
impact. The film is SO emotional and SO
impactful and SO amazing that we need to watch it now and again so we don’t
forget, so no one forgets. I think that
is a gift from Mr. Spielberg. He showed
harsh truths in a brilliant film and now schools show the film in history
classes.
The other
film in that same vein would be “Saving Private Ryan”. “Ryan” takes the viewer out of their seats
and transports them to Normandy for 3 hours.
We experience D-Day as close as one can, who wasn’t there
firsthand. This is a tremendous feat for
a director to accomplish and another history lesson from Mr. Spielberg.
Another
thing I find fascinating about this man is the way he can jump from genre to
genre. The man has worked in Sci-fi,
Drama, Horror, Action/Adventure, Family and Animation and done it all with ease
and grace, which is astonishing. I can’t
think of another director in history to jump from genre to genre that way and
excel with success.
I have gone
to this topic in many of my articles and it seems to be a common theme and that
is story. I think Spielberg always goes
with story first. Look at the man’s
resume. It is very far and few in-between to see a film that doesn’t have an
amazing story. This may be what is so
very different about Spielberg compared to other directors working today. Nothing and I mean NOTHING this man directs,
lacks passion. To be honest, it is the
exact opposite. His films ooze passion.
“JAWS” is a great example of passion and
perseverance for the craft of filmmaking.
There were tremendous production difficulties with the filming of
“JAWS”. There was a pesky character on
set named Bruce who didn’t always cooperate. (Bruce was the mechanical Shark,
for those of you who may not know.) Anyhow, this damn Shark malfunctioned left
and right. Due to all the technical
issues with the shark, Spielberg and production decided to not show the shark
and that decision, that bold move, made “JAWS” so much more frightening. We have the fear of the unknown. What is
below our feet as we swim? These are the
types of things that Mr. Spielberg comes up with that make him both an
innovator and a master of his craft. Not
to mention his remarkable execution.
Let’s jump
ahead to the year 1981, shall we? That
year, we got the adventure film that defined adventure, “Raiders of the Lost
Ark”. The use of practical effects in
“Raiders”, as well as heart and story made the film a genre of its own. It is a genre that will never be repeated, a
film that can never be topped. This is
the power of a master at the top of their game.
In 1993, we
were handed “Jurassic Park” on a silver platter - a film that changed the way
the world looked at special effects.
“Jurassic Park” is yet another film that transports the audience to
another world. This is the way of
Spielberg, transporting rather than just entertaining. Yet, he never sacrifices story or substance
for beautiful scenery and “Wow Factor”.
He earns “Wow Factor” through story first and the rest falls into place
on its own.
Steven
Spielberg will go down as the greatest director of all time because he
transports. The man puts the audience in
a time machine and sends them to the past, future or someplace not existing in
the present. The talent this man has is
immeasurable and the best may still be yet to come because when you have a
master, you never know what card they will pull next. I, for one, can’t wait to see what it is
because if I need a history lesson or a trip to the future, Mr. Steven
Spielberg is always there to open the door.
For that, Sir, I salute you.
- George McCann
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